Personality is one of the 3 core components of your brand. It’s the style in which you convey the soul of your company.
On the highway today my husband excitedly pointed out a truck with decals proclaiming: “KICK ASS Rock & Roll – the city’s best wedding DJ”. A divisive statement, sure to shock some and excite others. Another example is Redhead Ranting, a blogger who regularly swears, is controversial and whose site is peppered with funny (if you enjoy her humor). Her blog acts as a filter – people who don’t get her or her style go away and those who do become avid fans. My friend Ken Kristoffersen of POP, a corporate planning agency, recently underwent a re-branding. His site feels different. It sounds different.
Are you playing it safe? When you created your website, wrote a blog post or launched an ad, did you write copy that could appeal to anyone? If you removed your logo, could your copy be mistaken as your competitor’s?
Creating personality is not simply about being controversial or different. It’s about being authentically you. Is your voice authoritative, is it funny, is it brash or maybe quirky? Define who you are and find ways to thread your personality through everything you do.
We do business with people we like and we do our best work with people we enjoy. You can’t do business with everyone, so why try?
When I first started building my current website about three years ago I would often go off the map when choosing content to send out to my subscribers. It didn’t take me long to realize I don’t like a lot of controversy so I have tried to adjust to my audience and still stay true to myself. If I were doing a website just for fun though, it would be a lot different than the one I have to day but since I like to eat I don’t mind making a few adjustments along the way. So I would say push the boundaries but keep an eye on the road.
@Coolest Thanks for weighing in, Coolest. You’ve touched on a very important point that probably requires clarification: Personality does not mean controversy. In the case of Red Head Ranting, her personality is brash and provocative; therefore, being controversial is a part of who she is. But if, for example, you’re fun, funny, vibrant, the point is not to be controversial – it’s to echo who you are. Tell jokes, inspire, invigorate. Write in a voice that feels authentic to who you are.
@LaraMcCulloch
Yes, that is exactly what i “try” to do and it seems to work very well most of the time.
@Coolest Fabulous! And I’m so glad you brought up that great point.
Good advice!
i hope i can implement your suggestions.