by Gaining online confidence and being able to show up 100% as yourself is no walk in the park – especially for us introverts.
It’s overwhelming and borderline scary to put both your name and face out there for the world to Google and find you.
At least this is the way I felt when I first started my blog two years ago.
In this article, I hope to inspire you to play a bigger game when it comes to blogging and your online visibility. To show up as you and have the confidence to go after the life and freedom you truly want.
Online confidence is a possibility for you too.
Starting a secret blog
I started my blog in a complete and utter secret. I wanted to remain anonymous and I sure as heck didn’t want anyone in my personal life to find out I was blogging and going after my dream life. Why?
Honestly, this all came down to major imposter syndrome, confidence issues, and those “what on earth will people think” limiting beliefs.
You can start a secret blog that’s successful but you’re going to have bigger and faster results if you learn to feel comfortable with more online visibility.
Take it from me and learn to ease your way into online visibility.
8 steps to gaining online confidence as an introvert
1. Know your ‘why’
Why did you start a blog in the first place?
Your ‘why’ will come in handy for the days when blogging feels all-consuming and especially challenging to show up for your audience.
A strong ‘why’ makes those detours and uphill battles much easier to deal with.
Because believe you me – blogging is full of them. It’s not all rainbows and daisies. It’s amazing but it also comes with challenges and obstacles.
Getting clear on your ‘why’ is the first step to gaining online confidence as an introvert.
2. Get clear on your mission
- What is your blog’s mission?
- Who are you serving?
- What problem are you solving for your audience?
The thing about running an online blogging business is that you’re not doing it for you.
Your blog exists to solve other people’s problems.
Get really clear on your blog’s mission statement and what it’s all about.
3. Ease your way into online visibility
I eased my way into online confidence and visibility. The confidence boost won’t come overnight, it’s a process and we need to let it take its course.
You don’t have to get uncomfortable to feel confident.
You just have to take it in your own time and show up little by little.
I suggest you take some sort of action that will lead you to your dream result every day.
What I did
When I first started showing up online I would start by having a photo of my back, then I would add a sidebar image of me looking down, and finally I replaced it with the image I have now where you can clearly see my face – and I’m smiling.
I also began my blogging journey by referring to myself as the letter “M”. A few months later, I was Mia.
I didn’t tell my friends or family about my blog until years later. In fact, some people (aquantaincese and such) in my life still don’t know what I’m up to online.
You don’t have to do it all at once.
Start with what feels comfortable to you and ease your way into online visibility.
There’s no rush involved in running an online blogging business.
4. Fall in love with your brand
One of the things that really helped me show up in a bigger way was the fact that I created a brand for my blog that I absolutely loved! The colours, the fonts, the feeling it evoked – everything about it.
Once you’re clear about your why and the mission for your blog, take some time to figure out your unique brand.
Think about the following:
- 3-4 go-to colors
- 2-3 go-to fonts
- 4 Images that portray your brand
- Keywords that fit your mission statement
You can create a brand kit in Canva or alternatively create an inspirational board on Pinterest.
Slowly start to fall in love with everything you stand for and it will become so much easier for you to show up and be proud of what you’re putting out here.
5. Visualize your dream life
What is the ultimate goal of your blog? What is the dream vision you have for it?
Examples:
- Do you wish to leave your 9-5 and blog full-time?
- Do you want to self-publish a book or an ebook?
- Do you want more flexibility and freedom when it comes to your time and finances?
- Do you want to help as many people as possible within your niche?
Get really clear on the dream results you want to achieve with your blog. Take some time daily to visualize your dream life.
Close your eyes and vividly visualize for 10 minutes a day. Get into the frame of mind of your future self and make a note of how she got to where she is.
It’s not woo-woo if you really believe it. I promise.
Go into your day with thoughts that support your dream vision. You need to take action based on thoughts that this is a possibility for you – this is how you get results.
Your thoughts create your results.
The results you have in your life right now are evidence of thoughts you have thought in the past. Mindblowing, isn’t it?
6. Skip the comparison game
One of the things that held me back from creating success with my blog, in the beginning, was the evil beast that is known as the comparison game.
Never ever compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20.
There are no unique messages, only unique messengers.
No one can tell your story the way you tell it. There’s only one you.
Yes, there will be other bloggers blogging about the same things you are, but they won’t have your experiences, your way of communicating with your audience, or your unique awesomeness.
Also, strategies and methods that work for your competitors may not be ideal for your own blog.
Look to your competitors with pure inspiration and not with envy. If she can do it, you sure can. Let them show you what’s possible instead.
If you believe in your mission and your blog’s potential (and its uniqueness), you’re going to feel so much more confident in your new online skin.
I promise.
7. Tune into yourself
You’ll know when you’re ready to put your name and face on your blog. You’ll feel it in your heart, gut, and your bones. Your mind might not be on board at first, but your heart will be.
It’s time to show up.
Get clear on who’s doing the talking. Is it your primitive brain or your prefrontal cortex?
Your primitive brain is like a toddler brain. It doesn’t like doing new and scary things it hasn’t done before (like showing up online). This is, unfortunately, the part of our brain that gets the most attention and should really be getting the least of our attention.
Its purpose is to protect us from anything new and scary. This was all good and great in the old days when we needed protection from predators etc.
But there isn’t anything life-threatening about blogging or showing up in a bigger way and playing the confidence game. We don’t need to make decisions from our primitive brain anymore, especially when it comes to creating our dream life.
Instead, tune into your prefrontal cortex, which is your dreamer brain, your goal setting brain, and your planner brain. This is the brain that feeds on rational thinking.
Before you make any sort of decision or take action – pause – take a moment to think about who’s ordering this action. If it’s your primitive brain, think again. If it’s your dreamer’s brain, go right ahead and do it.
8. Reward yourself
Ok, so you just uploaded a photo of yourself to Instagram. Congratulations! I know you might be feeling all the feels right now but do yourself a little good right now.
Reward and pamper yourself with a little self-care. You deserve it.
Don’t forget to celebrate the little wins like sharing a photo of yourself or finally putting your name on your blog.
Who are we kidding? Those are BIG wins.
Implementing self-care into your daily routine as an entrepreneur in general is so important. So don’t feel bad, splurge on a spa trip, make yourself your favorite cup of tea, soak your feet in a footbath or do whatever you do best for a good pampering session.
The thing about other people
I want to stress one thing when it comes to putting yourself out there on the World Wide Web and that is – other people.
I know that imposter syndrome might be very real and alive (it was for me at least) and that part of the reason you’re not showing up in your business is because of the fear of what other people will think.
Because, my goodness, what will they think if you put yourself out there in a bigger way and go for that extraordinary life?
The truth is…
Not much.
Most people are too busy thinking about themselves. They might think about you and your dreamy endeavours for a split second but then they’ll get right back to thinking about themselves.
Because honestly (and this is a good thing), people just don’t care as much as we think they do. So, why should we spend time and energy worrying about them?
No more! Focus on you, your dreams and your online visibility.
Incoming chessiness. ?
You only live once and you only have this life so why not make the best of it and show up?
