5 Ways to Make Your Online Presence Authentically You
This spring, Jeremy and I experienced a big wake-up moment in our business.
After two years with a website and branding that we thought represented us well, we realized that our online presence was actually a reflection of what we thought our audience wanted to see in us - not who we really are.
That was a huge, challenging realization.
So we embarked on a rebrand journey. We worked with an amazing brand designer and two very patient photographers.
I moonlight as a copywriter, so I wrote all of our copy from scratch. Then I edited and edited some more (I’ll share my secret weapon for this below).
If you’ve visited our website before fall of 2023, you can see that we now have a completely different look than our old website.
It’s a look that is a thousand times more us than the old one.
If you’ve found yourself looking at your website or social media and thinking, “is this really showing people who I am - and how good I am at what I do?” you are not alone. It can be incredibly difficult to represent yourself online in a way that accurately reflects your skills and personality.
So here are a few things we’ve learned this summer about how to create an online presence that amplifies our - and your - expertise and uniqueness.
1. Define what is authentic to you
What are your values? What do you appreciate most about yourself? What are you proud of bringing to your client relationships?
Jeremy and I were asked by our brand designer to come up with 4 or 5 core words that defined us in our business, and it was a perfect first step. At first this felt daunting, but once we sat down and started talking about our values in our work, it quickly became clear what our core words would be.
Distilling what makes you YOU in 4 or 5 words is incredibly powerful. Those core words become your north star. You’ll find it easier to make decisions and define your aesthetic.
2. Ask your people what they love about you
When we were preparing for our rebrand, I shared a quick survey with our past clients. I asked simple things like:
“What did you like about working with us?”
“What did you like about our process?”
“What has your website changed for you or your business?”
The feedback we received was invaluable. Our clients, apart from being incredibly kind, shared what made our work valuable to them. They clarified what sets us apart in our field.
It was so easy to write our website copy after reading all of our feedback (in fact, we pasted their words RIGHT THERE in the middle of our new homepage. Very powerful!). Writing about yourself can feel super difficult, and allowing others to sing your praises makes it much easier.
One key here? Keep it short. No matter how much you love every sentence that a client wrote about you, choose your favorite one (or two) and trim everything else.
Why?
Because our attention spans are super short online, and we skim constantly. Using a single sentence will ensure that your audience is getting the point without skipping over your message.
3. Listen to your voice
Before you make that post live or send that email, here’s my favorite trick: grab your phone and record yourself reading it out loud. Then play it back.
If it doesn’t sound like you, or doesn’t align with your core words, you’ll hear it and know what you want to change.
If it’s something that’s really important, like your website copy, repeat this process several times. You’ll feel much more confident when you click “publish.”
4. Choose experts who align with you
A huge upside to working with a pro, whether it’s on your brand, your website, your photos, or your social media, is that they bring an outside perspective to your online presence.
If you want someone to help you create an online presence that is an accurate reflection of you, it’s 100% worth finding one who will GET you.
Here are a couple of quick tips for finding the right pros to work with:
Learn about them online. Look at their work, their approach, and what they say about their process. Is it clear? Does it resonate? Do you feel like they might be the right person to trust with your online presence?
Talk with them. Before you commit, book a time to chat. Pay attention when you’re on the phone: are you comfortable with them? Do you feel heard? Does their process feel like a good fit for you?
This approach takes some time, but it will be worth every minute. The process will feel clearer and easier, and you’ll feel a sense of trust in your designer or photographer. That matters when you’re handing over your online representation to someone.
Best of all, when you look at your new brand, photos, or website, you will feel absolutely delighted by your own personality shining back at you.
If you’re thinking about your own website now, and how to make it more authentically you, we’ve got a fantastic resource to offer you:
A Website Strategy Session.
Through November 1st, you can book a Website Strategy Session with us. This is a 30-minute session where we look at your website together and give you solid, actionable steps for making your website more “you.”
You’ll start the new year with a website that gives you confidence in presenting your business (and yourself) to clients.
5. Get feedback you can trust
Once you’ve got your online presence to the point where you feel it’s a good representation of you, show it to a few of your trusted people. Ask things like:
“Do you think this represents my best qualities?”
“Do you see the real me here?”
“Is there anything you love about me that could be more present?”
Your personal fans will help you ensure that your online presence is as loudly YOU as it can possibly be.
