What's missing from most people's websites?
A personal touch.
Business often has an impersonal feel to it, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can share who you are with your audience, and you'll probably be better off for it too.
The hardest part about this is
being vulnerable. It can be difficult to open up to your followers and share who you really are. However, overcoming that fear is all part of growing
your online business.
Here are four steps you can take to let your personality show through on your website and begin to attract a bigger audience.
Step #1 - Identify Your Values
What do you stand for? What drives and motivates you? What is most important to you in your life?
When you know what your values are, difficult choices become much easier. You'll always make better decisions concerning your business, your life, and your family if you make them with your personal values in mind.
As you are in the process of
identifying your values, remember that there are no right or wrong answers. There is virtually no limit to what you can include on your list (but it is good to keep your list on the shorter side).
Here are some examples of common values:
- Achievement
- Family
- Challenge
- Freedom
- Creativity
- Integrity
If you aren't sure what you value, then take some time to think about what makes you happy. That's usually a pretty good indicator of what's important to you.
Finally, there is some value in prioritizing your values too. Some might be more important to you than others. If you resonate with that, then take a moment to order your priorities.
Step #2 - Make A List Of Your Passions
What do you like to do with your time? What are your hobbies? How do you spend your days off?
Identifying your passions shouldn't be hard. In fact, it should be a lot of fun! After all, this is the stuff you already care about and spend your time doing. You would probably do these things even if you weren't paid to!
You might be passionate about technology and gadgets, playing guitar, watching your favorite basketball team, going to movies, or spending time with your family.
Guess what? Other people are passionate about that stuff too! Sure, you and your audience might not have everything in common, but the more you let on about your passions, the more you'll give your followers an opportunity to feel a sense of connectedness with you.
It doesn't matter if you're marketing affiliate products or
selling your own resources; if you're open about who you are, your audience will grow and you'll sell more.
Additionally, some people like to separate personal passions from professional passions. That might be a good thing to do, depending on what your goals are. For example, if you started a blog to land your ideal job, separating your passions might be helpful in evaluating offers that come your way.
Step #3 - Talk To Those Closest To You
Do you want to know who you really are? Do you want to get a sense of how your audience views you?
Although it's a good idea to look yourself in the mirror (both literally and figuratively), it's the perception of others that matters. This isn't to say that your view of yourself isn't important, but in business, you also need to be thinking about
how you're coming across.
Who knows you better than those closest to you - your family and friends? You should spend some time with these people. Share your values and passion with them and ask them what they see in you.
Who knows? You might discover some rough edges that you need to smooth out. You might find that your values aren't totally in alignment with your actions. Or, maybe you'll discover that you're exactly the kind of person you thought you were.
Regardless, this is a valuable exercise. Asking what other people think of you requires a certain amount of vulnerability; the same vulnerability that will be needful of you as you are in the process of building a bigger audience.
Step #4 - Determine Your Goals
By now, you should have a much better idea of who you are. Now it's time to take a look at where you want to go..
What do you hope to achieve in your personal and business life? What activities have you found to be the most rewarding in your life so far? Where do you see yourself ending up; five, 10, or even 50 years down the line?
It's entirely possible that you already have
goals for yourself and your business. If so, do you have them written down? And, if they are written down, are your goals in alignment with the person you've identified in the last three steps?
Congruence is important. It seems obvious, but when who you are matches up with where you want to go, getting there is going to prove much easier.
Now that you know what your life vision is, don't forget to take the time to think about the steps you need to take to get there. You have to break your goals down into smaller steps; otherwise, your dreams are merely wishes.
Conclusion
The steps outlined here might seem overblown. It may seem like a lot of trouble to go through just to
attract a bigger audience.
But there is a lot of power in knowing who you are and sharing that with others. When they know what you're after, it makes it easier for them to rally behind you.
More than likely, you've taken the time to find out who your audience is. You've figured out what age they are, what their interests are, and where they like to hang out online. This is marketing 101.
Personal branding 101 is knowing who you are. If you've taken the time to get to know your target customer, then you should take the same amount of time and effort in understanding your own desires and motivations.
