What does “putting yourself out there” even mean and why is it so damn hard? Well, when it comes to creating a brand, putting yourself out there is a big one. You need to give your customers and clients a reason to trust you and that’s hard to do when you don’t talk about yourself at all.
Your comfort zone is where your dreams go to die. I know, that was harsh but it’s true! If we stayed within our comfort zones and never took a leap, we would never go anywhere. Doing the things that scare you most are often the things that are going to propel your business far and fast. Comfort zones are built to keep you scared. There are a lot of what ifs and buts within them. As an entrepreneur, you have already taken so many risks, and you KNOW those risks have paid off. So, let’s get out of the comfort zone that is holding you back SO DAMN MUCH.
Let’s put you out there and get it done. I promise, once you do it, it’s not actually all that scary.
First and foremost, you have to set clear boundaries for what you do and don’t want to share. Yes, you can totally do that! This is your business after all, you make the rules. So set to work on deciding just how much you want to share and where the boundaries lay when it comes to what you put out into the world.
So here’s the thing. I know it’s daunting, but trust me when I say that people WANT to see and learn more about you. The stats are there. In less than three months, I had doubled my following AND bookings by starting to show myself and talk about who I am on social media. Yup, I know it doesn’t seem right, but here are some stats from my current grid.
You can see that MOST of my best performing posts feature my face and get really personal. No, I’m not a blogger, you know I’m a photographer, so why would people care? Because the way I present myself goes a long way to show them what it might look like to work with me. It builds trust with the right clients and repels the wrong ones. Can I get an AMEN! It’s okay to repel certain people, you are not here to please everyone, you are here to service and sell to a specific clientele, so let’s manage those expectations by making ourselves as clear as possible long before you even interact with a potential client.
Pro tip: stay away from third person writing. It feels formal and very impersonal. This is often a mistake I see on websites. “Kathy did her graduate degree in Toronto at the School or Arts. Her 5 years of experience in real estate gives her an edge in the local market. Her goal is to get you into the perfect home and she won’t rest until the job is done” I promise you, nobody cares. But, something like “ Hi! I’m Kathy, I am a real estate agent who is passionate about getting you into your dream home and lattes. I know, I’m a bit of a cliche, but I will embrace it! I expected to be part of the art community, which is why I now have a really useless fancy arts degree from U of T, but it did get me to where I am now… so it counts for something right? Let’s get to talking about you!” Do you see how, instantly, you feel more connected to Kathy like you might actually love her… or hate her? We want to create a strong feeling either way.
When it comes to branding photos, you want to do the same thing. Check this post for 5 types of images that attract your ideal client. People want to see you, so showcase images of yourself working, behind the scenes, the tools or your trade, etc. We want to make you as personable as possible, but keep you as “authentic” as possible. I know that word is overused, but we don’t want to fake a personality for you. You might think your life is uninteresting, but trust me, it’s exciting for other people to see and experience what being a business owner looks like through you.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get you out of the comfort zone and into putting yourself out there!
