Personal Branding in Recruitment

Are you adding value, or volume?

Many of us are seeing the same thing. You’re scrolling through LinkedIn, minding your business, when you’re hit with another “Good morning” post! “Here’s a picture of my coffee cup and my inspiring thought of the day!”

You likely roll your eyes and scroll past it, but its closely followed by:

• A selfie from someone you barely know, flexing in front of a fancy building on their walk to work
• A perfectly captured candid photo of someone staring into the distance (who walks around with a camera crew in tow?)
• A selfie of someone in their car or on the train
• Then another perfectly captured candid photo, but feels more suited to a fashion magazine or modelling portfolio
• The out-of-focus shot of the temperature gauge in a car (while blatantly showing off the Rolex on their wrist and the Range Rover badge on their steering wheel)
• An endless stream of memes that barely qualifies as funny but somehow have 100+ likes

At this point, you’re wondering, “Is this LinkedIn or my Instagram Explore page?” Because nearly all these posts are accompanied by a poorly thought-out caption that is either completely unrelated or lacking any real substance, that you are finding yourself asking, “Why have you posted this?”

Don’t get me wrong, if the photo is related to the topic and an obvious companion to the story they are sharing, then I’m the first to agree that it has its place on your feed.

Let’s face it: personal branding has lost a bit of its magic

What was once an opportunity to share real insights and build meaningful connections has apparently become a quick win to replace cold calling. But in many cases, it feels more like a popularity contest filled with noise, clout chasing, and a lot of fluff.

Frustratingly, this narrative is dominating many of the conversations my team and I are having with the clients we are delivering outsourced social media content for, questioning our suggestions to why their employees should be complementing the content being published from company accounts with their own personal brand content and employee generated content (EGC).

The pushback is almost always the same:

“It’s just fluff and s**t on LinkedIn now! I don’t even bother going on it most days, so why would I encourage my teams to do this and waste their time when they will struggle to stand out?”

So, how do you stand out on platforms dominated by selfies, memes, and one-size-fits-all personal branding tactics?

Thoughtful, authentic content vs. lazy clout-chasing

First, let’s talk about value-driven personal brand content. This is the kind of content that makes you stop scrolling. It’s informative, authentic, and leaves you thinking, “Wow, that was actually insightful or helpful.” It’s not about you; it’s about what you can offer others. Whether it’s a fresh perspective on a trending topic, a personal story with actionable lessons learnt, or a deep dive into a situation impacting the industry you work within, this kind of content adds value to your community of followers. People engage with it not because it’s flashy but because it resonates with them on a deeper level.

On the flip side, we have lazy, clout-chasing content. You know the type: posts that feel more like fillers, designed purely “just for likes” rather than impact. They’re often selfies with vague captions, motivational quotes screenshotted from Pinterest, the random image with the stock-image watermark covering it, or random memes that feel out of place. Sure, these posts might rack up a few likes or comments, but do they move the needle for your personal brand? Do they establish you as an expert, a thought leader, or someone your target audiences should trust? Probably not.

The rise of the “copy and paste” personal branding formula

Now, there’s another layer to this problem: the textbook, copy and paste advice from the ever-growing army of personal brand coaches and training providers. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some solid advice out there from businesses that I admire because they are genuinely teaching some innovative approaches and tactics, but lately, LinkedIn has been flooded with what I call “I must do that too” personal branding. These are the same recycled tactics that are being packaged and sold as quick-win solutions:

• “Share your morning routine!”
• “Post a vulnerable story about failure.”
• “Post a selfie, but if you are self-conscious and your mother once said you have a face for radio, just post a picture of your dog instead!”
• “Be consistent—post daily for 30 days and watch the magic happen!”

And suddenly, everyone’s LinkedIn feed looks like a production line of perfectly manufactured yet completely unoriginal content. It’s like those package sandwiches or meal deal offerings—sure, they’ll fill you up, but you know deep down you’re not getting anything that’s nutritious.

The problem with this approach is it creates scrolling fatigue. Everyone’s telling the same story, following the same format, and giving the same advice. And while it may generate a bit of engagement in the short term, it ultimately dilutes the power of the platform and drives people away. Instead of building meaningful connections or showcasing true expertise, it becomes about who can shout the loudest.

Why authentic, insightful content wins

Personal branding isn’t about volume; it’s about value. Anyone can post every day, but if you’re just contributing to the noise, it’s not going to serve your personal brand in the long run. The goal of a strong personal brand is to become known or famous for something—whether that’s your expertise in a particular field, your unique perspective on business, or your ability to inspire change. And that only happens when your content is built on substance, not fluff.

If you’re serious about building an authentic, powerful personal brand, here’s my thoughts on how to do it:

(Disclaimer: If you’ve done your research on my own account, you will see that my approach to posting on LinkedIn is not about volume, but when I do, it’s because I feel my experiences or insight may be of interest, value or dare I suggest it, influence someone’s thoughts on a topic from a different prospective. Hey, if you’ve read this far, maybe I’ve achieved what I have set out to do with this article.)

Be selective with your content

Posting for the sake of posting is a fast track to irrelevance. Share only when you have something valuable to say. Put yourself in the shoes of your target audiences and ask yourself, “Will they understand or even care why I am posting this?”

Tell real, relatable stories

Not just the ones that make you look good or scream, “Look at me!” People connect with authenticity, not perfection.

Share your wins and the impact you’ve had in your world—modestly

And also share what you’ve learnt from your losses. Just make sure there’s a takeaway for your audience, whether that’s actionable insights or something to spark meaningful conversations.

Offer knowledge, inspiration, or a fresh perspective

Remember, people follow you because they may believe you can offer something they don’t have—whether it’s knowledge, inspiration, or a fresh perspective. Aim to make sure that each post delivers something meaningful.

Engage with others thoughtfully

A personal brand isn’t just built on what you say, but how you interact with others. Meaningful engagement—offering acknowledgement, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting your network—is just as important as your own posts.

Be the voice of reason in a cage full of parrots, and most importantly, stop chasing clout

When you’re juggling all the tasks and priorities of running a recruitment desk, it’s tempting to go for the quick wins, but true personal brand growth comes from consistently offering value, not just fishing for likes. If your content doesn’t align with your core message and objective for being on LinkedIn, it’s noise—no matter how nice your chosen picture is or how many emojis you sprinkle in.

Personal branding won’t kill cold calling in recruitment; but it will make it easier to engage and interact with new clients and candidates. This is why many recruiters are looking for the quick wins to help them in their immediate challenges of picking up new jobs or finding those hard-to-find candidates. But personal branding isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon, and if you’re cutting corners, you will likely run out of momentum and end up running off track!

In a world full of clout chasers, the ones who win are the ones who take the time to create content that’s insightful, authentic, and driven by a desire to serve their audience—not themselves. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for building your personal brand, but only if you approach it with intention.

So, the next time you’re tempted to post a selfie or jump on the latest meme trend, ask yourself, “Is this adding value, or am I just dialling up the noise?”