We all have a purpose. I know that with the rise of social media, imposter syndrome can kick in and make us think that we don't have a purpose or that someone else's purpose is greater than ours. The truth is, whatever God has called you to do is just as significant as what He has called the next person to do.
Being intentional about serving God, serving people, and making an impact means that you will need to build a faith-based brand. Without a brand, it's going to be hard for others to know that you are available to help them. God has called you to be the conduit by which His blessings will flow to others, but if you are not intentional with building your personal brand then you miss the opportunity to be a witness for the Kingdom.
You may be saying that you are intentional, but you just don't know how to piece it all together and show up to serve those you are called to. Well, I want to share 5 ways to build your faith-based brand so that you can start impacting lives.
Clarity in your Calling-It's vital that you understand what God has called you to do, who He has called you to, and how He wants you to serve them. If you are not clear, you will be all over the place trying to do things like you see others doing yet still feeling a void. When you are not serving in the area that God has called you to serve in then your life lacks purpose, it lacks meaning, and others lives are held up. You were created to dominate in a certain area but when you are not clear, then you are not serving with excellence. Pray for clarity. It took me years to get clear on where God had called me to serve. I was accomplished in other areas, but my life lacked purpose, I still felt a void, and I was missing the opportunity to minister to those who needed me in the area that I had been called to. I am now clear that I have been called to evangelize through prayer, writing, and publishing. Now does this mean that God does not use me in other areas? No. This just means that this is where the core of my purpose lies. There may be other assignments for me in the area of speaking, coaching, and mentoring, but these areas are not the core of my purpose. You will know when you lack clarity because no matter how well you can do a thing, you will still not be fulfilled. This is when you need to go to God and ask Him to help you gain clarity. Understand that clarity is not always God giving you all of the steps. Sometimes clarity will come when you do the last thing that He told you to do. God is not obligated to show us the whole picture, but trust that as you are obedient to each step, it all becomes clear.
Write your Vision-Once you are clear on what you should be doing, how you should be doing it, and to whom you should be doing it for, then you will need to create a vision as to how that looks. Proverbs 29:18 says, "without vision the people perish." If you do not have a vision for your faith-based brand, then your goals, your gifts, your anointing will lie dormant and lives will be held up. What does it mean to write the vision? Example: What has God called me to do? Write. Who has God called me to do it for? Women of faith who want to experience spiritual, personal, and professional growth while building a faith based brand. How does God want me to serve them? Writing and publishing books, ministry consulting, speaking/preaching, praying. Then you want to go further and strategize on the vision. Example: I will write one book per year. I will blog once per month. I will start a publishing service, etc.
Spiritual Development-Get under someone who can pour into you so that you can continue to grow. This is an important step that you do not want to omit. The people who you are serving will disconnect from you if you do not continue to grow. Every leader needs a leader. You starting an online ministry is not a replacement for a Pastor. Romans 10: 17, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. How can they hear without a preacher?..." If you are only giving out, but not being poured back into then you will become deleted. You can't build your faith without being connected to a Pastor or ministry that teaches and preaches the uncompromised gospel. If your faith is not being built then you won't be able to help anyone build theirs. Your faith-based brand should be built on Kingdom core values and you won't be able to uphold those values if you are not growing from faith to faith.
Social Media Strategy-The content that you post, like, and/or share should be life-enriching, clean, and inspirational. If you are liking and sharing things that are distasteful and tacky then that becomes a part of your brand image. When you like or share things that mean you agree with it, you endorse it, so make sure that the content that you give out helps move someone's life closer to God, helps with salvation, and nourishes the soul. You will need to decide what platform (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Twitter, etc) you will start out on and as you grow you can add a platform. Once you have decided what platform you will use, you will need to do research to see what type of content your audience likes. What will be helpful for them? This is the type of content you will need to create. Don't copy anyone else's content but allow other faith-based influencers to inspire the type of content that you post.
Create a solid brand strategy. This will be your guide to how you are going to execute your vision, the actions, and activities that you will do to increase your brand awareness as well as the ways you will serve. A brand strategy is a detailed compass. It will become the valued resource by which you serve and bring God glory as you build your faith-based brand.
I have been building my faith-based brand for over 10 years. Without building a brand I would not have sold as many books as I sold, been booked to speak at the various places that I've spoken at, been able to serve aspiring authors with publishing, been featured, recognized, or awarded. Branding positions you for more opportunities, sales, connections, and more, and as a faith-fueled brand, the ultimate award is God being glorified and lives being changed through what you do each and every day. If you are ready to build your brand or start your online ministry and you need help then you can download the free resources that by clicking here: https://www.pameladsmith.net/contact
For His Glory,
Pamela D. Smith
