Becoming visible - move past fear and share your story
“The ocean does not apologise for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness for the space they take and so, neither shall I.” - Becca Lee
WHEN YOU…
- Share photos of yourself online
- Create video content or jump on the livestream train
- Start to be vocal on social media
- Put your opinions out there
- Write, for your website, your blog, your email newsletter, your social posts…
You are being visible.
Being visible can be scary, it leaves us open to being judged. So when you start to put yourself out there it’s natural for doubts and fears to arise. These fears and doubts come from a place within us that just wants to keep us safe. But playing safe usually also means playing small and therefore not fulfilling our wildest dreams, desires and capabilities.
One of my favourite things to do in an evening is to watch Blackadder (stick with me, it’ll make sense in a minute, honest!) and in one episode, George says, “Well you know, one doesn’t want to blow one’s own trumpet.” To which Blackadder replies, “You might at least have told us you have a trumpet.”.
Because here’s the thing, unless they know you exist, no one else is going to do blow your trumpet for you. Being willing to be visible and take action, even when it’s messy, feels a bit icky and more than a little bit scary, is brave. Committing to pushing through these feelings in favour of learning, iterating, and ultimately connecting with your people, will lead to growth.
So how can you process and move past these fears?
- Journal around the thoughts that come up for you when you think about putting yourself out there. Get it all out of your head and down on paper. Acknowledge what you’re feeling and be curious about it. And know that it comes from a part of you that thinks it needs to keep you safe, so give yourself grace.
- Take whatever messy, scared action you feel you can, and keep on doing so. Know that you’ll get it wrong, but that it will get easier. As John C. Maxwell says, “Fail early. Fail often. But always fail forward.”
And so that you can start taking action today, I want to share with you four things you can do to become more visible in your brand. Pick one, whichever feels most achievable for where you’re at right now, and commit to doing it today.
1. Change the wording on your website or social channels from ‘we’ to ‘I’
Unless you’re a business with more than one employee and you want a really corporate image, changing the wording to be more personal will let your community get to know you. Own your story and the journey you’re on now. Just the simple change of that personal pronoun will create a greater sense of connection with your people.
2. Take a photo of your hand typing / writing / holding a book you’re inspired by / product you sell
If you don’t feel comfortable putting your face out there, start to create stock images by photographing your hands. Hands are a point of connection so we automatically respond to them in images. If you wear funky jewellery, a jazzy watch, or always paint your nails a fun colour people will start to recognise you in their feed and it helps to reinforce your brand identity. Own your own style.
3. Use Instagram Stories to introduce yourself to your community
The best thing about IG Stories? They disappear after 24 hours! This makes them the perfect place to start putting yourself out there if you’re worried about how ‘slick’ you’ll appear. Say hello, tell your followers what you do and what you’re working on today, take them behind the scenes, invite them to respond, ask a question or create a poll - foster engagement. Own your candid self.
4. Post a photo of yourself on your social media channel
If I look back on my own Instagram grid, my stock images get a good response, photos of my beloved Lion Dog get a good response, the photos of my badass clients get a good response. But do you know what gets the best response? Photos of me. Your people want to hear from you. That’s why they follow you. Use the exact same ideas for an Instagram Story, but instead create an introductory caption to sit alongside a photo of you. Own your precious, limited edition self.
So there you have it! Four ways to increase your visibility to help you connect with your clients. I’d love to know if you found it helpful. And I’d love even more to see you becoming visible, so please share your posts with me on Instagram here.