How do you think people feel about you and your business, when they discover you online?
The reason this matters to small business owners, is that feelings are the key factor in whether someone buys from you or not. We do business with people we feel good about and avoid people we have a bad feeling about. We buy things that feel just right and avoid buying things that feel wrong. In fact, it’s often said that the decision to buy a new house, the biggest single purchase most people will ever make, is based on the way they feel about the house in the first 60 seconds!
Online profiles and the feelings they create
In my experience, small business owners tend to have 1 of the following 2 broad approaches to what they share with the world on their blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin etc:
- The first group writes in positive terms about their business and the marketplace. Even if times are challenging for them, we wouldn’t know because they talk about what they want, rather than what they fear. Of course, their enthusiasm builds confidence in them and their business, which creates a positive circle of events, as people are attracted to them – Giving them even more to be positive about.
- The second group write in largely neutral terms about their business and the marketplace. However, their lack of enthusiasm fails to inspire confidence in them or their business. Some seem to confuse being confident, with being boastful. Others fail to share their positive news, for fear that it may make people resent them for what they have achieved.
6 things to think about
I strongly believe you should be confident enough to get your stars out and show the world your brilliant self. Here are 6 suggestions, to help your prospective clients get a glimpse of the REAL YOU and how amazing you truly are, when they check you out online. Use your blog and social media accounts to:
- Talk (and write) about what you want, not what you fear. Prospective clients might not want to do business with someone, if they think that person may be about to go out of business, after reading how bad things are.
- Share your successes.
- Show your gratitude. Be fast to thank. Be first to thank.
- Show your willingness to contribute.
- Share your uniqueness. It’s hard to get noticed unless you are willing to step out of the crowd. Don’t be a human RT / “like” machine for the gurus!
- Showcase other great people.
Never confuse confidence with arrogance. Have the confidence to share your successes, but also the humility to readily celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of others.
So, what would you add to that list?
Jim Connolly can help you grow your business and achieve the breakthrough marketing results your hard work deserves. To find out more, simply click here!
Photo: Sergis blog
Don’t be a human RT / “like” machine for the gurus! <- guilty for a time being.
Seriously though, I believe that my unique personality attracts a particular group of people to my skills and services. Being a small business owner, I think this is my most important asset.
Hey Mike,
I tend to RT posts of bloggers I like when I don’t have anything significant to add or comment on (sometimes it’s completely out of my area) but I RT them if they deal with blogging/life, two areas I feel my followers (few that they are at present) would appreciate!
Jim,
I agree that we follow people we like. We’re humans first – can’t get away from that! So we’re back to the advice our Moms gave us: be yourself! And yet, #2 flies in the face of mom advice. I was raised never to brag – I know, sharing success isn’t the same as bragging, but it tends to feel the same! Once I have something to brag about, I’ll revisit this point! ha ha
Thanks for this post, I’ll be checking my profile against this check list! Great stuff as always! Now I’m going to RT! LOL
Lori
P.S. Creating a blog in 20 minutes or less Mike!?!?! I know where I’m going after I RT this!
Hi Lori. Here’s how I see (and feel) it. Bragging comes from a lack of self-confidence. Sharing success is the polar opposite.
Thanks for the feedback. Always great to have you contributing!!
Hi Lori,
First, thanks for the blog visit and the comment too.
Yup, I still re-tweet tweets until now but no longer like a machine where I just re-tweet everything that sounds cool. I’m kind of like you now when I re-tweet.
- Mike
Good points you made!
People don’t tend to interact as much if everything is too robotic. But it depends whether you’re using these social sites to engage or inform.
I agree with your ‘uniqeness’ point, after all there should be a reason why people would WANT to follow you!
Glad you found it useful, Joan!
I think the toughest piece of advice to follow, at least for a sarcastic cynic like me, is to “Be Positive”. Something I struggle with; finding ways to repackage a message more positively without it looking like “spin” is a challenge. However, I’m working on it.
If you look at Jim’s column above, everything interlocks and compliments each facet of a “personal brand”. It is my belief that it takes time for neophytes, such as me, to grasp the concept that each effort doesn’t occur in a vacuum and will either compliment or detract from your other efforts. This will in turn effect how potential clients will view you.
Alan Weiss’ theory of Personal Gravity and it’s ability to attract clients is an example I follow. I still have a long way to go.
We are all on a journey, right Mike?
As a kid I was extremely cynical. At age 21, when I decided to do something about my life, I found that without trying, my cynicism evaporated. Like everyone, I run the information I consume through a series of bullshit filters, and as I get older, they become more effective.
Thanks for such an open and honest comment, sir!!
Good lessons to remember, Jim. Most small businesses have cycles of feast and famine and the natural impulse is to get scared and panic. But I remember I have to be positive to attract positive results. Besides cycles are just that ups and downs! Thanks for keeping us focused on the up side!
Thanks for the tips Jim. I really find that people do want to interact but sometimes life and business gets busy and business owners don’t have the time to interact as much as they’d like to or need to. In these cases, the consumer or follower feels like the business owner doesn’t care because they can’t take the time out to be involved. I think every business owner is guilty of slacking a little but with communicating and interacting online because as we know, life does get busy but the point is for business owners to keep up to the best of their ability. I keep coming back here because you engage with your readers when they comment and you add more insight to your posts in the comment section which is a very good practice.
Good to see you again Vee!
Thanks for the kind words. As you say, I make time every day to connect with the people who comment here and whenever possible, I use their name too. It’s only by people like yourself taking time out to open the posts I write up a little, that the posts really develop. Don’t be a stranger! next time you don’t pop by for a while, I want a note
These are great tips. I think the consensus with blogging is to share & contribute to the community rather than to just inform and/or pout. As a blog reader, I go to blogs to learn, be entertained or be a better self.
IMHO, I would like to add to point 1 and 2. I don’t think sharing a negative experience/fear/ stress etc… is necessarily a “bad” thing. However, I think it is how the information is shared. Negativity can be shared and be empowering as long as the writer keeps in mind of the purpose of the blog whether it is to educate, entertain, enhance the readers well being etc. If the blog is another “woe is me”, then it’s a wasted post. “Woe is me” stories are only entertaining for the writer.
What I would also like to add is that there is a fine line between sharing success and arrogance and the determiner is confidence. I feel that arrogance comes from insecurity and wanting to separate/compare yourself to maintain a false sense of superiority. However, if you are confident, I don’t think the share of success will come off as arrogant for the large majority of readers. Just my point- of- view.
I love this section from your comment, Rachel:
Once again a commenter makes the point so much better than me. I learned something here. Thanks Rachel!
AWW.. Thank you kindly. *blush* =)
I think we have to show the positive side of our personalities on-line. I am a generally positive person about business anyway, because I enjoy what I do.
I do share / RT some of the good stuff from the better known bloggers but only if it resonates. No one writes 100% useful and good stuff all the time, even Seth.
I share if I have learned or had a useful reminder.
Yes, we have to be different (and being a mere cipher of someone else shows a lack of imagination) and we should also thank people.
So, Jim, thank you for these useful reminders.
Good Post
This is right in line with concepts we teach our team about living above the line. The importance of being victors that are responsible,accountable and take ownership vs. being victims that blame,make excuses and live in denial.
Not everyone can be positive every day but it is amazing how much power you have in a culture when this is the mindset.
Carrying this culture through in your blogs and posts means you will hopefully attract even more like minded people to your company- both clients and team members.