5 surprising reasons to grow your digital footprint
Read time: 4 minutes
Over the past 12 months, I’ve come to realise that a strong personal brand is one of the highest-leverage assets you can build.
And I speak from personal experience…
-
I started my career as a doctor
-
Next, I worked as a strategy consultant
-
Then I became founder of a healthtech company
I’ve seen firsthand how much easier it is to create opportunities with a brand than without one.
When I moved from medicine to consulting, no one knew who I was. Now, with a visible brand, building in public has made everything from hiring to partnerships so much easier.
Like it or not, we live in the attention economy. And I can say with certainty that whether you're a founder, freelancer, or employee, being visible opens doors faster than anything else.
In fact, 77% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand when the founder is active on social media. And leads generated through personal branding convert 7x more often.
Here are five reasons why building your personal brand online is one of the smartest moves you can make (no matter what your job title is):
1. It compounds
Your brand is one of the few assets that compounds over time.
Every post, podcast, or panel appearance adds to your digital footprint. Then you hit a tipping point where opportunities come to you. For me, that shift happened when I started sharing consistently—suddenly, people were reaching out to work with me, rather than the other way around.
Action: Pick a platform (LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.) and commit to showing up 2–3 times a week for 90 days. If you stick with it, you’ll be amazed what starts happening.
2. It de-risks your career
Markets shift, startups fail, jobs change. But a strong brand gives you protection because people follow you, not just your job title. When I left medicine, I had zero brand equity, and the pivot was not easy. With an audience, any future transition will be more straightfoward.
Action: Start documenting your journey publicly, not just the wins but the challenges. People resonate with the story, not just what’s on your CV.
3. It supercharges distribution
You can build the best product in the world, but if no one sees it, it doesn’t matter. As a founder, my personal brand has become a powerful distribution channel for my business, Bloomful. I recently announced a fundraise to my 60K+ audience, and closed a proportion of the raise straight away.
Action: Use your personal account to talk about what you're building as you’re building it. People buy into the full context, not just end product.
4. It builds trust at scale
Trust is the most valuable currency. The more people see your face, your thinking, your values, the more they feel like they know you (even if you've never spoken). This accelerates sales, partnerships, and collaborations. I've had people reach out to work with us who said, “I've been following you for months”. What they’re really saying is, “I feel like I already trust you.”
Action: Share your thinking regularly, including your beliefs, how you make decisions, what you're learning.
5. It attracts serendipity
Some of the best things that have happened over the past year were the direct result of putting myself out there. For example, I was recently approached to sit on a panel at a tech event—and an amazing fellow panellist has ended up becoming a board member of my business. When you’re consistently visible, you expand your luck surface area.
Action: Create a digital home (like a newsletter or website) that makes it easy for people to know what you're about, and how to reach you.
The bottom line
The game has changed: whatever stage you're at, visibility is leverage. And that’s not just for founders, it’s for anyone who wants more options and more opportunity. I’ve lived both sides of this coin—switching careers without a brand, and building a business with one. I can confidently say it’s worth it. Start now—your future self will thank you!
And if you’re starting from zero, here’s how to begin.
Hope that helps!
Speak soon,
Dupé
PS: whenever you're ready, feel free to enquire about working together: Get guidance on how to be more visible and grow your brand. Whether you’re looking for 1:1 coaching or ready-to-post content, hit reply and let’s chat!
