The uncomfortable truth about personal branding
I’ll be honest… I didn't start a business because I wanted to become the face of one. Like most small business owners, I started because I loved my craft - it really was that simple. Then somewhere along the way, someone cheerfully informed me that we also needed to "show up online." Wonderful.
Feel familiar?
For many small business owners, personal branding feels darn-right uncomfortable. We hide behind the logo, post the product instead of ourselves, and convince ourselves that nobody really wants to see the person behind the business anyway. Because hey, you’re “not very photogenic”, right? (Sarcasm is my love language)
But after years working in marketing, and now as a brand photographer, I've realised something that many of us would rather not hear:
People buy from people.
Not because they're nosey. Not because they want you specifically to become an influencer. But because they're looking for connection.
Part One: Trust has become the new currency
Think about how you buy from small businesses.
You don't just look at the product, you want to know more.
You’re interested in the person or people behind it.
You read their story because it somehow resonates.
You browse their Instagram for weeks before spending any money.
You get a feel for their values, you may even have some in common.
You want reassurance that they're real. Especially today, where every e-commerce image seems to be AI generated (boooo!)
In a world where we're constantly surrounded by ads, automation and increasingly AI-heavy content, people are craving human connection more than ever. Showing your face isn't about making yourself the centre of attention, it's about helping people trust the business they've already discovered.
And trust is often what turns interest into action.
Part Two: The thing you're avoiding might be the thing people need to see
This is where things get uncomfortable, ew.
The parts of ourselves we often want to hide are usually the parts people connect with most.
Not perfection.
Not polished marketing.
Not carefully curated professionalism.
But rather the real moments, the personality and the passion. Ultimately, the reason you started in the first place.
I've lost count of how many clients tell me:
"I'm not photogenic."
"I don't like being in front of the camera."
"Can we just photograph the products?"
And yet, almost every time, the images they're most nervous about become the ones they use the most. Why? Because they help people connect the business to a real human being.
Part Three: Personal branding isn't just about you
This is the bit that can throw people off. Personal branding sounds like it's about making yourself the focus.
But actually, it's about making your audience feel something.
It's about helping them understand who they're buying from.
It's about creating familiarity before they enquire.
It's about building confidence before they commit.
When someone visits your website or social media, they're trying to answer a simple question: "Can I trust this person?"
Not because you’re potentially an axe-wielding maniac maniac, but instead, because they’re being vulnerable.
Vulnerability in business looks like:
Investing hard-earned money, often when budgets are already stretched.
Inviting someone into the parts of your business you've poured your heart into.
Trusting another person with your ideas, goals and vision.
Taking a chance on someone before you've ever met them in real life.
Believing they'll understand what matters to you and treat it with care.
Showing up online helps answer that question. Not through perfectly posed photographs or carefully crafted captions, but through consistency, personality and a willingness to be seen.
The irony?
The irony is that most people wait until they feel confident before they start showing up… but confidence rarely arrives first.
Usually it arrives after you’ve clicked ‘post’ on your first video, even though you were terrified.
After realising that nobody is judging you nearly as much as you imagined. And more importantly, after seeing that the people who resonate with your work actually want to know who's behind it.
Bringing it back
So yes, the uncomfortable truth about personal branding is that people buy from people, even when we'd much rather hide behind the logo, hide behind our work or find visibility a lil’ too vulnerable.
But the good news is that showing up online doesn't require you to become someone you're not; it simply asks you to become a little more visible as the person you already are.
And for most small businesses, that's more than enough.
Lots of love,
Soph x