In having a fear of public failure, I’ve never really put myself into the limelight online .. not really. As a person who designs websites I’ve always been found via recommendations and word of mouth, but if I want to grow .. I’ve got to use my ‘voice’ to get myself out there on my blog and be found by the internet. This means growing beyond my immediate sphere of influence.
So I’m going to do as that worldwide known book says by Susan Jeffers, feel the fear and do it anyway [affiliate link], but I’m making my own hashtag called #LeanIntoFearAndTry
Why should I blog? Why should I use my voice and share it with others, who would listen? I’m learning to flip these questions into the positives. Do you want to be found? Do you want to share what you know and help others achieve their goals? If you don’t then I hope you’ll be happy staying a small business with fluctuating work .. for me, I’m ready to grow further.
I have things I can share, teach, and do to inspire you to use your own voice online. I will lead by example, I don’t want to be a person that is ‘do what I say and not what I do’ .. that doesn’t sit well with me. I want to show that anything is possible to do, by doing it.
You can be social on social media.
One way to start using your voice to to create a social media account on Instagram or a Facebook page and start posting your content there. A thing to note about posting on social media is that any content that is posted on there can be deleted by the platform, demoted in how it’s being shown to others, that the network you share on has the ultimate power and their aim, isn’t always to promote you.
Yet the great thing about social networks is that you are able to be with your ideal client in a space they already feel comfortable. So you can chat with them, show them what you do, leave a comment on their post, search for hashtags and join in those conversations. Just remember, you don’t own that network and they can disappear .. as unlikely as it feels that Instagram or Pinterest could no longer exist, it is a possibility. So don’t put all your eggs in one basket or expect a long term money tree when someone else can come along and cut it down.
You can be the boss on your own website
This is the power of having your own website. You are the owner of your own content, the voice that you share. This is your space online and you have the power to control how it functions, what it says, how it shares out from the website into the internet, eg. onto social media. Once you have your own website platform people know where to go to learn more, to interact with you and ask questions via blog post comments, to buy your product or service. This is your business online and once you have visitors come to you specifically, they are already actively showing interest. Don’t you want that?
You can be live on line with a video blog
There are many places you can Livestream your thoughts to others. You can do this on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more. The same applies as on social networks, these are not platforms that you can own and have ultimate control of your content, to do that you’ll need to host your videos on paid networks. YouTube is owned by Google and I doubt Google is going anywhere!
Being live in an online video is a great way to use your voice and connect with others. You’re there straight away, authentic because it is happening right now and able to interact with questions and comments as they come in. YouTube is a video hosting platform is incredibly powerful for your visibility online, especially if linked back to your website (ie. you post a link on your youtube video back to your website), and if you also embed those videos on your website as a blog post.
Who doesn’t love to see and know the person they potentially want to work with? So being in a video on your website will help your customers know you, potentially like you and grow to trust you to be able to do that thing they need. Whether that is a piece of jewellery they want making, their wedding photos taken, a custom stamp made for them, your skills as a life coach to get them over a career hurdle.
You have a voice, and people need your skills .. so clear your throat, flex those fingers and share those golden nuggets of knowledge you’ve learned. The right people will find you, if you speak up and write clearly.
I can help you build your website, set your business foundations, brand your online presence and find your way of being consistent online. This is your chance to use your voice online .. speak up!
Ps. If you’re afraid of the tech and don’t know about websites. I wrote an ebook and a blog on website foundations, the basics, you can download the ebook for free.
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