So I got an email the other day about how I am perceived and the content I write. Some people do not mind as long as there is content that is useful and educational. The email simple stated that why I write and mention certain topics or text and why I am not viewed professional enough.
Well here is the email:
Ian,
I enjoy your blog, but one of your recent posts stated you attend strip bars and go drinking. Another time you wrote how you sold drugs and 'came up from the streets'. Also some of your videos are seen as non-professional with tattoos being shown and music being played as an intro. I am confused as to why you want others to see you like this or you would mention obscene words within your post or videos.Your blog is inspiring and provides a lot of great content, especially your video tutorials. I am trying to find my way in the online marketing industry, but I am concerned of how I will be perceived and the reason why I am bringing this concern to you.
You are not arrogant nor do you act that way, I just do not understand why mentioning useless or negative aspects of life on your blog would make you as a person more popular.
Sorry if I may sound too intrusive.
NAME REMOVED
This email kinda struck me since I receive similar but not as informative. So I decided to go ahead and create this post about myself and why I am a thugged out internet marketer. So first of all I want to thank the reader for sending this email and I will best of my ability to answer it, but the main purpose is transparency.
Transparency is being clear of who you are and basically keepin' it real. There are a lot of marketers out there that talk and do what they do but many have met me in person and found out that I am because of me. I share my life because it is how I am acting and having fun. Sometimes reading too much positive information can be garbage. I think providing an insight of my life to the public helps create a stronger relationship with my readers.
Also, sometimes being who I am is helpful. Why do you think twitter is created, it is curiosity that wants you to know more about me and how I act, What Are You Doing? I am not an alcoholic or a pimp, I just like having fun - is it wrong to say or share that I am attending a local bar? Ian Fernando [dot] com is my name and not my company name, so I can practically write what I want under my dot com name.
This blog can be all about picking up women and how easy it is for me or online marketing. My name is my name since I will die with it. Branding is created by my readers and those who follow me, if you decided to brand me as a pimp marketer then that is how you perceive me. Yet I am still doing me. I can easily change the perception if I want to but currently I let my readers and the audience decide.
Branding is important and providing realism to your readers and people who look up to you. I can't say I influence a big people, but as the email stated I somehow influence this person that he wants to know more about branding and how to be perceived. This is a simple answer keep it real, just be you and you will be golden with followers.
Everyone that meets me says I am a very driven and positive person. This blog can not and will not let you know who I really am until we meet face to face, but I can provide some back up by simply just twittering what I am doing or mentioning what I did last night. Videos provide a great feedback on my personality and who I am. If I have hip hop music as an intro to my videos, then you can say I like and enjoy hip hop music.
There is a lot of people that acts differently because they are behind a PC and can talk what they want. If you meet me in person I am who I am online and offline, its just keeping the consistancy and just keeping it real.