“I don’t like sharing my personal side online. Social media is tacky.”

“I’m afraid people will hate me online if I ever truly expressed how I felt.”

or my favorite is, “I can’t brand myself, that is like bragging – sooooo tacky.”

These are comments that I get from my clients. They are smart, savvy and private!

Myself included – I struggled with being visible online. And is goes deeper than just being shy or introverted, it’s a deep seeded way of thinking that goes against our very nature. 

For example, did you know that to promote oneself is considered tacky in eastern cultures and often “those kind of people” are ridiculed.

In fact in eastern cultures, the quietest children in Asian cultures are considered the “popular” kids.

Private people feel violated when we share something close to our hearts.  And everything is quite personal for us – that’s what makes being “social” and sharing quite terrifying.  

So what’s a entrepreneur that is private to do when we know we need to be social to survive?

Put on an alter ego.

Make your imaginary “twin self” take the role of that you don’t want to.

Here are some steps to creating a “twin self” that gets results.

1) Be opinionated as possible.

This isn’t an opportunity to go on a pyscho rant but make a clear stand on your point of view and back it up. But don’t worry if you piss people off – you’re twin will take the heat. You’ve got to have a clear point of view to stand out and attract your best customers who share the same values you do.

2) Pick a favorite celebrity to represent your brand.

Make your twin self embody all the qualities of the celebrity you dream to be. We all admire certain celebrities because part of them is inside of you already and that alter ego wants to come out. Create a brand lexicon based on the attributes of your favorite celebrity. 

I love the way that Audrey Hepburn carries herself with grace. She’s my brand lexicon. I love her style. I think of her especially when I’m in stressful situations or I need to ask for the business – I let Audrey handle it. She makes asking for business feel like a priviledge I get to bestow on my clients (yes, hand over the money!). And she never gets her feathers ruffled.

3) Make your twin self, your tireless advocate.

Your business is bigger than just what you sell – it’s an expression of what you believe in. In fact, at times, it’s too close to our hearts for our own good. If you’ve ever gotten overly defensive about your business – you know what I’m talking about. That’s when you can let your twin self to take over to become the passionate supporter for your business – it’s rational and always keeps the authentic essence of you intact.

Pretty soon that alter ego may just become the real you that is meant to be revealed.

Let’s face it, sometimes we need to get out of our own way. That’s when creating your alter ego can literally save your business. And it can be a whole lot of fun in the process!

What do you think of creating an alter ego to be the voice of your marketing? Let me know in your comments below.