How to show your personality online
Online, we are all typing with the same fingers. We're not able to see facial expressions or hear the tone of voice, so we rely on words and language to judge whether someone is being sincere or sarcastic.
When building your personal brand, it is important to let your personality shine online. Humans connect and follow humans, but being yourself online is not always easy, especially if you are just starting out. The fear of being judged online or the fear of saying the wrong thing limits some of us from growing to our full potential.
I compiled this blog post to give you four tips on how to be your complete self online. Because if you show your personality online, it will help build trust with your followers and fans.
Be transparent
Being transparent and real online is one of the most important things. Be transparent about who you are! Be honest about your personality, interests, goals & experiences, opinions, and feelings.
It's important to be yourself online because people can see through dishonest behavior now more than ever. People can sense inauthenticity from miles away, and trust me, they will know if you're faking it. Don't waste your time pretending to be someone else when so many people will appreciate the real you! Be real about your interests and hobbies, be real about your beliefs and be real about your goals. If people don't like your realness, they don't have to follow you. You shouldn't feel sad about people not following you because of your personality. Why? These people wouldn't buy from you anyways.
Pretending to care about something just because everyone else seems to love it (e.g., Game of Thrones or The Bachelor - yes, I care about both of them) is simply absurd. Even if you try to have a conversation about these topics, a "real fan" will know that you're not passionate about these shows and therefore won't take you seriously.
Also, don't be that entrepreneur that pretends everything in life is perfect by posting, for example, photos of you flying in a private plane or showing off a fancy vacation when in reality, you are not that successful.
Setting boundaries
When you start building your personal brand, setting boundaries at the beginning is a great way to set guidelines for your content strategy.
Many online users are under the impression that they can only build a personal brand by sharing tons of personal insights. But that's wrong. You can build your personal brand by focusing on providing value with a hint of quirk.
Don't feel obligated to do things only because other people are doing them. For example, I don't show up online when I am in a bad mood or feel sad. You don't have to show your private life online to become successful. You can create tons of content and not show your family or friends.
Remember, you have control over the information you post. If you don't want people to know that you hate coffee, you don't need to say it online. Share the amount of personal information that you feel comfortable with.
Be unique
If you think nothing is unique about yourself, I have to stop you right there. No one is like you, and no one does business like you. We are all unique in our own ways.
Think about the bread aisle at the supermarket. An entire aisle is dedicated to bread, and I bet you never walked the bread aisle thinking, "I just get whatever bread because they are all the same." Nope, they might all have the bread label, but you still compared them anyways. What I am trying to say is that no one is like you.
Be memorable
A viewer won't remember everything that a person is saying but what they will remember is a story. People connect with stories, especially if they have been in a similar situation.
When showing up online, whether on video or by posting an image, weave in a story in your caption that is personal and relatable.
Stories connect so for example, let's say you go surfing like me on the weekend, and you take your audience with you by sharing snippets. Now, if you continue to do that and talk about surfing, your name pops first to mind when they see someone surfing because you built that connection.
Also, consistency in your voice, style, and format will build recognizable online.
Conclusion
Showing your personality online allows you to connect with people. You can show people who you are, what you're interested in, and what you're good at. If you have a passion for something (like cooking or writing), then don't be afraid to talk about it! The more we open up about ourselves on social media, the more others will understand why we behave the way we do.
In the end, it's all about showing your personality online. The more you do it, the easier it will be to connect with people, and the more they'll want to keep coming back for more. It's not hard; you just have to put in the work.