They say never meet your heroes. Well, why not?!
Coming in hot on this post! What is it about meeting our heroes IRL that will destroy what how we feel about them?
And I'm talking celebrities, influencers, athletes, and the like. You know the ones where you see their name pop up in a headline and you'll click through just to see what's going on in their life.
We've fallen in love with the personal brand they share with the world but the fact is they likely don't keep up that exact image all the time. The truth is...
You can't be 'on' 24/7, if 'on' isn't authentic to who you truly are.
The celebrities and influencers that we love will put their best persona forward because they're consistently under the spotlight (no pun intended) and under scrutiny.
What about you?
You're a small business owner who is just trying to show up online and do what you're told - trending audio and choreographed dance and all.
I hate to say it but you don't have the paparazzi following your every move...yet. Give it time.
You do, however, have an audience of potential clients watching what you're doing and sharing, all the while thinking 'would I hire this person?'.
So if you're posting content that doesn't feel authentic to you and your personal brand, you're going to run into a couple hurdles:
First, you're going to burn out. You'll deplete your creativity thinking about how you should be showing up and what that persona would do.
Second, you're going to confuse the hell out of your potential clients when they finally reach out to work with the online version of you.
It's time to quiet the voice telling you to show up as someone you're not and listen to me...telling you what to do...
Wait a minute, I see the conundrum here.
What about an alternative? Let's discuss how an inconsistent personal brand will actually harm your business.
The Negative Effects of an Inconsistent Personal Brand
Like I just pointed out, when your online personal brand and how you show up to serve your clients doesn't align you are:
Confusing Your Potential Clients
Potential clients who begin to connect with you online will want to work with that version of you. After all, it's all they know. Then the first time they interact with you, either over the phone or in-person, they'll instantly realize something is off. They'll begin to question if they did something wrong when interpreting your brand online. No one wants to feel wrong so they'll quickly jump ship.
Destroying Any Established Trust
You may have said all the right things, shared the perfect amount of information, and established yourself as the expert in your potential client's eyes. But if how you show up online doesn't match who you are in reality, it's a gigantic lie. Lies deplete trust. And with no trust, why would someone want to hire you and trust you'd carry out your promises?
Driving Your Ideal Clients to Your Competitors
So now they're confused and don't know what version of you to trust...left in a space feeling icky. Then they remember they were also considering X, Y, and Z, so they begin pursuing their services.
Hearing that is kind of terrifying isn't it? You work so hard to grow your business, don't stand in your own way by showing up inauthentically!
How to Create a Consistent Personal Brand Online and In-Person
We want to show up authentically online and IRL so that those who find us online will also like the in-real-life version of us, too.
Build a Personal Brand That is Authentic
The first step to aligning our online presence with our IRL presence is to build your personal brand in a way that feels true to you and attracts your ideal clients.
Need help building your personal brand? I have just the resource for you!
To me, building a personal brand was a confusing aspect of being an entrepreneur. You're already building a business, isn't that enough?
Thankfully, I've interviewed dozens of small business owners for their brand photography and have found three elements truly establish their personal brand.
I'm sharing my three elements in an easy to understand mini course. The best part? It's absolutely free and delivered straight to your inbox.
Ready to craft your personal brand and attract your ideal client? Sign up for
Build Your Personal Brand Mini Course now!
Building and understanding your personal brand is the first step to creating a consistent online presence. The second part is to strengthen your marketing with your personal brand.
Use Your Personal Brand to Strengthen Your Marketing
Once you've gained clarity from building your personal brand, it's time to utilize the three elements through out your marketing.
This means consistently incorporating your brand personality into your social media posts, website copy, email newsletters, and client interactions. Share stories, insights, and experiences that reflect your values and resonate with your ideal clients.
By weaving your personal brand throughout your marketing efforts, you'll build stronger connections with your audience, establish trust, and attract clients who truly align with your unique approach.
Create Personal Brand Images that Authentically Represent You
Hey, you can't blame me for suggesting new brand photos will help you show up authentically both online and in person! I am a brand photographer after all.
Truly brand photos where you and your photographer (and I hope that's me!) talk through who you are, your business, brand, ideal client, along with your marketing, it will be really easy to create images that are on-brand and capture all of your best qualities.
Use those photos EVERYWHERE. Seriously, get to posting so you can share your authentic self with your audience. Those who know you will be so excited to see the real you and all the new sets of eyes will be ready to connect and engage with you. Win-win for everyone!
Northern Virginia Branding Photographer
Ready to create personal branding photos that connect your in-person personality with your online presence? I'm ready to meet you!
Let's set up a discovery call to discuss your business and brand photo vision today. Schedule a time that works for you:
About the Photos in this Post: April Geyer, Northern Virginia Realtor
April Geyer is a Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent prioritizing service for her clients. April helps her clients find the perfect home - whether that's by buying or building - and always sells for top-dollar. Connect with April on Instagram and her website.
About Northern Virginia Brand Photographer, Emily Marcella
Emily Marcella is a personal branding photographer in Northern Virginia serving creative small business owners and entrepreneurs. Together, we plan strategically, shoot creatively, so that you can market intentionally. Connect with Emily on Instagram and Pinterest.
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