Internal communications professionals are some of the most trusted communicators inside organisations.
They shape the narrative in moments of uncertainty, translate strategy into language people can act on, and protect their leaders’ reputations. A lot of this work happens behind the scenes, and demands emotional intelligence and sound judgement.
Everyday, they pour creativity and intense effort into their employer’s brand. And yet, the same professionals who carefully manage organisational reputation often neglect their own.
Behind the scenes
Many highly capable internal communicators remain almost invisible outside their organisations. It’s rarely about a lack of ability, because they have proven that they are great at creating thoughtful and interesting content. More often, it is just out of habit – because personal visibility is so different from what you do for your organisation day in and day out.
Fatigue is also a factor. After a day spent creating content, the idea of doing more of the same thing in your own time can be overwhelming. So people stay quiet.
Visibility is career insurance
If organisations are investing so heavily in shaping the public voice of senior leaders, that alone should tell us something. Visibility has become a strategic asset. The same logic applies at an individual level.
Restructures and the use of AI tools have changed careers in the communications industry. In this highly competitive industry, you can give yourself an advantage by using your personal channels, like your LinkedIn profile, to make sure you are known for the unique value you bring.
That does not mean you have to become an influencer or chase attention. It means you should work on making your expertise visible in a way that reflects how you think and work.
Four practical ways to start
Don’t set perfection as your standard: You do not need a personal brand strategy or polished thought leadership content to begin. The most credible content often comes from your everyday work and experiences: what you are seeing, what people are coming to you for advice on, what worked better than you expected, or what you would do differently next time. Internal communicators are surrounded by insight. Use it to make your thinking visible.
Use the context you have now: Many people only speak about their roles once they have left them. That is usually too late. Your current role provides useful context for your perspective in real time. Remember, you are not speaking for your employer – you are sharing what you are learning within your role.
Write like a human, not a function: AI slop will undermine your credibility. Internal communicators already know how to write with warmth and clarity. Apply those same standards to your own voice. You do not need to sound impressive. You need to sound real.
Start small: Liking and sharing is easy, but it does little to establish your own authority. If you don’t feel ready to start publishing posts yourself, or if you’ve had a long day and don’t feel up to writing, scroll through your feed and leave a few thoughtful comments on content you like. Comments are a great way to get noticed, and to share your perspective.
Stepping up
It may feel uncomfortable to step into the frame when your instinct has always been to remove yourself from the story.
However, the only way to get past that discomfort is by pushing yourself through it. After publishing a few posts, it gets easier. Visibility is not arrogance when it is rooted in value, experience and insight.
As a professional communicator, you understand the power of narrative better than most. The real challenge is in shifting your mindset around your own narrative, and recognising that it deserves the same care and attention as anyone else’s.
You have the experience and the insight. The only thing you’re missing is permission – and that is something you can give yourself.
Sabine Kühn is a business consultant and co-founder and CEO of personal branding consultancy Talent & Truth.