Who Are You, Anyway?: Showing Up Online

It's been a strange week. I'm in day 10 of the crappy upper respiratory stuff.

Type. Cough. Sniffle. Repeat.

I'm keeping my water glass to myself and trying not to breathe on Bob. In fact, it would be better if I just didn't breathe at all, his eyes are saying.

And why is everyone talking about website bios all of a sudden?

This week had a weird synchronicity to it. People have been talking about website bios and social media profiles. In phone calls. On Twitter. On forums. In emails.

Everywhere. 

For a minute, I thought they'd all gone crazy. Then I put it together.

It's what I've been working on all week for clients. Fun, memorable bios. About Us pages. Social media profiles.

Bios are on my brain. So of course I'm paying attention more.

You know, like when you buy a new car and all of a sudden you see all the other ones on the road just like it? They were always there, but you just noticed them.

Showing up online: part II

This past week, I had lots of smart questions from people struggling to create their bios, to boil down the essence of who they are in a short paragraph or two—in a way that is consistent and that attracts the people they want to work with.

Here are some starter tips:

1. Align your profile and website bio with your brand.

Your website gives people a good idea of who you are (or it should). But if the bio on your website, the one on your blog and the one on Facebook sound like you are talking about three different people, I'd say you have a problem. Unless you have multiple personality disorder. Then, of course, it would make perfect sense.

Connect your profile with your brand. If you are playful, and your website copy reflects that, so should your profile. Got a quirky sense of humor? Go with it. Someone tweeted a line from my website bio on Twitter yesterday: She said, "@CatsEyeWriter's website bio says she can juggle, has been to Timbuktu and can say, 'Four knives will be sufficient' in Swahili. I LOVE THIS!"

Everything I said was true. And, yes, a little quirky. Just like me.

Just be sure you show yourself in a real and consistent way—across all platforms.

2. Tell what you do best—and for whom.

When I am browsing through Twitter profiles and bios or visiting someone's About Us page on their website, I am attracted to the ones that deliver their messages with style and originality.

One of my Twitter friends, Havi Brooks, says it this way on her website's About Havi page: 

My duck and I (okay, the duck is a little weird and that could be a blog post all by itself) help bright, creative kooky people (who she does it for) destuckify their stuff so they can do their thing (what she does best).

She goes on to say:

So they can work through all the overwhelming, sometimes-terrifying goo that gets in the way of doing what they love and biggifying it like crazy.

When I read this, I know right away. Either I am her target market or I am not.

3. Leave the cardboard person at the doorstep.

I saw a small business networking site recently that warned its members to only enter "basic business information" into their profile. They said, "It's not about you personally. It's a business profile.

I couldn't disagree more, particularly if you are a small biz owner. People who are deciding whether to interact with you are looking for someone real.

Asking yourself a few of these questions will help you uncover—and show—the real, multi-dimensional you:

1. What three things do you believe most about people?

2. What is the one thing you've done in your life that you are most proud of?

3. What's the one thing you haven't done yet that you want to do before you die?

4. What three adjectives best describe you?

5. Which movie or TV character are you most like and why?

6. What's your favorite food or beverage?

7. Name the two things that bug you the most when they happen.

Use phrases from these answers to make a list. From that list, mix and match until you come up with the whole person that best describes you.

On Twitter, it's a challenge to do that in just 160 characters, but that's part of the fun. And it's the very process that gets you to the core of who you are.

My Twitter profile says:

Slightly neurotic copywriter. Loves strong verbs, creating unique online identities, oaky Merlot & John Cleese. Thinks the word cree-A-tive is overused.

4. Act online in ways that match your profile.

People are getting to know and, hopefully, trust you, so your online behavior and the copy in your bio should not clash. Who you are should not change. Whether you write an article for a social networking site like Biznik, create a new blog post or make a comment on Twitter, stay true to yourself.

5. Play with the content as you change and grow.

You aren't going to be the same person you are today. None of us are. Hey, next year you might climb Mt. Everest. Or write a book. Or become a goalie on a women's indoor soccer team (which one of my clients did) You might join the hole-in-one club. Or master conversational French.

Profiles are easy to edit. Be sure to do that regularly so when things change, your customers, prospects and colleagues can keep up with all the cool things you are doing.

What does your profile say about you?

Comments

[Carl Coddington]

I feel like you are yelling at me personally :)

I HATE taking the time to write a bio. I assume nobody is going to read it.

To me, I would think that most people don't have the ability to write a bio that reflects themselves.

Most of us are not professional writers and any attempt of creativity will probably come off the wrong way.

Kind of like that cringing feel you get when your favorite actors are interviewed on Late Night shows and make complete idiots of themselves.

[Judy Dunn]

Hey Carl,

I don't yell very often and when I do, I put an exclamation point in there so you know. : )

As far as people's abilities to write a good bio, some can do beautiful rewrites with just a few pointers (after reading one of my articles, a friend of mine did that with his Twitter profile). Other can't or don't want to put the effort in so they hire me.

And the actors who make idiots of themselves on late night talk shows? The key word there is "actor." They are trying too hard to be funny and just come off as lame.

An authentic bio is not "this is who I want to be". Rather, it is, "This is who I am. I am unique. And I want you to really know me."
It's a great, and often overlooked, trust-building tool.

Thanks for making those great points, Carl.

[Bruce Colthart (@bccreative)]

I need to revisit what my bio(s) say and see how [dis]connected they are, so that I come across as somewhat coherent.

Perhaps because I've always had trouble deciding what I want to be when I grow up, I've taken individual stabs at it without looking at the whole. Maybe I have all the material I need already, just broken up across several profiles.

Regarding Twitter, I also like the idea of providing link to a landing page (versus a website front page), where you have a chance to better introduce yourself as a well-rounded human, before diving into the "sell."

Another nice, simple advice you offer: "Tell what you do best—and for whom." A small business that can't do both those things will have trouble marketing proactively. Perhaps because they fear being to specialized, at the expense of their other offerings?

All *I* need to do now is actually act on this sage advice myself...

Always enjoy reading here Judy; take care.

[Judy Dunn]

I know exactly what you mean, Bruce. I too have wrestled with that "What do I REALLY want to be when I grow up" question.

I've finally decided. I love helping people develop unique online identities—through their website copy and social media profiles. And I love humor—using it in my work, seeing it in other people—basically, making people laugh.

I used to think I was a little strange because I love John Cleese, old Monthy Python shows and looking at common things in different ways. Now I embrace my weirdness. It's just so much a part of me.

And the thing on consistency in bios across multiple platform? I like making my bio on Twitter saying something different than, say on Biznik or my website. I just think it's important to keep the same voice/style.

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Bruce. You always give me new things to think about and I like that.

[Marie]

Hi Judy

Being a new visitor to the site, just wanted to say I really enjoyed reading your stuff. I <3 that the internet has opened up so many possibilies to all, where we can be completely transparent and clear about what we want and do! I write for and help local small businesses /start ups develop and grow, but i've only just got it all online!

After reading this I will definitely be revising my social media profiles / bios to ensure they all add up! :-)

All the best! Marie

[Judy Dunn]

Marie,

I always love hearing from a new reader. Glad the tips were useful.

What's great about an interesting web bio is that in a sterile net landscape, you (and your business) really stand out.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, Marie.

[Joe Hage]

I owe my http://twitter.com/joehage bio to Judy's inspiration.

Thanks, Judy!

[Judy Dunn]

Joe,

You are a quick study. : -) Your rewrite was awesome!

[Judy Dunn]

Joe,

You are a quick study. Your rewrite was awesome!

[Deborah Drake]

Judy,

You know how I feel about your writing and your posts be it here on your own blog or within Biznik. And let me reiterate; I so APPRECIATE what you say and how you say it.

As a fellow writer/communicator/marketing specialist myself, I so value Truth in Advertising (who we are) and Congruency across the board (be it how we come across in email, online, on the phone, and in person.)

A website or our community profiles can be a vibrant extension of who we are. People and their talents and uniqueness can literally leap off the written page. And these days, one's bio could even include a short video for that matter for the visual/auditory viewers/readers.

Me, I like to read and can easily hear a person's voice in my head. And many times , how they sound when I meet or talk to them matches with what I imagined. And that is congruency in my book.

And pretty please, may I "reprint/post" your fine article as a guest post on my own blog: The Subtle Art and Science of Enrollment?

And may we have more articles on what is bouncing around in your brilliant head, Judy! Please.

Blessings.

[Judy Dunn]

Deborah,

Always enjoy your insightful comments. You are in "the biz" and so you really get all of this.

I made left a comment on your most recent post. Loved your social media 3 C's.

I'd be honored if you published my post on your blog. Thanks!

Judy

[Jenny Carson]

This is a good idea. We should be marketing ourselves just as much as our products and services. Too many skip on their bios which is a prime place to do more marketing.

[Judy Dunn]

Jenny,

Thanks for reading. Don't believe I've seen you here before. Glad you took something useful away from this post.