People who are larger than life are either famous in their own right or they stumbled upon fame through something they did.
And by default, they are larger than life online too.
You can be same.
Not necessarily famous. For that you need to do a lot.
But to be larger than life online, that you can do. And it doesn’t require too much. With a few tweaks here and there, you can plaster your name and profile on Google’s search engine and get your own little version of fame.
Why is that important, you ask?
Well, because in this day and age being searchable online is something that can and will affect your personal life and even your career. Everyone from your future partner to your future boss checks up on you online and it’s your job to decide what they find.
So how can you get to a larger than life status online?
By doing a couple of things:
1. Grab your own domain(s)
This is pretty much the first step towards taking ownership of your identity online. Get a hold of a domain in your name(s) and don’t forget to grab one for your kid(s) and/or future kid(s) too.
Yes, it’s that serious.
Having your own domain is kind of like grabbing a piece of internet real estate for yourself. One that will help tell the world that you exist and that you are a force to reckon with.
You can get your domain quick and easy from companies like Namecheap or GoDaddy.
I personally use Namecheap. Mostly because they have amazing customer service.
2. Get a website
First comes love, then comes marriage then comes whoever with a baby carriage.
Same thing here.
First comes a domain, then comes a website then comes you with a great brand online. I just made that up. I know it’s terrible but you get the point.
There are a lot of options online that allow you to create a website easily. I personally used Wix for my website but I’ve also heard great things about Bluehost and its Wordpress setup offers.
3. Create a Brand
I know, I know, this should have been the first thing on the list. But, I conveniently put it here because it’s the hard part.
I think you would rather grab a domain and begin creating a website before you create a brand otherwise, you likely procrastinate all three things.
So, when creating a brand, sit down one Sunday afternoon (because it’s the best time to do long-winding things) and think about what makes YOU you.
"You too are a brand. Whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not."
- Mark Ecko
I’ll say it again.
You are a brand.
And you as a brand means there is something that makes you unique.
Find it, write it down and translate it into colour, typography and an overall design that reflects who you are.
Then transpose that onto every single online platform you are on.
4. Be deliberate and consistent
Remember that brand you’ll create for yourself? Well, you must be deliberate and consistent with it.
Actually, it’s not just with it.
You must be deliberate and consistent with everything.
Everything here meaning: what you post online, what you share, what you like, what you comment on, etc. This is because all of that reflects on who you are as a person and/or who you want to be known as.
Be deliberate with everything you do online. Remember Cause and Effect and act accordingly.
Most importantly, be consistent.
Consistency etches in the brand you want project.
5. Share your knowledge and experiences
Okay. So you have your own website up and it reflects the brand you figured out for yourself.
Good.
Now you need to share your knowledge and experiences.
You need to share your art.
“Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that's creative, passionate, and personal. And great art resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator.”
- Seth Godin.
Set up a blog and share everything you’ve been shy or eager to share with the world.
And don’t forget the hard part: be consistent. Will you post daily (you rock if you can do this), weekly (recommended), monthly (too long)?
6. Be alive online
Apart from just having a website and working blog (hurray!), you need to be alive in the rest of the online world as well.
This means being active on particular social media sites that are a good fit for your brand (and your age*).
Being active means posting regularly.
If that’s too much to handle, you could make use of fantastic scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite.
I personally use Buffer - because I cannot be online on social media sites as much as people usually think I am.
7. Keep Tabs On Yourself Online
This literally means googling yourself from time to time or even better, creating a google alert for yourself.
You can only control your personal brand online if you are up to date with what is showing up in your search results.
You can only be larger than life online if you know what’s floating around about you online.
Is there anything you think I missed in this list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks :)