That time I went viral on Twitter
And what it taught me about personal branding
I’ve had viral tweets before - think 60k, 80k, 100k views type of viral.
But back in March, I tweeted something that really hit a nerve.
It wasn’t even my original thought - I shared a screenshot of a LinkedIn post from Ebi Atawodi that said:
"The most incompetent people are the ones posting wisdom on LinkedIn."
And it blew up. Almost 600K views.
Because everyone has felt that disconnect: the gap between what people post online and who they actually are.
People are tired of advice-for-advice-sake, and it raised a deeper question for me:
What even is personal branding? And why does it feel so performative sometimes?
But first, a quick word from our sponsor. Yes, we got our first newsletter sponsor🪭!
This newsletter is supported by Workplace Series Africa - an ed-tech platform creating personalized and practical learning experience for today’s digital professional.
The Problem I Have With Personal Branding
There’s this misconception that having a personal brand is only about showing up online to give advice.
Like Ebi, the problem I have with that wave of personal branding is that it’s often treated like a performance.
Something you turn “on” when you need to sell something.
People giving hot takes and “deep” wisdom online… while performing abysmally in real life.
Here’s the thing: if you treat your brand like a performance, you risk becoming a professional thought leader who can’t actually deliver.
You’ll hit “post” on brave declarations but miss the real targets.
You’ll get hired - then flop.
You start to feel like a fraud. Because, in some ways, you are.
And after a while, people start to see through the fluff.
Or worse, you burn out trying to keep up the act. Posting just for the sake of. (Been there. Done that. Would not recommend.)
What Personal Branding Should Be
Your personal brand is not an act.
A personal brand should feel like you - not your persona, not your perfectly curated highlight reel, not just your color palette or a witty LinkedIn headline or a clever bio.
It's not just how you show up online - it's how people experience you.
It’s what people remember when your name comes up in a room you’re not in.
Great personal branding starts from the inside out: your story, your voice, your values, your perspective.
That doesn’t mean you owe the internet your full story.
It means you know why you’re showing up, and who you’re trying to serve.
You share your wins. You share the failures. You grow, publicly.
And that’s what people connect to - not perfection, but presence.
It’s clear. It’s authentic. It’s intentional.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re building a personal brand on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or wherever, you should know:
A strong personal brand doesn't require you to be everywhere. It requires you to be consistent in the right places, to the right people.
You don’t need to shout or go viral to be seen.
You just need to show up - with clarity, intention, and consistency.
A personal brand isn’t about being liked by everyone.
It’s about being trusted by the right people.
And that trust starts with knowing who you are.
💡 Not sure where to begin?
This is why I love what Workplace Series Africa is building.
Their digital branding program helps professionals like you and I:
Understand our personalities
Build a strategy that feels like you
Create a presence that attracts the right kind of opportunities
And they do it without the fluff or the faking.
No:
❌ Copying someone else’s playbook and hoping it works for you
❌ Over-optimizing for virality over value
❌ Measuring your worth with vanity metrics you can buy or fake
Instead, they’ll start with you! Yep! Who were you before the social media and internet algorithms knew your name.
You’ll get: a personality test, a strategy call, and a brand roadmap customised for you.
Ready to start building a personal brand that actually fits you?
Sign up here with Workplace Series Africa - and let me know how it goes!
p.s.s: you’ll now get emails from me every Monday at 9am ish. See you on the next one✌🏾