Don't just stand out -- be memorable.
I’ve been an online marketing expert for over a decade, and one of the main forms of online marketing that I’ve practiced involves blogger outreach. Usually, I write articles as part of marketing campaigns. I am a good writer, yet I’ve been successful not because of my writing ability, but because of my business sense and ability to gain clients. Writing is a business: Become half as good at business as you are at writing and you’ll get paid much better than you do now.
Plenty of writers are great at writing, but aren’t good at figuring out how to get paid to do it. In a profession where your name (or pen name) literally represents your brand, you need to have the ability to sell yourself to people who will pay you to write. That’s why I’m sharing how to use memorability to create a positive personal brand and get more quality clients:
Being memorable
How is being memorable different from standing out? Standing out is something you do over time, something you build. Being memorable is something you do in a single moment that people carry with them and think of when they least expect it. Making yourself, and what you have to offer, memorable means different things in different contexts, but it’s always critical to your personal branding efforts.
Within the office
Whether you work as an employee or a contractor, making yourself memorable in the office setting means that your co-workers or boss will think of you first when a new project comes up. If you build your personal brand within the office, that means you get more taps on the shoulder for projects that fit within your brand, meaning you get to do more of what you love, which further gives you greater opportunities to grow and become more skilled in that area.
With potential clients
When you attend a writers’ conference, even if you are speaking, there is so much going on and so many people there, that being memorable takes on even greater importance. Being memorable is even more important than what you say because the value of the conferences lies in the connections you make. When you go home with dozens of business cards, how do you decide who to contact? Why would someone want to contact you? Figuring out how to be memorable at a conference will increase the power of your personal brand — tenfold.
On the Internet
Finally, the architecture of the Internet allows for fast browsing and jumping around. Every day brings a possibility of reading and seeing hundreds of different voices or content providers, and writers frequently get hired via the Internet these days without ever meeting their employer or client face-to-face. Being memorable when you only have a few seconds is of the utmost importance for shaping your personal brand.
Image courtesy of: heyworldimhere dot com
About Murray Newlands
The image you used here is definitely memorable! I think images help in blogs posts and in any writing online to be memorable. Interesting to think in terms of being memorable vs. standing out. I think with online you have to be more memorable or folks may never return to visit. Thanks for making me think about what I can do with our websites to make them more memorable.
Lisa recently posted..Will You Burn Out?
Lisa, I agree that image definitely sticks in the mind. People enjoy seeing a visual along with their reading materials — whether they realize it or not. I really like how Murray pointed out the difference between standing out and actually having a memorable impact. I never thought of those two things distinctly in that way.
Thank for stopping by, Lisa. The Dream Team and I love bringing fresh, new perspectives to our readers and Murray certainly delivered on that one. Have a great week. xo
Samantha Gluck recently posted..How to Write Feature Stories Like a Pro Journalist
Thanks Samantha, and great image choice.
Murray Newlands recently posted..200 MPH Challenge: Vote for Murray Newlands
I’m glad you approve, Murray. More than a couple of my readers have remarked that the image fits the message in the post perfectly. It’s great to hit it right sometimes! Samantha
Murray–thank you for your guest post. Especially appreciate your point that writers ought to become at least half as good at business as they are writing. While many excellent writers agonize for hours over the choice of a single word, few spend enough time cultivating the craft of getting paid! Your article is memorable & will standout in my mind for both its style & utility….Now, I have some long overdue self-promoting to attend to-)
I’m not sure I quite agree that standing out occurs over time and being memorable happens in the moment. Standing out can take place in a split second – a tall person in a crowd of short people, a fantastic performance by a band, a striking piece of art, a well written article etc. If you stand out in the moment consistently, you can become memorable that way.
I just think branding can move and work in all directions and is not confined to particular rules. I’m willing to accept however that branding is in the eye of the builder. No one knows an audience better than one who is consistently catering to that niche.
Darren recently posted..Improve Your Sales Pitch #8: Create a Personal Brand