The Rise Of Youpreneur Everyone's turning into a 'youpreneur' in the pandemic. Brand 'you', got even bigger! In the world of social media, virtual hybrid work-life, everyone is their own personal brand entrepreneur

Welcome to the world of youpreneurs! The pandemic is witnessing a rise of youpreneurs like never before. They are social magnets of success. Youpreneurs are capitalising how they show up in other people's mind and timelines. In 2014, podcaster Chris Ducker coined the word 'youpreneur', to describe the rise of personal brand entrepreneurs.

We are all youpreneurs in the pandemic, where lives are lived online. Posting is emerging as the surest and quickest way to strengthen your personal brand. Youpreneurs are the public face of the business, they have dynamic personalities and drive their success. From Richard Branson to Jeff Bezoz, powerful Youpreneurs are changing the game. There was a time when personal branding was seen as something exclusive to celebrities and super successful. In 2022, it is accessible to everyone. If you are an entrepreneur, consultant, coach, author or "solopreneur', you can train yourself to become a youpreneur.

In a pandemic world, we are witnessing writers, bloggers, travellers, corporate honchos, PR gurus, CEOs leverage their timeless personalities and unique experience by posting on Linkedin and Instagram to grow with their audience despite shaky economies, changing technologies and uncertain world dynamics.

Says Vineet Bajpai, entrepreneur and author, "In an era when influencer marketing has become the buzzword and creators are fast becoming brands, youpreneurs need to ride the personal branding wave in order to stay relevant. From seasoned authors like Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad), global motivational gurus like Gary V, to modern restaurateurs like Salt Bae, thousands of businesses world over are thriving on the back of the entrepreneurs' personal brand. Some strategies that can galvanise your personal branding journey on social media are as a youpreneur are as follows: Post. Post. Post. Remember, nothing beats regularity of content posting. It doesn't matter if you have hundred followers or one million, you can't hope to build a brand around sparse and sporadic content. Secondly, video is king. Nothing beats a human face talking on the screen, or a smartly made video reel for that matter. No amount of creative designs or product posts can outperform well-made short videos. So, if you don't have a home studio in place just yet, now is the time to invest in one. Explore multi-channel, 360 degree social media. You're good on Instagram. Great! But what about LinkedIn? And Twitter? And your blog? A podcast? Yes, you got that right. A holistic, cross-channel presence will more often than not outdo single platform promotions."

Youpreneurs play by their own rules. Whatever the market fluctuations, they empower themselves. The "business of you' remains powerful, even as the outside world changes. It's all about impression management, communication and leadership. Every youpreneur cushions their personal financial and business model and makes it future-proof. It's a great idea to invest in relationships and networking. You might not control the market forces but you can control: "brand you'. Says Farzana Suri, entrepreneur and business coach, "Your personal brand is your persona. Every piece of communication defines and strengthens it. Youpreneurs use their tone, presentation, content to resonate their brand essence. I market myself as a success and victory coàch, everything I put out online has the 'winner or victor' story narrative. There are few things that help establish your personal brand. My mantras are simple: Stay you, be you and do you; you don't have to emulate others. Identify your expertise--who you are and what you offer clearly--what do you want to stand for? Keep your content positive and engaging. Consistency matters. Stay consistent also in tone, voice and look. Don't sell. Learn from others, follow people of influence, take a social media course. Lastly keep adding value by staying up-to-date."

Every entrepreneur needs to be a youpreneur in 2022. With a solid personal brand in the 'youpreneur ecosystem' you can sustain yourself in uncertain times. Chris Ducker writes in his book, The Rise of Youpreneurs, build, market, monetise yourself, "The mantras of being a youpreneur are simple: Know yourself; attract the best, repel the rest. Know who to trust. Learn to flatter yourself." However, don't get hooked on the personal development treadmill: be yourself.

More people are beginning to see the value in having an influential personal brand. Since 2020, networking, connecting, and building relationships has moved online. In 2022, we will witness how youpreneurs take their personal branding to the next level. Personal branding on social media will reflect in the way you broadcast your voice with authenticity.

In their book, - Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself, authors Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacy talk about how every individual needs to optimise their social media to supercharge their business, "Regardless of who you are, or what you do, social media can be invaluable. It is imperative to create a personal brand that will help you stand out. There's nothing wrong with letting some of your "public personal' life bleed over into your professional life. "

In the Youpreneur landscape of 2022, you are creating and master-minding your own success story!