The greatest personal branding test of all time occurs at the moment you decide you want a personal website, which is a website based solely on your name. It can really make you think about how you want every aspect of your professional personality to shine through. It’s true, you only get one chance to make a great first impression, and this is absolutely true when you launch your own personal website.
This idea, of a personal website, has been in my mind for quite some time. But everything I started to think about what it would look like, or what content I wanted it to contain, I would always get stumped. Probably like most people, I would think – “How can a website really succinctly display and communicate who I truly am?”.
And I discovered that the answer is… “With great difficulty!”.
Personal Branding Factors
With the strongest and immediate elements being visual, there were important choices to be made first:
- What colour do I want the website to be? Should it be my favourite colour? Or should it be a colour that best represents me professionally?
- What font do I choose? Funky? Fresh? Old Style? Traditional?
- What elements do I need?
- Engagement tools?
- Widgets and Functionality?
And then comes the content:
- What do I want to say?
- What message do I want viewers to see?
- What words represent me personally?
All of these require consideration when planning a personal website, and I had to confront each one.
Number One Call To Action?
As an online marketer, I know only too well about the importance of a singular call to action. I thought about this a great deal. I have three call-to-actions for my personal site:
- Connect With Me - I want to connect with friends, peers, followers, and clients. So I have positioned my social media network buttons to increase the opportunity for engaging and connecting.
- Work With Me - I am an expert in the field of Marketing and Branding, and I want to make it as easy as possible for entrepreneurs and business owners to hire me to work with them. For this reason, I have created a Work-with-Me call to action.
- Follow My Blog - I love writing, and I have my entire life. If anyone is interested in my expertise, thoughts and opinions on marketing, social media, branding, coaching, or other topics I divulge, then I need to make it as easy as possible for someone to do that. Hence my 3rd call to action, being an RSS feed or email subscription to my blogs.
Keeping Fresh And Personal
Having a website is one thing, but having a website that people want to bookmark and visit often is another thing. To be truly original, truly “abnormal” and stand out from other experts in your field. It’s a good idea to put as much of yourself into your personal website as possible:
- Share your real ideas and thoughts – and controversial is ok sometimes!
- Share photos too – places you go, people you meet, things you get up to
- And always be creating an environment that encourages interaction. If your personal website is an extension of your professional self, use it as a talking and engaging tool.
Do you have a Personal Website?
If not, then get one!
As the world wide web fills up with generic, corporate business sites, having an individual and personalised site in your own name, can truly help your professional career, and business in the long term.
I welcome your thoughts and feedback. Feel free to comment below.
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