Amidst so many voices on social media, finding your own sweet spot is not easy. Every passing day, there are hundreds and thousands of people who are sharing that one Instagram post on their solo trip to Paris (think Kendell and Kylie Jenner – they make tons of money via one sponsored Instagram post!), that one tweet that talks about their new product launch, that one new Facebook Status – ‘Hey! Check out my honeymoon pics’ – well, yes, that was too varied, but you get the point.
We all get a dopamine rush when we receive that one new notification on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Pinterest or Google Plus (I have almost named the basic ones – if you’re on more, you know you are bombarded with a flurry of social media feeds). But over and above this social media cacophony of so many online updates, what you actually miss out on is: is it any different?
Our brains are constantly scanning for something that is new, or fresh or invigorating to our senses – as that is when we feel there is something to ‘check out’ or explore on the internet.
And that precisely holds true for you as a personal brand, too. After all, you wouldn’t want to be ‘just another’ update on someone’s new feed or on their online wall.
However, having your own unique voice offsets the fact that people find you common or usual online; instead, they find you different, original-in-your-own-way and ‘connected’ with what’s happening online and off.
Unique voice, here, means what defines your voice, naturally, as also well captured in a post on Entrepreneur, here. In other words, what subject or a realm connects with you effortlessly? What makes you curious to learn, unlearn and relearn? What comes out of your mind just like an auto-pilot regimen of your life for a subject you so ardently care about? When you are ‘naturally’ curious about something, it shows and reflects in your messages, posts, tweets, FB updates, visuals and general communication online. And that is what attracts people to your voice – as it’s intelligent, free-flowing on a topic, there is a pattern that people start to notice – and what they really love is your passion to create an ‘evangelical ecosystem’ that starts to spread a word about what your voice is sharing online and offline.
The concept of having a unique or a different voice is well enunciated by Dorie Clark in her books, Re-inventing You, and Stand Out – stellar material to quickly dive into when you want to find your own voice and create an impact, naturally.
But finding your own voice is a lifelong sojourn – you’d, however, once listen to what connects you with a subject/ matter/ realm, will start feeling comfortable with your ‘evolving’ voice. And over a period of time, you will build an engaging tribe of your own.
For example, let’s say you love anything that is related to venture capital and funding. And so, you like following anything that Chris Sacca, First Round, Bill Gurley or any big stalwart in the VC space share, to understand how investing works. So you, as fascinated by ‘all things startups and VCs’, share tips with your own content spice (some curated and some of your own, with a sprinkle of your perception of reality and experience) – and over a period of time, you become a go-to consultant for start-ups on how to raise funds for their next venture.
Result?
You have built a great personal brand by sharing your unique voice on a platform that you have built for yourself.
You see, branding becomes simple when you know what you are passionate about – and can create conversations that have not been noticeable online. That is when you fill a void and create a remarkable personal brand – by being valuable and unique.
Have your found your unique voice?
How are you progressing with it?
