The best platform to promote a personal brand is digital media. As AI enters the field, the concept of branding has also changed.
Creating a personal brand goes beyond being authentic and giving the brand’s voice a personal touch.
The unblinding method is now trending, with real, unfiltered content used to build a brand. It helps connect with the audience and build trust.
The personal branding space is expanding quickly. Establishing yourself as an emerging influencer and making your brand recognizable to your audience can be quite challenging. What once seemed fresh and innovative has now turned into a repetitive cycle of trying too hard to appear authentic.
Though there is some truth to the same ‘copy-paste’ pattern, personal brands are built on known, seen branding strategies. However, the trend seems to be changing in 2026. Following the formula does not bring followers or attract a new audience.
Also read: Top 5 Facebook Likes Platforms for Brand Pages, Creators, and Agencies.
Branding strategies have turned from using ‘picture-perfect shots’ to authenticity. This rising trend, known as ‘unblinding,’ involves the use of raw, imperfect showcases of brands and products.
With artificial intelligence making its way into branding and advertising, more and more consumers are losing trust in what the brands portray in the media. Sharing vulnerabilities and raw experiences allows users/followers to connect with the brand on a more humane level. This builds trust and lowers the barriers to sales.
'Unblinding' (also known as unblanding) simply means stepping away from the ‘personal brand formula’ used during 2024–2025. Looking beyond those perfectly curated headshots and general ‘I help you to do this,’ superficial, recycled insights, brands try to give an original and human voice that caters to the personal needs of the users/customers.
Creating an ‘unblinding’ portfolio could be challenging. It takes courage to be raw and unfiltered in the face of the masses. It could bring you mixed reactions, including harsh criticism. The focus needs to be strongly on the positive aspects. Given below are some easy steps to upgrade an existing personal brand :
Stop Using ‘Bio’ templates: Personal branding has deteriorated to performative branding. It is time to step away from the recycled phrases and vague missions. Avoid using the repeated templates to describe a brand. Over-polished, perfect content that actually fails to meet users’ expectations will soon lead to a loss of credibility.
Bring Purpose into Personal Brands: Brands need to be more than a face for selling. They need to come with a purpose that users can connect with. Users should be given a strong reason to use the brand. Finding a genuine purpose is what attracts a real audience, not just a purpose for branding.
Create a Niche Audience: Regarding users, prioritize quality over quantity. A brand need not cater to the needs of the entire public. It is better to focus on a target audience. This helps build a community and expand your users/buyers.
Document Unfiltered Content: The audience also needs to understand the real struggles in building a brand. Try to show the behind-the-scenes and struggles, promoting the product with all its imperfections. Document every little step needed to build a brand from scratch. Avoid posting perfectly edited tutorials and easily achievable goals.
Build on Strategy: Start building your brand on key pillars that give your content meaning. This includes clear messaging, visual consistency, and content with a purpose.
The brand’s goal should be in line with the user's purpose. This helps establish clear, transparent communication with the audience and build trust.
Brand Should Reflect Purpose: The brand needs to be a representation of what drives it forward. For example, an actor in a video with a stiff posture, reading from a script, clearly sends the message that your brand could be scripted or fake. Brands should tell their story through more unfiltered, natural conversations.
Personalize Content: The brand needs to connect with the audience and cater to their needs. Try creating personalized content that reaches the target audience.
With the increasing use of artificial intelligence across media platforms, it is hard to distinguish between authentic and fake content. This raises concerns around ‘manipulated media’ and creating trust issues among users. Personal branding in 2026 seems to go beyond the demands of authenticity and personal touch to reach the audience meaningfully with a strong purpose.
Also read: How to Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn in 2026
1. What is personal branding?
Ans: Personal branding is the process of managing, creating, and promoting your brand/content. This should be a unique, authentic public image that makes you stand out in your field.
2. What are the 7 pillars of personal branding?
Ans: The 7 pillars of personal branding include clarity, authenticity, value, consistency, visibility, and building relationships.
3. How can users trust a brand?
Ans: To build user trust, create content that meets your target audience's needs.
4. What is the ‘unblinding’ method?
Ans: This simply means stepping away from the ‘personal brand formula’ of 2024–2025. Instead, use the ‘raw and unfiltered’ approach with your audience.
5. What is the new hack for brands to grow in 2026?
Ans: The new growing hack for brands is called ‘unblinding’. This hack demands you to be honest, imperfect, and real.