Many entrepreneurs struggle with their ‘personal’ brand versus their ‘professional’ brand – or perhaps better stated, who they are ‘on the job’ versus who they are ‘off the clock’ – so to speak. This challenge has never become more apparent with the incredible rise of social media, and the truth is you can no longer have your ‘entrepreneurial’ brand and a clear and separate ‘personal’ brand that you wish or feel should be off limits and not to be used when a client or prospective client is considering working with you.
It may feel unfair or somehow too judgmental when a prospective client uses what you consider to be personal when considering hiring you but consider the following example: Suppose you are a parent looking for a nanny and upon an interview you really like both the applicants’ credentials and resumes. Then, after they leave you do a quick search on Facebook and see pictures of what you consider to be less than safe or appropriate behavior.
And truthfully, as entrepreneurs, giving this even more than one second’s thought or deliberation about how this might be unfair is a complete waste of time and energy. For better or worse, this is the world we live in. There is no hiding who you are. So the question is, as entrepreneurs who want to achieve higher levels of success, how do you use the fact that we are all operating in an online and ever-connected world and use it to grow your business?
The answer is simple and actually quite relieving! Choose to be your authentic self – all the time. The dictionary describes authentic as “not false or an imitation, true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.”
So the relieving part for many is that when you choose to drop the corporate facade and be authentic, you simply be the genuine un-edited version of yourself. When you are always authentic and truthful, you don’t have to remember what you told to whom and when! Practically speaking, how does this work as you build your business?
The Pros and Cons about Being Authentic in Your Marketing
If you drop your double persona and simply be your authentic self all the time, you will attract a lot more of the people you are meant to attract, but you will also repel more of the people you are not ideally suited to work with. If this troubles you, my advice is to get over it. You’re not meant to please or work with everyone and life is too short to even try to play that game.
From a marketing perspective, as an entrepreneur or small business owner, I believe it is your job to be authentic. However, this does not give you freedom to share your every view on every hot topic.
How is this being authentic you might ask?
I use social media to stay connected with current customers and clients, and showcase who I am and what I have to offer – such as my mastermind programs, AZ Marketing Association membership, and private consulting. To that end, I will ‘authentically’ share things about me that help create and support that brand and image.
What I do not post and share are my feelings on certain hot topics or the ‘flash point’ of the day. I guess the best way to know what this means is the old adage that cab drivers use: do not discuss sex, politics or religion!
Just because social media exists doesn’t mean you have to bare your soul and share your feelings. And the cold hard truth is who really cares!