Personal Branding in the Age of AI

Today, we are looking at personal branding in this age of fast-growing AI tools. Things are shifting. We are moving from a world where being the “smartest” person in the room was enough, to a world where being human matters even more. Intelligence alone is no longer the winning card.

About a decade ago, I wrote an article predicting how technology would shape personal branding. I mentioned that we would soon see many fake brands rise. I didn’t imagine it would happen this fast. With AI today, anyone can create a brand overnight. You can get tools to write your content, design your layouts, grow an audience, and give you likes and followers. Almost everything can be automated.

This comes with benefits. It makes work faster for many of us. But it also brings a big challenge to personal brands — the danger of becoming robotic. The danger of losing your voice. The danger of blending in instead of standing out.

So, the question is simple:
How do you remain human while using AI?
How do you build a brand that people can still feel, trust, and relate with?

Recently, I read an article that said people now use AI to write their CVs, and HR teams also use AI to read them. So no one is actually “meeting” anyone. Machines talk to machines, and the humans are stuck outside the conversation. That is the loop we may enter if we don’t position ourselves well.

This is why human brands will matter even more.

1. The Death of the “Surface Expert.”

Today, anyone can sound like an expert. All you need is an AI tool. Within weeks, you can produce hundreds of posts, quotes, videos, and articles. If someone sees your page, they may think you have mastered the field.

But here is the truth:
AI can help you sound smart, but it cannot help you be you.

Soon, all this content will begin to look and sound the same. Perfect. Smooth. Clean. And that is the problem.

People don’t want perfect anymore. Perfect looks like a bot.
Flaws look like a human.

People want to relate to your journey, not just your instructions. They want to know what you faced, what you learned, and what you felt. This is what separates a real brand from a generated one.

So yes, share the “how to,” but also share the story behind it.

A friend of mine on social media, Adwoa Agyemang in London, has been experimenting with AI for some time. What makes her content stand out is simple — she shares her journey. Her mistakes. Her fun moments. Her curiosity. Her discoveries. In doing that, she brings her readers along, and they relate to her better.

Another friend, Kwabena Appianing, built his brand over the last six months using AI. Not by pretending to be perfect, but by showing his learning process. He wrote about his struggles, what worked for him, and what failed. He tailored his insights to people in Africa and Asia. That made his content practical and real.

That is what the audience wants today.
Not just “how to make money on social media,” but how you did it, with your flaws, your background, your region, your realities.

This kind of storytelling makes your brand relatable. You move from “how to…” to “how I overcame…” or “how he/she figured it out…”. Now, people can see themselves in your journey. They can trust you.

2. Intimacy and Relatability Still Win

Your audience needs to feel you. They need a sense of connection. Don’t automate all your responses. Don’t remove your voice. Add a bit of your personality. Your local slang. Your humour. Your perspective. Make it human.

Even if 90 percent of your content is automated, let 10 percent be your touch. That 10 percent is your brand.

Engage beyond likes and comments. Show up as a person. Create room for conversations and human touch. Let people feel that behind all the automation, there is a real human being who cares.

This is the difference between a brand people follow…
and a brand people trust.

Staying Human, Staying Present

In this new era, personal branding is not just about showing expertise. It is about showing presence. Your audience wants to feel that you are here, learning, growing, failing, rising — just like them. AI can assist your process, but it cannot replace your presence.

Let’s go deeper into what it means to build a human-centered brand today.

3. Share the Journey, Not Just the Destination

When people see your success alone, they admire you.
When they see your journey, they trust you.

This is why you must learn to share your process. Share the days you felt stuck. Share the lessons behind your wins. Share the things you thought would work but didn’t. When people hear your story, they connect with you differently.

In my book The Silence Advantage, I shared the story of a friend who struggled to find his place in a crowded market. He tried many strategies. Some worked. Many failed. But through the process, he discovered a better way to position himself. People could relate to that story because they also face similar challenges. They saw themselves in his process. That is the power of journey-sharing.

AI cannot replicate that.
AI can give you steps.
But it does not have your story.

4. Humanise Your Systems

Systems are necessary for growth. We need processes. We need tools. We need automation. But we must not hide behind them.

Let people feel you inside the system.

When you share content, add a sentence that shows your voice. When you automate emails, add a small note that reminds them of your heart. When you respond to comments, drop a line that shows the human behind the brand.

It doesn’t take much. A short voice note. A simple “Thank you, my friend.” A little humour. A small local expression. These things matter. They create warmth. They create a connection.

Let your brand breathe.

People follow systems.
But they stay because of humans.

5. Build Your Own Spaces

Social media platforms are important, but they are borrowed spaces. You don’t own your followers. You don’t own your reach. You can lose everything overnight if an algorithm changes or a platform shuts down.

This is why, in this age of AI, you must begin to build your own community. A space you control. A home where your audience can meet you beyond the noise.

This could be:

• A private online community
• A small cohort
• A WhatsApp group
• A Telegram channel
• A membership circle
• A monthly in-person meetup
• A learning community
• A reader’s circle

The size doesn’t matter. You can begin with ten people. You can grow to a hundred. You can grow to a thousand. What matters is ownership and intimacy.

AI can help you grow reach, but real community builds loyalty. When people gather around your ideas, your values, and your leadership, they stay longer. They trust more. They engage deeper.

You don’t need millions of followers to build impact. You need a committed circle of real people who believe in what you stand for.

6. Move Beyond Content — Build Connection

In this AI era, content has become cheap. Anyone can create hundreds of posts in a day. Anyone can sound perfect. Anyone can appear knowledgeable.

But connection is rare.
Connection cannot be automated.

Your brand must create experiences that people can feel. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Use your voice

Record short voice notes to your audience. Voice builds trust faster than text.

• Show your face

Short videos. Simple facial expressions. A smile. A moment. These increase the human touch.

• Tell stories

Tell stories from Madina, from your childhood, from your journey, from your daily life. These stories make your brand alive.

• Celebrate your audience

Mention their names. Highlight their progress. Make them feel seen.

• Share your wins and your wounds

Don’t only share the polished moments. Share the learning moments too.

When you do this, you create something AI cannot copy — human warmth.

You see, AI can help you work faster. It can help you look smarter. It can help you organize your ideas. But it cannot replace your story, your experience, your insight, and your expression. These are the things that make your brand powerful.

So, let’s wrap up with the core principles and steps you can start applying today.

7. Lead With Your Humanity

Let people feel your presence.
Let them know the person behind the screen.
Let them hear your heart, not just your instructions.

Your humanity is your competitive advantage. In a world of machines, the human voice will always stand out.

8. Bring People Along the Journey

Instead of saying “Here is how to do it,” start saying “Here is how I did it.”
Show your readers the process — the mistakes, the curves, the recovery, and the growth.

People relate more to your struggles than your perfection.

When you open up your journey, you give others permission to start theirs.

9. Build Spaces You Own

Don’t depend on borrowed platforms alone. Create your own community. A space where your voice is not filtered by an algorithm.

A space where people can engage with you directly.

This could be:

• A private Facebook group
• A WhatsApp community
• A newsletter
• A learning hub
• Monthly meetups
• A reader’s club

Start small. Stay consistent. Let it grow.

10. Engage Beyond Automation

Automation makes work easier, but it cannot replace connection. Add personal touch to your brand every week. Even a small gesture can strengthen trust.

Try:

• Personalized messages
• Voice notes
• Short videos
• Local expressions
• Quick check-ins

Let people feel that there’s a genuine person behind the brand.

11. Tell Real Stories

Stories create identity. Stories create memory. Stories create impact.

Share stories from:

• Your childhood
• Your faith journey
• Your business journey
• Your failures
• Your quiet moments
• Your simple daily life

These stories will do more for your brand than a thousand automated posts.

12. Create a Signature Experience

What is the one thing people should always feel after engaging with you?

Hope?
Clarity?
Direction?
Inspiration?
Calmness?
Courage?

Let your brand carry that signature experience. When people feel something unique each time they meet your content, they will keep returning.

13. Hold People’s Hands

Your brand should guide people. Not just instruct them. Walk with them. Answer their questions. Celebrate their small wins. Show them the path.

The most effective personal brands are the ones that journey with people — not the ones that preach from far away.

14. Put Humanity at the Forefront

As you build your personal brand in this AI age, let your human touch be the strongest part of your work. Let AI assist you, but let people encounter you — your mind, your voice, your heart.

Because at the end of the day, the market is not just full of competition. It is full of humans searching for a real connection. Searching for someone who understands their journey. Searching for someone who has walked the path and can guide them with honesty.

Your brand can be that guide.

The next few years will separate brands built on automation from brands built on authenticity. The brands that will thrive are the ones that carry humanity in their message and consistency in their mission.

So, take these steps. Apply them gradually. Reflect on them. Then shape your brand from a deeper place.

Let people feel your humanity.
Let them experience your journey.
Let them trust your voice.
Let them grow through your guidance.

When all is said and done, the goal is simple:
Build a brand that stays real in a world that is becoming robotic.

I’m Bernard Kelvin Clive.
Keep building. Keep growing. The best is yours.

Let me hear from you regarding your branding and book publishing needs.