Translating your awesome personality into an online presence

Written by Simon Mullins

Let’s face it, you’re awesome. But it can be hard to get that awesomeness out there, especially when industry mingling is even worse than usual (thanks COVID). That’s why you need an online presence. Something that helps you stand out from the crowd and lets your awesomeness shine. But how on earth do you do that?

Well, here are four simple steps to help you get started:

Step One: Creating a logo you don’t hate

A logo gives everything you do that personal touch. And (spoiler alert) it’ll be important when you get to step three. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, especially if illustrator isn’t your thing. It just needs to feel ‘you’. And make sure the sight of it doesn’t make you regret all your life choices, because you’ll probably have to look at it a lot. Click here for some handy logo inspo. 

Step Two: Deciding your tone of voice

You don’t always have to talk about how “delighted” or “excited” or “thrilled” you are about a piece of good news. Your online presence is a chance to be different. To give people a taste of who you are and what you can do. You are as special and unique as a snowflake, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Think about how you can develop your own language style, rather than becoming a part of the conglomerated blob of humbled bumblers. 

Step Three: Finally finishing that frickin’ ‘folio

At the end of the day, your work is what will ‘wow’ your audience. Or make them reach into their desk drawer and pull out a shiny new contract for you. And when you start to win awards, your portfolio is your trophy case. In other words, it’s kind of a big deal. Usually a simple website will do the trick. I wonder if www.iamthebestestmostcreativepersoneverandyoushouldtotallyhireme.com is taken?

Step Four: Actually remembering to post stuff

The first three steps will set up a great platform, but this is where you cash in on all your hard work. Social media is one of your best tools to get your name out there, especially LinkedIn. Try posting at least semi-regularly. Sharing work is an obvious one, if you have work to share. But there are other things you can do too! Make a series that shows off your copywriting/design skills. Or lessons you’ve learned. Or mistakes you’ve made. There’s nothing more relatable than fucking up. 

And that’s it! Put it all together and you’re fully equipped to be a successful internet human.

Simon Mullins is a creative copywriter at Rare, who has thought about building his online presence many times. He decided to utilise all this thinking to create a list for others (rather than completing the task himself). You can follow him on Instagram or LinkedIn