How to Build a Personal Brand Fast Using Public Speaking and Social Media Video
Liam Sandford
Liam Sandford is a public speaking coach, marketing leader, and 2x Best Selling Author, including the book Effortless Public Speaking. He helps introverted professionals and leaders take control of public speaking anxiety and use speaking to market themselves, build influence, and communicate with impact.
Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to grow a personal brand, but it is not limited to standing on a stage. In today’s world, social media videos provide a far greater reach than any physical room ever could. When used strategically, public speaking allows you to communicate your expertise, personality, and values in a way that builds trust much faster than written content. Written content is important, but seeing and hearing someone conveys emotion energy and authenticity in a way that text alone can’t.
Whether you want to be recognized as an expert in your field, attract collaborators, or advance your career, speaking on camera offers a unique opportunity to reach thousands of people at once while creating a personal connection. Every video you produce can reinforce your expertise, showcase your perspective, and create trust that builds over time. By combining clear messaging, storytelling, and structured communication, you can turn each video into a cornerstone of your personal brand.
Why Public Speaking Builds Trust Faster Than Written Content
Public speaking has a unique ability to accelerate trust because it allows your audience to experience you directly. People connect with human presence in ways that words on a page cannot replicate. They see your expressions, hear the inflection in your voice, and sense your authenticity. This creates a faster path to trust which is the foundation of any strong personal brand. When someone has watched your speaking content, when you produce something written, they read it in your voice. This is powerful as they feel like they know you.
Seeing is Believing: Why Video Matters
Humans are hardwired to respond to visual and verbal cues. Facial expressions, gestures, and tone convey far more than words alone. A short video demonstrating your expertise allows your audience to absorb not just your ideas but also your personality and approach.
For example, consider a career coach creating a 90 second video about how to prepare for interviews. The coach can illustrate posture, voice tone, and gestures, all of which give credibility and make the advice more relatable. Written advice may be accurate but it does not allow the audience to experience these nuances, which are essential for trust building.
Video also allows you to demonstrate competence and confidence in a single glance. People quickly judge authority not only by what you say but how you say it. Over time, this repeated exposure builds familiarity, which is a critical element of trust. People are far more likely to follow, engage, and recommend someone they have seen in action rather than someone they have only read about.
Faster Relationship Building Through Social Media
Trust is built through repeated interaction and visibility. Social media videos allow you to maintain consistent presence with your audience. Unlike a text based post, a video lets people experience your energy and insight repeatedly. Every new video reinforces your personality and expertise, helping your audience feel they know you even before they meet you.
This repeated exposure also accelerates relationship building. When people begin to recognize your face, hear your voice, and relate to your content, they are more likely to engage in comments, reach out for collaborations, or share your content with their network. Over time, these small interactions compound into meaningful relationships that strengthen your brand and expand your influence.
Complementing Other Marketing Channels
Public speaking does not replace other forms of content marketing. Blogs, social media posts and newsletters remain valuable. Speaking complements these channels by creating trust faster and providing material that can be repurposed across platforms.
For instance, a single video can generate multiple blog posts, infographics, social posts, and newsletter content. This amplifies your reach while reinforcing your expertise and making your brand more memorable. Videos give your audience the emotional experience and personality that text alone cannot provide, creating a richer multidimensional personal brand.
Defining Your Personal Brand Before You Speak on Video
Clarity is critical before producing any video content. Without a clear personal brand, your audience will struggle to understand your expertise and values. A strong personal brand communicates who you are, what you stand for, and why people should trust you.
Identify Your Core Value
Your core value is the unique combination of skills, experience, and perspective that sets you apart. To define it, consider the problems you solve consistently, the insights you can provide based on your perspective and experiences, and the approach you take that is distinct.
Once you articulate your core value in a single sentence, it becomes the guiding principle for every piece of content you produce. For example, a marketing professional might define their core value as teaching small business owners to simplify digital campaigns while maintaining measurable results. This clarity ensures every story, example, and insight aligns with the same consistent message, which reinforces your personal brand.
A clearly defined core value also helps you attract the right audience. People who resonate with your expertise and perspective are far more likely to engage, follow, and share your content, creating a loyal audience that trusts your advice and recommendations.
Know Your Audience
Understanding your audience allows you to create content that truly resonates. Consider their challenges, goals, and preferred formats. Map out questions they are asking and problems they are trying to solve.
For instance, if your audience consists of professionals trying to improve workplace communication, your videos could focus on actionable tips for meetings, presentations, and emails. If your audience is creative entrepreneurs, they may respond better to storytelling, insights, and behind the scenes perspectives. Knowing your audience ensures that every video you create is relevant, valuable, and positions you as someone who understands their needs.
Craft Your Signature Message
A signature message is the core idea you want people to remember. It is the thread that ties all your content together from social media videos to blogs and posts.
To craft your signature message, identify one central theme that reflects your expertise and approach. Use language that is clear, concise, and consistent. Repeat this message across all platforms, reinforcing the idea until it becomes associated with your name.
For example, a communication expert might have a signature message like Clear communication creates influence and builds opportunities. Every video should illustrate this principle through examples, actionable tips, or storytelling. This repetition builds familiarity and reinforces trust.
Using the Nano Speech to Structure Your Videos
Even short videos benefit from a clear structure. The Nano Speech public speaking framework provides a simple yet powerful model to deliver concise, memorable content. It ensures your audience can follow your ideas and retain the key points while creating a strong impression of authority.
Open: Hook Your Viewer Immediately
The first few seconds of a video determine whether viewers continue watching. A strong hook grabs attention by presenting a question, insight, or story that sparks curiosity.
Hooks should be short, clear, and relevant to the audience problem or interest. It should be immediately obvious to the viewer why they should continue paying attention to you and keep watching.
A compelling opening not only retains viewers but also sets the tone for the content that follows. It communicates confidence and authority immediately, establishing trust in your expertise.
Your whole nano speech hinges on your hook. If you don’t capture attention here they don’t get to see the rest of your content. Watch time is your biggest indicator of success in video content. Your goal has to be to capture attention and maintain it. You can do this with mini-hooks throughout the rest of the video.
Body: Deliver Key Insights
The body of your video is where you deliver practical value. Focus on a small number of points that can be understood quickly and applied immediately. Overloading the audience reduces retention and trust. Too much context kills attention.
Keep each insight concise and highlight key points with visuals or on screen text to reinforce learning.
The body should demonstrate your expertise while being accessible and engaging. Use storytelling, examples, or client testimonials to make your advice memorable and relatable. This combination of clarity, insight, and relatability builds trust faster than any written article alone.
Close: Inspire Action
The closing reinforces your signature message and encourages viewers to take action. Provide a clear next step.
A strong close leaves the audience with a memorable takeaway or actionable step that they can implement. This provides a clear call to action that is about your audience rather than about you. This will help reinforce your personal brand as someone who helps their audience rather than someone who makes it about them and their business.
Creating High Impact Social Media Videos
The majority of your personal brand growth can come from social media videos. They allow you to reach exponentially more people than any physical event. Creating content that builds trust requires strategy, attention to detail, and consistent execution.
Start with Small Consistent Content
Starting with short, manageable videos allows you to build confidence while establishing consistency. Short videos between 30 and 90 seconds work best for social media (excluding YouTube) and provide sufficient time to deliver a single focused insight.
Consistency is more important than length. Regularly producing content demonstrates reliability and reinforces your expertise. Each video is another opportunity for your audience to experience your approach and your personality. Posting once a month won’t cut it to build your brand. Posting at least 3 times a week, and ideally at least once a day will help you to reinforce your brand.
Use Storytelling to Connect
Stories transform concepts into memorable experiences. They allow the audience to relate to your content on a personal level. Include examples from your own experience, clients, or colleagues. Share small successes, failures, and lessons learned.
Even brief stories in short videos make your content more engaging and believable. People remember stories longer than facts or instructions alone. Stories communicate values and personality, which builds trust and reinforces your brand identity.
Optimize Visual and Vocal Delivery
Professionalism is critical even in short form video. Ensure clear audio, good lighting, and appropriate framing. Use gestures, facial expressions, and movement to emphasize key points. Speak confidently and naturally to convey authority while remaining approachable.
Visual consistency across videos, such as colors, backgrounds, and slide style, reinforces brand recognition. Vocal delivery communicates energy, confidence, and authenticity, which helps build trust faster than written content. For more on how to use public speaking effectively in building your personal brand, check out the Ultimate Guide to Public Speaking in Marketing.
Amplifying Video for Maximum Reach
Creating great content is only part of the strategy. Strategic amplification determines the long term impact on your personal brand.
Leverage Platform Features
Social media platforms offer features to increase discoverability. Captions, hashtags, tagging, and descriptions can help new viewers find your content. Native posting is favored by algorithms and ensures better visibility. Engage with viewers through comments and replies to build connection and credibility.
Collaborate and Cross Promote
Partnerships amplify reach. Collaborate with other professionals, creators, or brands to reach new audiences. Tag collaborators in posts and encourage them to share the content. Consider guest appearances or interviews to tap into established communities. This approach provides credibility by association and expands your audience beyond your current followers.
Measure Engagement to Refine Your Brand
Tracking metrics allows you to understand what content builds trust most effectively. Measure views, watch time, comments, shares, new followers, and conversions. Analyze which topics, formats, and delivery styles generate the highest engagement. Use this data to iterate on your content strategy improving both reach and trust.
Avoid Common Mistakes in Video Based Public Speaking
Producing video is not just about speaking clearly or looking professional. It requires strategy, awareness of audience needs, and an understanding of how people consume and retain information online. Avoiding these pitfalls ensures your videos reinforce your authority and build trust rather than confusing or alienating your audience.
Lack of Focus
One of the most frequent errors in video content is attempting to communicate too many ideas in a single piece. Videos without a clear focus confuse the audience, dilute the key message, and reduce trust. Every video should have one central idea that is easy to understand and remember.
For instance, instead of producing a video titled How to Improve Your Productivity at Work that tries to cover five unrelated techniques, focus on a single actionable tip such as time blocking or prioritizing tasks. Explain why it works, show a practical example, and conclude with a clear takeaway. This approach ensures the audience leaves with a specific insight they can apply immediately.
Lack of focus also impacts retention. When viewers encounter too many ideas at once, they may forget or misunderstand the content, and your authority is weakened. They most likely will scroll past your video. By narrowing your topic and providing depth rather than breadth, you demonstrate expertise and help viewers see the value of your advice. Clear focus signals that you understand your own content and are capable of guiding your audience effectively.
Overly Scripted Delivery
Many people assume that scripting every word of a video guarantees professionalism. In reality, overly scripted delivery often makes you appear robotic or inauthentic. Audiences respond to authenticity and natural presence far more than perfect wording.
Preparation is essential, but scripts should serve as guides, not word for word recitations. Outline your key points, examples, and transitions, then speak naturally around them. You can use the nano speech framework to guide you. Allow your personality and natural expressions to come through. This may include small pauses, gestures, or changes in tone. When done well, it conveys confidence and builds trust because the audience perceives you as human rather than a recording machine.
Ignoring the Audience
Creating content without considering the audience’s needs is a serious mistake. Videos should always be designed to provide value relevant to the viewers’ challenges, goals, or interests. Ignoring this can make your content forgettable, reduce engagement, and damage credibility. Remember that your content is not about you, it’s about your audience.
Before recording, ask yourself: What problem am I solving for my audience? What question are they likely asking? How will this video make their life easier or provide insight they cannot get elsewhere?
For example, if you are producing content on leadership skills for young managers, focus on practical tips they can implement immediately rather than theoretical concepts that require prior experience. Address common pain points, provide actionable examples, and speak in a way that resonates with their experience. When viewers feel that a video was made with them in mind, trust and engagement increase dramatically.
Skipping Post Publishing Engagement
Publishing a video is only the first step in building your personal brand. Many professionals fail to engage after posting, missing opportunities to reinforce trust and deepen relationships with their audience. Engagement extends the value of your content by encouraging conversation and demonstrating accessibility.
Respond to comments thoughtfully, answer questions, and interact with viewers through direct messages when appropriate. Encourage discussion by asking questions in your video and following up in the comments. This shows that you are approachable and invested in your audience, which builds credibility and loyalty.
Additionally, consider tracking feedback from your audience. Which questions recur? Which sections generate the most discussion? Use these insights to improve future videos. Post publishing engagement transforms a single video from a static piece of content into an active trust building tool that deepens relationships over time.
By avoiding these mistakes, you ensure that every video you produce contributes to your personal brand, builds trust, and positions you as an authority in your field. Focus on clarity, authenticity, audience relevance, and ongoing engagement to maximize impact.
TL;DR: How to Build a Personal Brand Using Public Speaking
Public speaking through social media video is the fastest way to build a personal brand and trust.
Focus on short consistent videos that highlight your expertise
Use Nano Speech to structure videos with hooks insights and clear takeaways
Repurpose videos across platforms to amplify reach and authority
Incorporate storytelling and authenticity to strengthen audience connection
Engage with your audience after publishing to build lasting trust
More From Liam Sandford
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