Trying to make a name for yourself?
Yep, most of us are. That’s why we roam the Internet, visiting blog after blog, signing up to mailing lists, for webinars, tutorials, and otherwise investing in our freelancing careers.
We ask ourselves questions like: How can I reach a wider audience? How can I prove that I’m the expert my client needs? How can I become a recognizable face in my field?
One word: consistency.
Consistency in quality, content and image can get you more results with your marketing efforts than you think.
Speaking of becoming a recognizable face, let’s start with…
Consistent Image
If you want to make a name for yourself, you first have to make a face for yourself.
Did you know more people recognize a face than a name? You can test this theory by simply trying to remember the names of people you’ve recently met.
Try it with online contacts from Facebook, Twitter or some other social networking site. You remember the woman who always RTs your tweets. Her profile pic displays her short, dark hair and her bright brown eyes behind thick-rimmed glasses, but what was her name?
Exactly.
Your image not only represents who you are as a whole, it also helps you stay memorable. This is why keeping your image consistent is an essential part of your marketing.
Keep these things in mind:
- Use the same bio pic on all of your social media sites, websites, blogs and forums.
It may show variety to have several different pictures of yourself online, but adding too many pics or changing it too often will risk you not being recognized. - Change it every year or so.
You don’t have to use the same bio pic forever. As the years pass you should update your pic. Especially if you attend conferences, hold Skype sessions, or have face-to-face meetings of any kind. Because we now recognize your photo, imagine the surprise if we meet face-to-face and you look nothing like the pic you’ve plastered all over the Net. - A head shot is always best.
A simple face shot with a pleasant smile plastered on it will do wonders for your image. You want to portray how friendly, professional, and gorgeous you are at every chance you get. (The gorgeous part was a joke, but … come on, there’s a lot of beautiful bloggers out there. I’m sure being handsome won’t hurt your credibility.) - Keep it professional.
Bio pics with your band, in a bikini, or flipping the bird to the camera? Not necessarily the image you want to speak for your professionalism. That means leave your pet snake, your new car, and the big-breasted hottie out of your pic. - Logos, icons, and images are okay to use… sometimes.
If you’re consistent and your audience easily recognizes your brand because of your logo, great. Otherwise, I would stick to using a face shot. You’re a real person: you don’t represent a team, you speak for yourself, a PR rep does not answer your emails or Tweet on your behalf. So remind people you’re independent by letting them see your gorgeous face. - Register and update your Gravatar (Globally Recognized Avatar).
Display your pic with your blog comments on any Gravatar-enabled site by linking a Gravatar to your email address. Your comments might make people take notice of you, and your photo will help you stick in their memory. [Here’s the link to set up your Gravatar.]
Consistent Quality
The more consistent you are with the quality of your work, the more likely potential clients and your audience will value you.
This is why your published clips, writing samples, and portfolios are important. To maintain a solid track record,
- Make sure what you produce is great every time.
If you usually conduct thorough research, or include detailed charts, or interview credible sources, why stop now? Clients and readers will expect that quality from your work every time. So deliver. - Write well whenever you write.
Keep your writing quality high by writing your very best even in blog comments, emails, or on social media. Be it fair or not, people judge you on your writing skills. In a poll, I asked readers if they judge an author’s credibility by their content or their writing skills. Seventy-eight percent voted that both, content and writing skills, are important in determining an expert’s credibility. - Don’t be afraid to switch it up.
If what you usually do is no longer giving you the results, response, or reach you want, experiment until you find something that works and stick to it. Stick to it until you become so good you automatically improve and adjust without even realizing it.
Consistent Content
If you produce a lot of quality content regularly, continue producing quality content regularly. If you usually publish one great blog post a month, continue to make it well worth the wait. Be consistent with your productivity—or improve it—and stick with the new regimen.
- Stick to your schedule.
Make an editorial calendar to help you keep track of your plans. - Schedule blog posts.
The popular blog publishing service providers, including WordPress and Blogger, have a “schedule post” option. Use it! Spend a weekend writing several blog posts and then schedule them to go live days, weeks or months in advance. - Continue to meet or exceed expectations.
Rarely do people complain when someone improves, delivers ahead of time, or produces more quality content. If it’s good, it’s wanted and it’s appreciated. - Don’t be afraid to try different things until you find what works for you.
We all have different goals and approaches. So what works for one blogger may not work for another. The trick is not to fear change or experimentation, but make it work for you.
There you have it: how consistency with image, quality and content can help your marketing efforts. Which one’s helped you the most in your career?
Image: familymwr
Wow. I really liked this post. Your tips are fantastic. I recently updated my photo. I was wary about it at first since I’ve had the same one for the past three years and I knew people recognized it, but it’s nice to know that it’s a good thing to switch it up every once in a while.
Thank you, Alicia!
You did the right thing. The same pic for three years? Well, I call that branding. By now, I bet your audience recognizes your name and will easily associate it with your new face. Nice pic, by the way. 🙂
Thanks. 🙂
You are absolutely right Leslie; I never need to remember you by your name and your glaringly smiling face is enough to make me remember you.
I think consistency in thoughts is another attribute that makes you renown in your field; for example take the example of John Morrow and you remember his passionate voice over to teach newbie how to develop good relations with pro bloggers and how to make headway in blogosphere; this is because of his aggressive approach in doing blogging. Am I right?
Hopefully, recognizing a face will eventually lead to recognizing the name that goes with it. The goal is to have your name come to mind when thinking of a particular industry, etc.
So, sure, if a person’s is consistent in the way they think aloud or speak, and it helps them stand out in their field, that’s perfect!
Perfect name and brand association? Think of the horror genre, and Stephen King comes to mind. Think of freelance blogging, and Sophie Lizard pops in your head. Before recognizing Sophie’s name, the pink streak in her hair was how I remembered her. lol.
No matter what, as long as you’re consistent it’s easier to recognize you and your work. Which is marketing 101 in my book. 🙂
Consistency is must for effective branding; if you keep changing your profile pic, writing style and blog design you will not be able to develop your blog brand and will be swinging here and there. So consistency is the lifeblood of effective branding.
“Consistency is the lifeblood of effective branding.”
Exactly, Edson! Perfectly put. 🙂
Great post Leslie!
I’m currently working on the “consistent content” aspect – I’m currently working through my own personal “7 post per week” challenge where I get off my butt and write content every day! Although I’ll admit to being a day behind 😛
Thank you.
Wow, Daryl! Seven posts a week? All written by you? With my schedule, I couldn’t do it. lol.
Good luck and hats off to you! 😉
I enjoyed this, very interesting. I like the end of it. Don’t be afraid to try different things because you will never know if you can until you try. I think Consistent Content is what helps me at my career. I always make sure that I have served my clients needs and they leave happy and satisfied. I keep learning about new products so I can exceed in my job. Thank you Great Job Leslie 🙂
Thank you, Christine.
No matter what field you’re in, it’s always wise to keep learning, keep improving, keep growing, building, and so on. As long as you’re producing what your clients and/or audience expect, it’s a win for all. No one really complains if things change for the better. 😀
Leslie you are right nothing can be achieved if you just do every blogging work in a whimsical way; blogger should not behave like an artist and follow his mood; he just need to follow the rules to develop his own brand.
Right, Muhammad. And after applying the rules and mastering them, then he can break them. For example, why use the same photo on all your social sites when your name is the most recognized? Once you get to that status, where your name comes to mind when mentioning a specific industry, then feel free to break some rules and even create some of your own. Until then, this face of Leslie you’ll see all over the Net. :p
Very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Jennifer. Happy writing! 🙂
Superb tips, Leslie! Practical, actionable and
straight to the point. Paying attention to the
details that are hiding in plain sight does a lot
to move a writer’s business forward.
Your emphasis on great content is very timely.
If you’re like me, I don’t search online to be
sold. I search to be informed. So the better
quality content you deliver that solves my
problem, the more likely I am to buy from you.
And when you solve my problems over time,
I’ll become a loyal customer.
Great job as always, Leslie. Looking forward to
reading more of your guest blogs when Sophie
invites you back in the future. Well done, indeed!!! 🙂
Thank you. Michael! 😀
It’s true. I search online for information, and the more my needs are met by one’s content, the more likely I am to return to that source for information. Then I’m a little more open to what it is they’re “selling.”
Some clients and editors might do the same when searching our online content. So it helps to keep our “brand” consistent.
“That means leave your pet snake, your new car, and the big-breasted hottie out of your pic.”
Had to laugh but in that ‘nodding along’ kind of way! Because this is true on both sides of the fence. As a freelancer who frequently uses sites like LinkedIn to pitch for potential business I can’t tell you how many “companies” I haven’t approached because they either don’t have a profile picture at all or have something odd there like their favorite classic car, a Jack-o-lantern at Halloween or their kids in their profile shot. Those things are fine for a personal Facebook page but in a business related capacity it makes it tougher to trust they’re a real, serious company.
Of course this is coming from the gal who won’t have a picture attached to this comment (sorry!). So thank you VERY MUCH for the info on Gravatar, Leslie, I’ll be doing that right after posting to avoid the issue in the future!
Hi Jenn. Yeah, that was my attempt at a joke. I’m funnier in person, I swear. 😉
LinkedIn is a social site for “professionals,” and a business or individual’s profile should display their professionalism. Being part of the romance industry, I see plenty of romance professionals’ profile pics displaying a book cover, or a sexy man chest, etc. I want to see the PERSON behind the profile. You know? A person is more approachable when they look real. Isn’t our goal to be approachable in business?
Good job on getting your Gravatar registered. Great pic!
Keeping myself “out there” is beneficial for me. I notice a drop off if I haven’t been active on my blog, social media, or promotion of my posts.
I hear you, Cindy. It’s natural to “drop off” if you’re not putting yourself “out there.” Something similar to the saying: out of sight, out of mind. More important than being consistent is actually “being.” Keep producing, keep sharing, keep promoting, and the consistency should fall in place.
It doesn’t take much effort to be consistent. It’s all about continuing to do what’s working for you. Improve if you have to, and then stick to the new routine. Simple, right?
Consistency. I love it. 🙂 And you’re absolutely right. One of the fastest ways to lose your audience or clients is to be all over the place or be sporadic with your content and communication efforts.
Great post, Leslie!
Thank you, Francesca!
Some might be able to pull off creating and marketing multiple content. I’m sure there’s a way to do it successfully. (Hmm, just got an idea for another blog post. 😉
I juggle being an author and a freelance writer, and sometimes it’s tough, because they’re two completely different fields and I’m targeting two different audiences. However, my nonfiction work is mostly related to the writing/publishing industry, and a lot of my readers are writers too. Still, it’s a balancing act for sure.
Thanks for commenting! 😀
Great post! This is especially useful for me because I’m the opposite of normal with the faces/names thing. I remember names like nobody’s business. I have a fabulous verbal memory, especially for things I read. I recognized names and remember everything that person wrote or said. But faces? No clue. I don’t even see profile pics; it’s like I’m blind to them. I mean, there are WORDS right next to the picture; why would I look at the picture when there’s something to READ?
I know, I’m weird. I swear I have an undiagnosed visual processing disorder or something. I even took an online test once for prosopagnosia, because I was totally convinced I have it. Sadly, the test said I don’t. So now I still have no excuse for not recognizing people who I’ve met sixteen times. But remind me one verbal detail — your name, one thing we talked about, your kid’s name — and I’ll remember everything from our conversation.
Anyway, it’s always good for me to be reminded that I’m just about the only person in the world who pays more attention to words than pictures!
Glad you liked the post. Thanks, Lisa.
Weird? No. Being able to recognize names and text is AWESOME! I can see so many instances where that ability can work in your favor. Embrace it!
I know a lot of examples of pictures grabbing attention; book covers, the feature image of a blog post, and others. But knowing the picture isn’t always the initial focus to some, reminds me that it’s not the most important in marketing. It’s just one part of the package.
Sure, your pic might jog someone’s memory, but sometimes it’s your name, your tagline, your article headline, or your book title that does the trick. You know, the text.
Thanks for sharing that about yourself, Lisa. I think it’s awesome. 🙂
Yeah, Great Post.. Thank You! I got this..
Thank YOU. Glad you like. 🙂
Welcome dear 🙂
I can be pretty inconsistent in my work, my habits… just overall. But after reading this, I have renewed motivation to change that. After all, nothing is more important than your reputation.
Hi, Ragnar. I’m sure if you look closely you’ll see where you are most consistent. If you work long, hard and steady, you’re bound to see some patterns. But, just in case I’m wrong, I’m glad this post motivates you. 😀
Reputation. Making a name (or face) for yourself. It’s all the same thing really, right? It’s all about what others associate with your name or face, the opinions they have about you and your work, the value they place on you… Being consistent is about expectations as well. What your audience and clients expect from you. Whatever it is, you’d want to deliver. 🙂