Building Your Online Identity - The Holy Grail of Social Networking

The Princess (sorry, Goddess) of the B&B world Karen Thorne wrote yesterday how she 'must be doing something right' using Twitter, as had her 'best year ever' using the networking site

This got me thinking and wondering how Karen seems to have unlocked the secret to gaining lots of business through Twitter, something lots of people want to do, but rarely manage it. 

Her self-imposed rules are explained in the article here but it doesn't really explain how she has so many followers and gains so much business through Twitter. What Karen has become extremely good at, whether she is aware of this or not, is having a unique writing voice.

When I was at University doing Journalism, they always harped on about your writing style and your 'voice' coming through the page. Karen's 'voice' comes through what she writes every time and is very distinctive. She stands out with her tweets because of this and it has enabled her to create a strong online identity.

This is not an easy concept to get your head around achieving with your own writing. What you can do is choose a writing style that you like and try to emulate it, then eventually your own 'voice' will begin to come through and you will create your own style.

This kind of worked for me in my previous life. I used to copy the style of FHM and when I brought that style into a golf magazine it gave the magazine a light-hearted appeal that readers enjoyed.

There are so many people out there writing on blogs and on networks that it's important you try to appear distinctive and memorable in your work. Choose a style you like and stick to it. 

The problem with all of us is that we aren't simple beings. We have many sides, but showing all your different sides works against you in a cluttered online environment. For readers to remember you they need to have a simple picture in their head of what you are. 

We are all publishers in our online world, we are all entertainers and the most successful entertainers are those that we remember for having a distinctive style. Frank Bruno is probably a multi-faceted personality (maybe not!) but to hear him reciting Macbeth would have just confused us. Cilla Black put on the fake voice but we liked it and knew where we stood. It was easy to take in and grasp. Choose a style that's simple and perfect it.

When you find a style to tweet or blog or Facebook, you not only make it easier for your audience to identify with, but you make it easier for yourself, as you know who you are too!

Have a look at the styles of successful people on Twitter and then choose a way of writing that conveys how you want you and your business to be perceived. 

 

 

 

 

 

How Last Night's Manic Twitter Rant Opened my Mind. Man.

I went to the doctor's last night and had a real buzz in the waiting room. Because the doc was running late I decided to have a mad tweetathon and it was a truly liberating experience. Though this blog may seem a little self indulgent please stay with it, as it does have a point in the end!

 

To put things in context I did around 20 tweets (with also replying to tweets from other people getting involved in the insanity) in 40 minutes. 

 

Tweet 1: "Just in doctors. 'What name is it?' I said, 'I don't know, what name is it? My name's Paul if that's what you want!' (I didn't say that)." 

A comment at the bastardisation of the English language.

 

Tweet 2 "Have half hour to wait in docs so gonna do a stream of conscious tweetathon for fun.."

As soon as I wrote this panic set in. I'm in the least inspiring place one could imagine and I've just told everyone on Twitter I'm going to have a tweetathon. 

I put myself in a silly situation. What on earth am I going to talk about? I've really dropped myself in it. I have nothing to say. Shit! I began looking around for things of any interest and trying to think quickly.

 

 

Tweet 3 "Tom Jones' new album is belting out. Really good, still got it as our Tom." 

Bit boring but current and relevant to demographic.

 

Tweet 4 "He's being interviewed on Radio 2. Says rock n roll came from gospel music and used to be called 'the devil's music' as it was so similar."

 

Then I noticed something that I found amusing the last time I went.

Tweet 5 "They have a bell at the doc's reception and every time she goes in back and sits down someone comes in and rings it."

Better. Observational comedy. I'll try and take that route.

 

Tweet 6 "There's some kids toys in the corner. If I go and have a play will I get funny looks?"

I seriously wondered how people would react if I began playing with the abacus in the corner.

 

Then a man began shouting on his mobile. This is my pet hate so how could I resist.

Tweet 7 "Man on phone next to me now speaking very loudly. Shouty phone people follow me around. I'm sure he's sat next to me on the train before..."

 

I looked at the magazines on the table trying to divert my attention from shouty phone man.

Tweet 8 "Why do they always have rubbish magazines in the doctors? Is it only fashion conscious women who get ill?"

 

Tweet 9 "Kerry Catona on OK! Magazine. Why don't all the alcoholic nutjobs in Manchester get on the front cover of crap magazines?"

 

Then comedian Jason Manford popped up on Twitter with something not very interesting.

Tweet 10 "I love @Jason_Manford on TV but he's not very funny on Twitter. Must be all the rehearsing they do on telly..."

Sorry Jason I was having an episode...

 

Then the doctor called me in and I told him I had Twitterettes (he didn't).

 

This exercise forced me to look at the world and find something worth talking about - in the most depressing of places! I had a time limit and threw myself in at the deep end and you know what, I think I managed to produce some reasonable stuff and could have wrote more!

So when you are sat there thinking of something to blog about or tweet or Facebook or whatever bonkers new way to communicate with the world you have, don't write about personal or business matters or indulge yourself in anthropomorphism. Look around you and paint a picture with words.

The bed and breakfasts I see every day look like the most amazing places, with wonderful, picturesque surroundings, wildlife and the most characterful buildings but rarely do I hear any descriptive (god I must stay there) words about them. 

What would be really nice to hear is some real life things that tell us what you love about the place. Things that you may take advantage of, or not even see when they are staring you in the face.

Make us hungry by describing the smell of locally produced bacon. Inspired by how the night sky looks over the mountains. Tell us about new guests sharing a joke together over breakfast, before they jet off on a popular tour of the area. 

Take us to your paradise and we'll want to come and join you.

 

If I can find inspiration from a doctor's surgery, by just looking around a room with three people and a receptionist, then I'm sure you can find something of note in your perfect spot on the earth if you just look. 

 

Take a step back, remove yourself from the situation and look at your world again with fresh new eyes.

Challenge yourself like I did. You might write a load of crap but it'll be fun and worthwhile because it will help you hone your observational skills. 

 

Give yourself one hour to throw yourself into a descriptive article about your surroundings and don't even stop for air.