Holy crap, this has been a long series! This is part seven (and final!) in a series on changing your online image. If you haven’t read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth posts in the series, you might want to check them out for full effect. Also, everyone who joins in on the discussion will be added to our marvelous Twitter list so we can keep up with each other. Onward!

As promised, my wackiest (whackest?) launch ideas ever, brought to you by a can of Dr. Pepper and one Cadbury egg. Clearly, an overdose of sugar is required for this. (By the way, the launch sprinkler system is for showering your wonderfulness throughout the planet. These sprinklers are really big and require light to moderate stretching before exerting the effort to turn them on.)

1. Create something really cool for every online publisher that you adore. Preferably revolving around your craft or trade. And exhibiting your One Thing (because everything does now, right?).
2. Send a Cadbury egg to every one of your readers. Preferably when it’s cold outside so that they don’t melt. In my experience, there are only a few valient people left on this earth who can resist Cadbury eggs.
3. Create a video of you attempting to break a Guinness record related to your One Thing. (Not the beer. Though there might also be a record for that.)
4. Go on a reality TV show for the sole purpose of waving hi to your readers. Anything except Wife Swap.
5. Create a dinosaur puppet alter-ego. (Dang it. That’s already been done.)
6. Write love notes to random clients and customers. With real paper and ink. (A stamp would also help. And maybe perfume.)
7. Do something that only your re-launched self would do. For example, if your One Thing has something to do with outdoor adventure-seeking, make a video documentary of you going on a white water rafting trip. Have bonfire epiphanies and experiment with original S’mores recipes.
8. Find a mascot. (Dibs on Penelope the Empathetic Monster. You can have Monty the Fox.). Take pictures of it doing fun touristy things.
9. Publish a comic book series starring yourself doing the death-defying things that you do on a typical day.
10. Do a farewell phone interview with your one of your old branding assets.
11. Instead of giving away a free e-book when people sign up for your newsletter, give away something way more interesting. Like a coloring book.
12. Give away awesome t-shirts to random readers.
13. Do a traveling blog series that’s kind of like a traveling circus. Bonus points if you can somehow incorporate seals or lions.
14. Make a totally amazing, irreverent FAQ page.
15. Take someone hostage. For example, if your business is to photoshop people’s photographs, take all of their blog pictures hostage and completely re-do them. Require a ransom for them to get them back.

I am a HUGE fan of doing things differently. And the cool thing about being online is that everything that has been done offline for years and years is fodder for doing online and being completely new and awesome. Everything old is new again, so turn on those launch sprinklers and shower us with your brilliance!

P.S. Have you heard about the upcoming Gold-Digging Excursion? I’m taking a group of people on a month-long mining trip to make their websites more profit-friendly. Join the pre-launch daisychain to find out when it launches before anyone else. (If you’re even half-thinking of going on the excursion, you want to be on this list. Promise.)

This is part six in a series on changing your online image. If you haven’t read the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth posts in the series, you might want to check them out for full effect. Also, everyone who joins in on the discussion will be added to our marvelous Twitter list so we can keep up with each other. Onward!

I would make an excellent prosecuting attorney. One of my most…umm…endearing qualities is being able to spot inconsistencies in logic or behavior.

My more benign probings get my friends irritated with me (like when I ask for sources when someone says “it was on the news”). My deeper questionings can get me in a bit more trouble (like my need to grapple with inconsistencies in my faith. Which wouldn’t make people uncomfortable if I would do it in private.)

As a web designer, my interrogation skills serve me well. Brands require routine investigation to make sure they’re in alignment with the good of your business. Brand consistency is the only way to have any control over how you’re coming across on the web.

Today, your branding assets are in the hot seat. (For this exercise, a branding asset is anything that contributes to public awareness of who you are. That includes logos, buttons, headers, and even your sales copy and the types of content you put out there.) We need to figure out if your branding assets are committing a crime against your business, robbing you of customers and cash.

Questions to ask your branding assets when they’re in the hot seat

• Do you solemnly swear to tell the whole truth? The truth is your One Thing. Is the asset speaking your truth?
• What’s your alibi? Why is the asset here? If it doesn’t have a definable function, it’s time to toss it or change it.
• Are you paying your rent? Every branding piece needs to be a workhorse. If it’s not contributing to your business financially, it’s freeloading. Freeloaders get the axe.
• Do you talk bad about me behind my back? Does your asset give off the right vibe, or is it mucking up your credibility?

Once you’ve handcuffed some of your assets and exonerated others, it’s time to see if you need to pack some new ones into your suitcase. If you’re experiencing pain in one particular aspect of your business, a great way to conquer it is to create a branding tool to address the issue.

For example, if you’re having trouble getting readers to stick around (and your content’s already top notch), focus on improving your blog subscription assets. If you’re having trouble getting people to sign up for your coaching sessions, create a new branding piece for the one you’d particularly like people to see.

Once all of your branding items are consistent, it’s time to make it official. Thursday, I’m going to share my list of the wackiest launch ideas I’ve ever had. (I have a feeling I might regret this later.)

P.S. Have you heard about the upcoming Gold-Digging Excursion? I’m taking a group of people on a month-long mining trip to dig up their website’s cash potential. Join the pre-launch daisychain to find out when it launches before anyone else. (If you’re even half-thinking of going on the excursion, you want to be on this list. Promise.)

This is part five in a series on changing your online image. If you haven’t read the first, second, third, and fourth posts in the series, you might want to check them out for full effect. Also, everyone who joins in on the discussion will be added to our marvelous Twitter list so we can keep up with each other. Onward!

My friends call me the “I’ve Decided” girl. Maybe because every other day, I call them with a new revelation.

“I’ve Decided!” Just try it…it’s powerful. It pleases the do-er in me — the part of me that knows that ultimately, I am responsible for my own happiness. I choose to be here or there…do this or that. I may wallow in self-pity for a few days, but through all of that, my brain is formulating a plan to change whatever is mucking up my life. And all of a sudden, I’ve decided.

Your online “I’ve Decided” moment

After you’ve figured out your One Thing, it’s time to do something about it. In this case, “doing something” means planning a re-launch.

The benefits of re-launching

• It’s motivating. Coming out in your full amplified glory is your public “I’ve decided” declaration. The accountability and support that comes from that will propel you to where you want to go. No whip needed.
• It gets people re-excited about what you’re doing. Even if your biz presence was extraordinary before, with repeated exposure, the extraordinary becomes ordinary. Re-launching brings you an influx of new buyers and opportunities almost immediately.
• You effectively change people’s minds about you. Whatever vibe you were putting off before, people will have forgotten it within a week of your re-launch. We human-types have short memories. In the presence of your new mojo, past boringness and inconsistency will be forgotten like yesterday’s turbriskafil.

Do it, do it, do it

* said while banging fork and knife on the lunchroom table *

Nerdy developer types have a saying that we pass around like turbriskafil. Launch early and often. Launch while it’s hot and ready enough, and then re-launch when it’s even hotter and readier. Repeat the process ad infinitum.

So go ahead and pick a date for your re-launch. Or if you’re not the date-picking type, just decide that your next re-launch is going to be something you’re consistently working toward. Next Tuesday, we’re going to be talking about what to pack for your re-launch (and go over your branding assets like I promised last week). Wear comfy shoes!

This is part four in a series on changing your online image. I’ll be alluding to the first, second, and third posts in the series, so you might want to go back and have a look if you haven’t read them already. Also, everyone who joins in on the discussion will get added to our marvelous Twitter list so we can keep up with each other. Onward!

With all of the essential and contrarian attributes you possess, your mind is probably spinning at this point. Geez, what am I anyway? And how can I possibly convey that in any sort of consistent branding effort? It’s easy to get overwhelmed and toss up your hands in defeat.

Take a breath…all you need is some self-distillation

Self-distillation: A word I just made up The art of combining all that’s wild and wonderful about you into a meaningful One Thing.

Your One Thing is what is going to assert your brand effectively to the world. It’s your measuring stick of your juice-to-water ratio (are you sending out a watered-down message, or is your brand-juice pure and undiluted?).

How to use your One Thing measuring stick

Getting ready to publish an article? If it doesn’t jive with the One Thing, don’t press “Publish”. Tweeting about your day? If you can’t see your One Thing in it, don’t tweet it. Or rather than not publishing and not tweeting (never a strategic move), change your article, change your tweet. Align it with your One Thing.

Same thing goes for projects that you accept, collaborations you embark on, relationships that you hitch your ride to (not that they must be the same, but be mindful of who you spend your time with). This is not a new rule that you must follow in order to be “of the moment”. But if you’re having a branding problem…if you can’t seem to communicate “you” to the world, you’re probably sending out a diluted message. If you want a brand that your audience can recognize a mile away, whip out your One Thing measuring stick.

Distilling your essence into your One Thing

I haven’t created a step-by-step process for finding your One Thing (it’s usually more of an individual, can’t-be-replicated quest), but here are three things I’ve grasped about them:

• They include some measure of visual recognition. Stark. Flouncy. Colorful. Sexy. A feast for the eyes.
• There’s a voice behind the curtain. Formal. Sweet. Funny. Down-to-earth. The lingo’s important and apparent.
• They’re in pursuit of some level of world-change. Feed the hungry. Empower the weak. Release the prisoners. The end-goal is powerful.

Cue your visuals. Amplify your voice. Announce your mission.

Your homework: Take all of your research and lists and practice distilling yourself in these three areas. Notice I said practice. This is not a one-time-only, you-must-do-it-right sort of thing. This is a seeking, getting-closer-to-the-goal sort of thing.

Next Tuesday, we’re going to be looking more deeply into your branding assets — your tagline, your business cards, your website…all of it. A practice in objectivity. Bring fresh eyeballs!

This is part three in a series on changing your online image. I’ll be alluding to the first and second posts in the series, so you might want to go back and have a look if you haven’t read them already. Also, everyone who joins in on the discussion will get added to our marvelous Twitter list so we can keep up with each other. Onward!

Since Thursday, I’ve learned some quite astonishing things about myself. First, I should totally have a country accent. What a disappointment that I do not! After living in Nashville for six years and various parts of Virginia for the rest of my life (including places barely on the map), the entirety of my Southern accent potential stayed firmly grounded with my parents. My friends say I was meant for NYC, and I agree with them (though an idyllic pastoral setting also has its swoon points).

Also, I’ve been rumored to be taller than I actually am. I would have liked to perpetuate that misconception, but at 5′1″, I’ve been known as “the short one” all my life. I can’t pretend to be taller, even on the internet.

There are other, more relevant things that I’ve discovered people think about me and my work. I’m still pondering them…stewing them around in my brain. Some could be good (that I’ve got an audience of thousands!) and others not-so-good (that I’m not spiritual…which to me is like saying that I regularly cheat on my lover).

It’s not that these perceptions in themselves are so important. The point, after all, isn’t to change yourself so that people will like you. The point is to gauge how accurately you are voicing your truths. If people think that you’re a snarky big-mouth when you’re actually a peace-loving Zen practitioner, then perhaps you need to adjust some things.

For most of us, we don’t have an issue with coming across as something completely different that what we are. We struggle with stepping out in the fullness of ourselves. We’re subconsciously only pouring one-third of our juice in the glass and diluting the rest with water so that it’s not too sweet/sticky/powerful for everyone else.

Even though I feel like I’ve “found my voice”, I still struggle with this. For instance, I published something last night that is giving me queasy stomach flops today. At 3am, it seemed perfectly natural to share my self-doubts with the world. (Go transparency!) At 10am, I was feeling less certain. At 11am, I nearly deleted it.

So here’s my homework (and yours too, if you dig it)

Pull out your “things that describe the real you” list to prime the pump (does anyone say that anymore? Just us Virginians?).

• If you could be anyone on the internet, who would you be? (It doesn’t have to be a person, though it can be. What qualities would you amplify? What values would you possess?)
• How do you see your online self now, and how does it differ from the “ideal you”? (And when I say “ideal”, I mean you on your very best, most inspired day.)
• What might the ideal you look like, fully realized? (What kinds of things would you create? What would you do to change the world? Fantasize…think both practical and intangible.)
• What are your reasons/excuses/justifications for not stepping more fully into your ideal self?

On Thursday, we’re going to look deeper into your ideal, epitomized self, so come prepared for some comfort-zone shifting!

This is part two in a series on changing your online image. Read the first post here (you’ll need it for your homework). Also, everyone who joins in on the discussion will get added to our marvelous Twitter list so we can keep up with each other. Onward!

On Tuesday, I asked you guys to come armed with paper and pencil in hand. Today, we’re going to take that first what-people-think-about-you list and squeeze it until it bleeds. (Uggh. I think I like my food analogies better.) Seriously though, you’ll need a helmet for this. If you didn’t make a list, hurry up and make one now. We’ll wait.

The easy part

You should have in-hand a list of five to ten qualities/attributes/things that you think people think about you. They can be good, bad, or ferocious. Now, for each of those ten things, I want you to answer one question — why do you think that people have that opinion of you?

Let’s start with me.

• I’m giddy all the time. People think this because I have the name “Joy” in my company name. I posted a slightly ranty Twitter post one time and completely blew someone’s mind. In a bad way. They were expecting joy and got my sarcasmic wit instead. Maybe I should re-name it to S.Sarcasm Studios?
• I just make websites. I don’t think my branding and consulting stuff is prominent enough. When people finally find it, it’s like a candy surprise.
• I’m inconsistently present. Maybe people don’t notice this, but I go for entire weeks of being internet-absent (besides the blog and my email box). I’m so focused on actually producing stuff that I don’t spend enough time connecting. And then I feel left out and cry in my soup.
• I’m not a mom. Countless people have told me how surprised they were when they found out that I have two kids, ages 3 and 4. I have a hard time blogging and tweeting about everyday personal stuff. I think it’s because I limit my use of technology to when I’m working.
• I’m nice. This is probably because I actually am nice. Not always a good thing. Like when your dentist pulls the wrong wisdom tooth and you try to make him feel better about it. While you’re crying because he forgot the pain medication. And then you try to make him feel better about that.
• I specialize in blog design. This is probably because I run a blog-driven site, and the LiteSites are blog-driven. But I actually specialize in content-driven websites. Sites that publish new content on a regular basis. Sites that tell stories and attract droves of adoring fans.

You might want to get your helmet on now

The best way to find out what people really think about you is to ask them. Which kind of sucks, because you’ve got to get all vulnerable. If you’re lucky, you know two to three good people who will give it to you straight. And maybe you can give it to them straight in return.

Your mission: Email these two or three people and ask them to come up with ten words that describe you and your business. Give them one rule: Be kind and be straight. (The straightness is what the helmet is for.)

See you Tuesday!

In business, it’s good to care what people think about you. Even if they’re thinking, “Wow, she doesn’t give a crap about what people think about her!”, you care that they’re thinking that. The beauty happens when what people think about you lines up with the awesomeness that you actually stand for. And by beauty, I mean a bigger, happier, audience who wants to shout your name to the heavens. You and your clients riding off into the sunset. More cash to free your life up. You know. Beauty.

A mini-step before we get started

Before we dive into step one on Thursday (Tuesday/Thursday posts are back! Jello pudding all around!), I need you to come prepared. Humor my teacher-side for a second and grab a pencil and some paper. Write down ten words to describe the way people feel about you right now. Or rather, how you think they feel about you. Use your intuition. Here are some examples:

• A dedicated father/mother
• Snarky
• Really, really affordable (read: cheap!)
• Invisible
• Stylish
• Business-like
• Self-promote-y
• Unreachable
• Uber confident
• Happy!

Now, make a second list of ten words that describe the real you. The way people who totally get you would describe you. The way you would describe yourself when your flame is burning brightest. Some examples:

• Funny
• Book-lover
• Super high quality
• Well-respected in whatever field you’re in
• Always has new ideas
• Always knows where to go/who to talk to
• Genuine
• Everything you do is amazing
• Smart
• Trend-starter

Now look at your two lists. Are they the same? If not (even if they’re just a little bit off), I’m writing this series for you. And I’m writing it for me, too.

What it means to be yourself on the web

When people tell you to be yourself on the web, they usually mean that you shouldn’t talk like a robot. That you should acknowledge and embrace the fact that you’re a real person or that your team is made up of real people. Other than that, all’s fair, baby. As Sparky commented last week:

Do your thing. You’re a rock star. You’re ninjariffic. It’s a game! You’re JanisJoplinTreCoolGwenStafaniAnthonyKeidis all rolled into one huge rock idol.

(Sparky. Is. Awesome.)

Saying that there’s one particular way to be yourself is like saying there’s one way to freestyle — it just doesn’t make any sense. Still, there is a way to cut the confusion out of all of this.

Ambiguity, be gone!

Over the next month, we’re going to talk about how to change people’s minds about you. Even if you’ve got a bunch of raving fans, it’s good to go through this process once a year or so to re-align yourself with your audience.

Ready? Come armed with your lists and your thinking caps (again with the teacher-mode!) on Thursday.