Are you present in your business?

“Wherever you are, you are here” – ‘You Are Here’, John Lennon

‘You Are Here’ was a love song written for Yoko Ono which appeared on John Lennon’s 1973 album, ‘Mind Games’. Its title was taken from an art exhibition he had held at the Robert Fraser Gallery in London in 1968. The centrepiece of the exhibition was a circular white canvas on which the words, “You are here,” were written.

A friend recently returned from Liverpool with a ‘You are here’ pin badge souvenir for me and it got me thinking about where we are and whether we’re present in our businesses.

So I have a question to ask you: If I were to look you up on your website or in your social media feed, would I find you?

Not just in terms of your teeny tiny bio photo or your logo that you post once in a while, but would I quickly be able to know who’s talking to me when I read your copy? Would I know your face if I was sat next you in a coffee shop?

There’s a common misconception that people are believing about running ‘business’ social media accounts – that if you’re running a business, people only care about the product or service you’re selling.

But it’s just not true. When someone invests in your product or service, they’re actually investing in you. There’s a reason why they want to work with you above all others. There’s a reason why I’ve had clients travel from London, Cardiff and the south coast to work with me when there are plenty of personal branding photographers closer to home.

People are curious about you, people want to know you and they need to understand who you are before they understand what you create.

And the stats look good too, according to an article by Sprout Social, photos with faces get 38% more likes than those without. So, how can you commit to showing up in your feed more meaningfully?

1. Post a photo of yourself and share a few fun facts that your community might not know about you.
2. Post a photo of yourself and share your ‘WHY’ that makes you come alive with joy!
3. Post a photo of yourself and ask people how you can help them today – share wisdom, offer advice, answer questions.

I hope that’s helpful for you! Come and join the conversation over on Instagram and let me know, I’d love to hear from you!