Recently I had a discussion with a client of mine, I’ll call her Maria, about her personal branding methods for her healthy lifestyle consulting services. Maria has a lively personality and occasionally interlaces foul language with her words in blogs and social media. She explained she had posted an image containing foul language and somehow lost a like on Facebook, so she asked if she should tone down her personality?
This is an interesting subject since social media and the internet as a whole have actually demanded us to give a personal presentation to the public. Even I have become accustomed to learning detail about people by not asking them directly but instead seeking out their Facebook profile. Professionally we need to find balance in the way we present ourselves so we are not an absolute wallflower yet do not offend potential customers or employers to the point that they decide to look for someone else. So I can understand Maria wanting to present herself on a more personal level.
Understandably intertwining personal traits with business has many benefits such as personally connecting with customers, making your business stand out so it is easily remembered, and let’s not forget it makes business FUN! However there are limits that can be crossed and ultimately offend customers. The question is how many customers will it offend and can you afford the loss?
Going back to Maria, her choice of using foul language has pros and cons which over time she will have to assess. It is important that she keeps an open ear to what people say about her brand and even directly inquires about it with others. If people continue to be turned off by her direct presentation then the writing is on the wall that her branding methods need to change.
About the author:Lauren Ell
Ell is an Online Marketing consultant based in Southern California. She shares online business opportunities to generate income as well as assists small and large companies develop their marketing strategies. Contact Lauren Ell directly or follow on Twitter or Facebook.