When you own a business, so much of the business is tied up with who you are. So it’s super important to think about what your online identity looks like.
If that sounds like faking who you are online, it is not. In fact, if you do that, then you will have loads more problems since no one will trust you. It’s more like being a bit conscious of who you are and leaning into it. Some people do that naturally and some people need to map it out a bit.
What does that look like? Let’s chat about it.
Know what makes you hirable
What qualities make you really good at your job? Is it in the details? Is it a certain process you take? Make a list and write it all down. Not sure a certain trait makes you hirable? Write it down anyway. I’m in favor of doing this off the top of your head and getting as much on paper as possible. This is almost gut reaction more than anything.
When you’re done, read it all. Think of all the accomplishments that went into this list and revel in them. We don’t cheer ourselves enough, and this is as good a time as any to do so. So do it. It will make you more confident while you’re charging down your own path.
Know what makes you weird
There was a time that we were told that we needed to be professional and act a certain way. While that may still be true to an extent, people who act the same do not got noticed. Weird people do. And getting noticed is such a big part of the battle when there are a hundred people going after the same jobs you are. So let’s create a noticeable online identity.
So what are you super passionate about? Both in your personal and professional life. What makes you different from others in your field? And what makes you stick out during your every day life?
For me, the biggest characteristic that differentiates me is that I get super excited. There’s normal excited and then there’s where I go. New social media network with real possibilities for my client? I’m dancing in my seat as I vomit all the things I’m thinking. Probably way too much information, but it’s in my brain and needs to go somewhere. And my excitement is infectious, so I get my clients excited about my experiments to make their marketing better and more efficient.
Figure out what that might be for you. And bonus points if you can figure out how it might be applicable in your business.
Putting your identity together
Now you have two very good lists for your identity.
Separate both of them into primary and secondary items. The primary items are the closest to who you are as a person and the most likely to make you stand out and get business. The secondary items are what you might want to lean on when you don’t have anything else. For example, I’m really weird about my taste in music. It’s not something I lead with, but I might do that if I’m having a slow content day.
Once you have those primary items listed out, you have a guiding star of who you should be online. Am I saying that this is the only way you can be online? No, it’s a start. And it’s perfectly acceptable to deviate when it’s called for. You will know when it’s called for in your gut.
Applying what you have for your identity
So you have all of the traits and now it’s time to give your identity color. What could you post to show off those traits?
Let’s go back to my super excitable nature. I can show that off when a new social media feature appears and give a little about what that could mean for the nonprofit and tourism world. I can do it with a super upbeat manner and can give enough without giving work away for free. And I can use language that is relatable and infectious. This is obviously not something I can post every day, but it’s something that I can post often enough to demonstrate exactly who I am.
When you get more of an idea of how you should post to show off who you are, make a pattern. Take each day and assign it one of the traits you want to highlight. This way you can make sure you are consistently posting while also consistently telling your story. The one thing to remember while doing this is that it’s a framework, but it’s not rigid. If something better comes up that day, post about that. Don’t stick to the framework for the sake of sticking to the framework.
Eventually, you should be able to look at your content and think that it totally reflects who you are. If after a few weeks you look at it and it doesn’t reflect who you are, you might want to start at the beginning and try again.
Have you created an online identity? How did you do it?