Personal branding is the art of how you present yourself so people remember you. Creating and managing your personal brand in today’s digital age is essential. You should learn from some of the best personal branding books.

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room”

Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder

Do you know people are saying about your personal brand online and off? Are you taking steps to build, polish, and refine it? Are you branding yourself in everything you do and developing and refining your personal brand?

It is critical to review your online reputation. Learn how to Google yourself correctly. Create, curate, and share content. Become a thought leader in your industry and profession.

“All of us need to understand the importance of branding… we are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. … our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called you” 

Tom Peters in Fast Company

The best personal branding books to read today

Here are 10 of the best personal branding books. They will help you start building a strong and memorable personal brand.

1. Personal Branding For Dummies

Author: Susan Chritton

Why should you read this book? In this book, you’ll discover that a personal brand is more than just a business card and a resume. Learn how to expand your personal brand through social media.

Use digital job boards and online communities. Apply the proven techniques of traditional personal branding.

You are searching for a new job. You are considering a career change. Maybe you want to be more successful in your career. Regardless, you’ll have the step-by-step information you need.

You can start to distinguish yourself from the competition. This will help you stand out in a global talent pool. You will successfully build a professional presence with a clear and concise image and reputation. The book provides critical information, tips, and techniques to develop a personal brand correctly.

2. BrandingPays: The Five-Step System to Reinvent Your Personal Brand

Author: Karen Kang

Why should you read this book? In it, you’ll learn how to refocus your skills and experience. This will help you become one of the best candidates for your dream job. You’ll grow in your career and obtain the business opportunities you want.

The author builds upon concepts and techniques from the legendary marketing firm that launched the Apple brand.

Discover the step-by-step BrandingPays approach proven in Fortune 500 companies and leading business schools.

3. Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself

Author: Erik Deckers

Why should you read this book? In this book, you’ll learn how to reinvent yourself. This will help you land a new job. It also allows you to show more value to your current employer.

This book is packed with new techniques and ideas. It explains how to use today’s hottest social media platforms, like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. It is practical, easy, and effective.

The authors explain how to choose today’s best social media tools for your personal goals. In this book, the author shows how to build an authentic storyline.

They explain how to find yourself on search engines and then enhance your personal online presence. In the book, the author shows how to use online and offline networking to get more from both. They also teach how to use your expert status to become a published author or public speaker.

4. Reinventing You, With a New Preface: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future

Author: Dorie Clark

Why should you read this book? In this book, you’ll learn about your career and yourself. Are you where you want to be professionally?

This book is a step-by-step guide for achieving a promotion at your company, finding a new job, or changing careers. The author will help you assess your strengths. It will help you create a compelling personal brand. It will also make sure that your colleagues and network recognize your value.

The author mixes stories with interviews and examples from popular leaders. These elements show how you should think about your professional goals. They guide you in living the life you really want. The author mixes stories with interviews and examples from popular leaders. This approach demonstrates how you should think about your professional goals and how to live the life you really want.

5. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

Author: Donald Miller

Why should you read this book? In this book, the New York Times best-selling author Donald Miller explains the key elements of powerful stories.

The goal is to help you transform how you talk about who you are.

It is also about what you do and the unique value you bring to your customers and others.

The author’s process helps you see the seven universal story points all humans respond to. It explains the reason customers make purchases.

The book shows you how to create a simple brand message. It also teaches you how to create persuasive messaging for your digital presence.

6. The Breakthrough Speaker: How to Build a Public Speaking Career

Author: Adam Smiley Poswolsky

Why should you read this book? It teaches you how to get paid to speak to others. This book is a follow-up to the author’s popular book on the quarter-life crisis, The Quarter-Life Breakthrough. It focuses on building a successful speaking career.

The author shares the lessons he learned in his journey from an unpaid speaker to a successful paid storyteller. The author regularly gets paid $10,000 for a 30-minute presentation and wants to help you do the same.

With public speaking becoming an essential life skill, this book will help you “break into” the speaking industry. It will increase your online exposure. It will build your personal brand. This will enable you to make a greater impact on the world.

7. Talk Triggers: The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word of Mouth

Authors: Jay Baer and Daniel Lemin

Why should you read this book? In this book, you’ll learn the concept of talk triggers. What are talk triggers?

They are business choices. They are also a shareable element that increases word-of-mouth. This is directly responsible for 19% of all purchases and can influence up to 90%.

Every human on Earth relies on word of mouth to make buying decisions. Yet, fewer than 1% of companies have a strategy to encourage better word-of-mouth conversations.

This book is a practical guide on using your differentiators to create better conversations. Learn from companies like Doubletree Hotels by Hilton. Discover how The Cheesecake Factory and Five Guys Burgers stand out. See how Penn & Teller differentiate themselves.

8. This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See

Author: Seth Godin

Why should you read this book? The number one Wall Street Journal bestseller, Seth Godin, wrote this book. He takes a unique approach to marketing, sales, and advertising.

He originates great ideas that have made their way into mainstream language. His previous books include Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, and The Dip.

In one book, the author offers the core of his marketing wisdom: use marketing to solve other people’s problems.

This book uses a blend of insight, observation, and memorable examples to help you learn the art of positioning. The best way to achieve your goals is to help others become who they want to be. Marketing is, at its core, about the stories we tell ourselves about our social status.

9. Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media

Author: Brittany Hennessy

Why should you read this book? In this book, you’ll learn how to become an influencer. The author shows that every one of your favorite influencers started with zero followers.

This book will show you how to build an audience. It will help you package your brand. You will learn how to monetize your influence. This includes knowing how much to charge.

You’ll also learn how to secure an agent. You’ll understand how to get the interest of top media publications and websites. In this book, you’ll learn how to elevate your online profile. You will understand the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules around influencer marketing. You’ll discover how to make money doing what you love to do.

10. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Authors: Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Why should you read this book? In this book, you’ll discover why some ideas thrive. You’ll understand why other ideas die on the vine. Moreover, you’ll find out how to improve the chances of your ideas.

“A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on,” said Mark Twain. His observation rings true in today’s “fake news” era, where conspiracy theories and bogus news stories have become mainstream.

Meanwhile, people with essential ideas struggle to make them “stick.” The authors explain how to make ideas stickier. They describe how to apply the human scale principle.

They also show how to use the Velcro Theory of Memory and create “curiosity gaps.” This book will help you communicate better. It provides you with stories. One example is the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who drank a glass of bacteria. He did this to prove a point about stomach ulcers.

What are the best personal branding books available today?

In today’s hyper-connected world, presenting yourself online and offline can open or close doors. Your personal brand is crucial for building your reputation as a thought leader. It is also important to level up your career or launch your own business.

Your personal brand is essential. It matters more than ever. And let’s face it… the best personal brands aren’t accidental. They’re intentional, strategic, and well-crafted.

That’s where books come in. The right personal branding books can give you proven frameworks. They can also provide fresh inspiration and actionable strategies. These resources help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.

These books cover storytelling techniques, online presence optimization, and mindset shifts. This collection is a goldmine for anyone serious about defining or redefining their public identity.

But here’s the real kicker: No two personal brands should be alike. That’s why discovering diverse perspectives through books can introduce fresh approaches. These perspectives can spark the breakthrough insight you didn’t even know you were missing.

So, what are some of the best personal branding books out there? Which ones moved the needle for you? Is your favorite personal branding book missing from this list? What lessons have you learned about building your personal brand from the books you’ve read?

Drop your top recommendations below. I’m always looking to add more gems to my shelf. Let’s grow our brands (and our libraries) together.

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