Why show your personality in your work?

Our personality is what sets us apart, makes us damn special. So why hide it?

In my opinion, the biggest mistake a business can make is to target everyone in its vision & campaigns. Why? Well, the modern consumer doesn’t buy 'just because the product is nice.' We got picky. We buy a certain product or service because we believe in the brand behind it and what that brand STANDS FOR. We like the brand, its personality, and its vision.

Ask yourself, why do you buy Nike, not Reebok (or vice versa)? Why do you ride Renault and not Peugeot? Why Glossier and not MAC? Why Apple but not Samsung? The list goes on.

So, coming back to personality, your customer will connect with your product through yours or your brand’s personality. Vanilla talk and selling-to-everyone philosophy WILL NOT work. Believe me; I’ve tried it.

I like language, intensive yoga, fashion, literature, bright colors, getting to know people, hand-written notes, Hitchcock’s movies, to swear once in a while, flowers, crafting a copy, setting the table, and translating books. I won’t trade this for pretending I am someone else. If a client doesn’t like my personality. Then he or she is not the right client for me. That’s it.

Ultimately, when you try to please everyone, you will inevitably end up alone. And if you try to market your product and address your copy to everyone, you will end up - you guessed it - with zero sales and no client.

Ensure your personality shines through your copy. But please do not make it all about you. Just give your customers enough of your awesomeness plus a solid reason to buy your product - and they will turn in a loyal crowd, your people.

Written by A. van Eck-Samarina