Getting to the person behind the profile
How many times have you heard that ‘people are your most important asset’ or that ‘people buy from people’?
I’m guessing you already know that. But, what’s harder is finding appropriate ways, particularly in remote channels, to express a bit of personality so that people can get to know, like, and trust the people who make your small business what it is.
Breaking it down into two areas, I think this is about tone and technique.
Tone – be true to yourself
Playing a role or trying to give a contrived impression of yourself is unlikely to work. Firstly, being a great actor is hard work – and I’m guessing that as a businessperson it’s not your forte. And, secondly… pretending to be something you’re not will not attract the kinds of people you’ll genuinely enjoy working with. So, be yourself… if you’re serious, be serious… if you’re cheeky, be cheeky.
That’s not to say that in a professional context you might not choose to be your professional self, rather than the sofa slob you might be at the weekend. You might want to have a few guiding principles to how you behave, like not tweeting when drunk or angry. Or maybe, not swearing and moaning. It’s your call. You need to be comfortable that the person you are online is the person that clients, colleagues, employees, prospects, etc. will see.
Techniques – conversation starters
Here are just a few ideas we came up with for bringing a little personality to proceedings:
- Profile pictures: When we were at Mason Zimbler we each had photos on our business cards that said something about our personalities… Cheryl was shouting on a megaphone, I was showing calm and balance on a tightrope. Even if you don’t get conceptual, a decent portrait photo that is recognisable is a must-have in a world where Avatars are so prevalent.
- Intro videos: Could you film a short 20 questions with your key people to add to their web profile page?
- Favourite films: Add a little section on profiles where people talk about films or hobbies, or something that shows a bit of their character.
- Blog voices: Let them develop their own voice in their blog articles; make sure you link to a few of their articles from their profiles.
- Bucket list: Could they share with the world something exciting they have on their list to do before they depart this earth?
- Graphology: How about doing something a bit fun like having a sample of their writing analysed and asking colleagues to comment on how accurate the personality profile is?
How does this square with brand consistency?
Regular readers may remember that we talked last year about using inclusive language. And, as marketers who’ve been around the block, we know the value of consistency. So, how does letting your people each put their own quirky personalities out there fit with maintaining a consistent brand image?
I think messaging and great recruitment is the key to squaring this circle. If you’re all broadly on-topic, by which I mean talking about the same sorts of things and you agree on the fundamentals, then bringing a personal perspective or angle can add interest. ‘Agreeing on the fundamentals’ is where recruitment comes into play. For a business to have a consistent brand you really ought to share some core common values – and only recruit people who do.
You need to be consistent on things like what your business does, what sets you apart, and why it’s great to work with you. But, you can afford to show some real character in your own area of expertise, your personal experiences, your own stories, etc.
And, of course, when we say brand consistency, we don’t mean robots. It’s absolutely fine, in fact more than fine, to have your own hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc – and to share them with other people who might be interested. In fact with more ‘social’ coming into our business communications every day, it’s becoming a must.
Check out this excellent example from Conscious Solutions using a ‘Fact or Fiction’ quiz to bring their people to life.
So, how much personality are you showing? It’s certainly on our list to show a little more of the people behind the profiles, and we hope these ideas have you thinking about it too.
By Bryony Thomas | Chief Clear Thinker | Clear Thought Consulting Ltd | @bryonythomas | www.clear-thought.co.uk
If this blog is of interest to you, you may also like:
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- Blog: Who do you connect with on Linkedin? »
- Blog: A day in the life of a small business tweet »
- Video: How social media supports the sales process »
Clear Thought Consulting works with small businesses, equipping them with the marketing strategies, suppliers, skills and set-up that they need to become bigger businesses. We do this by planning and delivering 12-month marketing transformation programmes – supporting a small business through a step-by-step process to making marketing pay. We firmly believe that when you can’t out-spend your competition, you have to out-think them.
Published on 31 January 2011
