Have you ever hit publish and worried you’d revealed too much of your personality? Or are you playing it safe because you’re concerned how people will react to content that ‘sounds’ like you?

We cover all that and more in today’s episode of Content Marketing… Stripped!

How much personality is too much?

If you’ve been writing and publishing content to promote your business, you might be wondering how far is too far when it comes to sharing your personality.

There’s no hard and fast rule, some brands do very well with a bare-all, share-all in your face attitude, while others work just as well being more conservative.

One thing I would say is to ask whether you would speak and act in person as you do in your content, particularly if you work face to face with your clients. If there’s a disconnect there, people who are attracted to your marketing, may be confused if, in real-life you’re different to how you come across on paper.

You’ll probably find that the more you write, the more comfortable you are finding the voice for your brand. But the 3 tips I would give you as you embark on this exciting journey are…

1. Don’t be somebody you’re not

I have a lot of admiration for other copywriters, particularly females who are as loud and brash online as they are in person. Erika Napoletano has made a very successful brand from her no-nonsense attitude, and with blog posts affectionately filed under “Bitch Slap.” She makes it work because this tone of voice is consistent throughout her entire online presence: video, social media etc. And I’ll bet it’s the same when you meet her.

So, people attracted to her marketing have a good idea what they’re going to get. They’re not going to have a client call with someone who is meek and mild: their expectations will be met.

And as much as I admire her style, it’s not me. I’d love a tattoo, but will probably never get one (I’ve been ‘pretending’ to get a pair of red cowboy boots for about 15 years now), the only thing ‘killer’ about me in a pair of heels is the risk I take in breaking my neck, and no-one will ever refer to [signup-form id=”12713″]me as having sass.

In short, if I tried to copy her marketing style:

1. I’d do a terrible job,
2. People would be very confused when they finally met me
3. I’d be more likely to attract the wrong fit of personality for my working style

People who watch AmyTV, read the blog and get the newsletter have a good idea of what I’m like to work with, and that’s why those channels work very well to send clients to me who know what I can do and also how I work.

It’s tempting to try and follow someone else’s style online, particularly if you admire them, but like Oscar Wilde said:

Be yourself, everyone else is taken

Thanks Oscar.

2. Think about how much info you want to share

Do you want people to know where you’re based? Are you happy to give out your address? Or your love of jam, cheese, ham and egg sandwiches (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it)?

There are some things we would happily share with our friends and family (such as catching athlete’s foot from Justin Bieber- watch the video) that we wouldn’t necessarily want our prospects to know. It’s worth taking some time to sit down and thinking about what those details are, and if you need to, keep a list by your computer and check you haven’t got carried away and revealed too much when you write.

3. Check your emotions before publishing

Passionate writing can be very persuasive. If you’re caught in the moment you could find your fingertips leaving a blazing trail of powerful prose within minutes.

Which is amazing.

But can also be very dangerous.

There are countless examples of businesses publishing content or social media updates when they are in the midst of anger, excitement or other heightened emotions.

Like this one…

If in doubt, commit your words to paper or the screen straight away, but give it over night or 24 hours before you edit and hit the publish button.

Not sure how much personality you should be using in your content? Let me know in the comments, or get in touch for 1:1 copywriting and content marketing help

Music by freesfx.co.uk