A while back, you could see my face on my website. Mind you, it never was like other online entrepreneurs who have pictures of themselves in multiple positions placed around their site (see exhibit A, exhibit B, and exhibit C), but I did have a head shot on the about me section of my homepage.
Thing is, I never felt like that head shot belonged there. It felt out of place, and I desperately wanted to delete it. And that’s when I came to a crossroads: I’m the founder and CEO of Yes To Tech, and so inherently I should be the face of my business - just like Elon Musk is to Tesla, Bill Gates is to Microsoft, and Oprah Winfrey is to O Magazine.
But how could I still be the face of my business, and connect to my target audience on a deep level, when I hate publicity and exposure? I set out on a mission to find out.
The first thing I had to figure out was the reason why I didn’t want to show my face.
It had nothing to do with my physical appearance, though that’s something that affects many, including one of my mentors, Amy Porterfield, who did a beautiful exposé in her Online Marketing Made Easy podcast on The Real Truth Why I Hate Video (Hint It’s My Weight).
It wasn’t imposter syndrome either, because I never felt like a fraud and like I didn’t deserve a virtual seat at the online business table. So no mindset change from self-sabotage to acceptance was going to change the fact that I hate publicity.
The bottom line is this: not liking to show my face has 100% to do with personal preference - I'm just not a fan of exposing my image.
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It’s not who I am, and I shouldn’t have to change that to fit in with the mold of how online businesses are said to work. I'd rather have you pick my brain, than my face, if that makes any sense. I love interacting with my audience (you guys!), doing webinars, going live on Facebook for interviews, and that sort of thing. And you’ll most probably continue to see my face on these occasions.
And that’s when a thought hit me: I am, and will continue being, the face of my business, whether I like it or not. However, I don’t have to literally show my face (i.e. a photo of me) to be said face of my business.
With that thought pushing me forward, I went ahead and deleted the head shot from the about me section of my homepage. Now, you're probably thinking, “Huh? Why? Isn't a photo a great way to infuse your personality into your website, and literally show the face behind the business”. Well, yes it is, you’re very right.
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But as I mentioned earlier, you’ll most probably continue to see my face on certain occasions, you just won’t see it on my website. So how do I connect with my audience on a deep level, and be the face of my business, without showing my actual face? I focus on 2 things:
1) I now share more behind-the-scenes insights, as well as vulnerable stories, of my journey as an online entrepreneur. You don’t need to see my face to connect with the struggles I had when I created my very first website, or even to understand how it hurt when I deleted 634 e-mail subscribers as an attempt to boost my e-mail open rate. And instead of sharing this type of content every once in a while, I’ve made a point to be open about the lessons I learned (both good and bad) once a week, via an e-mail broadcast and / or a blog post. This humanizes me, even without a picture of my face.
2) I created a fairy godmother imagery to explain who I am at Yes To Tech: you should think of me as your fairy godmother of tech. A fairy godmother is someone who's not always there, and who just pops in and out (during webinars and in e-mail broadcasts, for instance) when the need arises. Just like in Cinderella! The fairy godmother appears, transforms Cinderella’s rags into a gown, and then leaves. Or also sort of like Siri. You may have a love-hate relationship with her, but she's always there when you need her, to guide and support you, even though you don't see her face (or even know what it looks like, for that matter).
I still want to bask in the glory of saying ‘Yes To Tech’, in the complete sense of the word. I want to connect with you, on social media, on blogs, and by sending out e-mails, in a way that’s only possible thanks to technology. I just don’t want to feel compelled to show my face if I don’t want to.
So, if you’re also struggling to be the face of your business when you hate publicity, first think of the reason why that hatred exists. If it’s just a matter of personal preference, like in my case, know that it’s perfectly okay to not have your photo on your site, or to show your face at all for that matter, as long as it makes sense for you and for your business. Just find another way to connect with your target audience, and you’re gold.
If you’re wondering how to create a kickass about me page that wows your site’s visitors, even without showing your face, make sure to fill out the form below to download the FREE Perfect About Me Page Worksheet. It’ll walk you through the 6 proven elements you need to include to make your about page stand out from the competition and capture tons of leads.
Fill out the form below now to get the FREE Perfect About Me Page Worksheet instantly:
I’d also love to hear your thoughts on this matter. If you struggle with showing your face on your website, and with being the face of your business, comment below on why that’s so. If you disagree with what I wrote in this post, and believe that it’s imperative to show your face, in every kind of touch point possible, let us know as well.
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