Cultivate a Killer Online Personality

Most of us take the things we read online with a grain of salt – a wise move, since you never really know what kind of cracked-up individuals are purporting to have years of experience and mountains of expertise. Unless you take the time to check references, look businesses up in the Better Business Bureau, and call various universities to ascertain if said Master’s Degree is a reality (none of which is a bad idea), you pretty much have to assume that blog writers, clients, and freelancers are telling the truth. That’s why any freelance writer worth hiring double checks all facts gleaned from the wonderful world wide web before putting them in an article; and why that same freelance writer won’t work with a new client without taking some contractual and/or escrow-related steps prior to getting started.

That being said, I’m going to tell you a little something: as I move my way around the Internet and the blogosphere, I’ve caught several blog writers, clients, and freelance professionals in a lie. Oh, not the sort of lie that smacks of utter deceit or that will cause anyone undue harm. It’s more like a few bluffs now and then to make themselves seem more professional, more experienced, more something.

Good for them.

So What Good is an Online Personality?

Sanity

Freelancers are notorious for their inability to separate home lives and professional lives. With children screaming underfoot, last-minute work occurring well into the night, and telephone interviews taking place in the bathroom with the door firmly closed and locked (or is that just me?), it’s no wonder that we struggle to create a boundary between what we do and who we are.

Building an online persona is a great way to strengthen that boundary. Although blogs are known for being an opportunity to bear our souls and air our grievances (at least it is here on Freelance Parent from time to time), there still remains a barrier between the you that others see and the you that you really are. This is simply a healthy part of this kind of life; by keeping a part of yourself closed to your audience, you are maintaining a semblance of privacy.

Marketing

Depending on what you are trying to sell and who your primary audience is, having an online persona can be a great way to bring in clients and get yourself that elusive USP. I always feel deeply mortified when I see a used car salesman on a commercial, since I have yet to see one (a salesman or a commercial) that doesn’t fit into the sleazy, I’d-sell-my-kid-for-a-million-dollars stereotype. I have sincere hopes that at home, among their families, these guys are perfectly nice and normal; and that for them, the car salesman persona is simply a part of their sales gimmick.

While we freelancers don’t have quite the same stereotype going (nor do I think we should plan on getting one), building up a quality online personality can help to strengthen your image as an expert (or whatever else it is you want to convey) in your field. That could very well mean more money. More money is good.

Confidence

Having an online persona is also a great way to boost confidence: your own and that of your clients in you. Opening yourself up as the neurotic, second-guessing freelancer that you really are isn’t a great way to inspire confidence among those who might hire you. Most clients want someone who can take charge, ask the right questions, and get the job done in a smooth, professional straight line. Putting forward that person - even if he or she appears to be taking an extended leave of absence - might mean the difference between getting one or two jobs a month and making a living.

Having a confident exterior will inevitably work its way inside, as well. Even if you still quake in your shoes every time you have to do that telephone interview from the bathroom (again, is this just me?), knowing that others think of you as a calm and cool professional does wonders for your self-esteem. If they feel certain that you are qualified (and you didn’t lie in your qualifications), then you are. Go with it.