Creating an online persona you can actually keep up

Creating an online persona is less about inventing a character than about deciding which parts of you will be seen, in what style and within which limits. A good persona protects your privacy, gives your content a coherent feel and makes it easier to keep going over time. A poor one is a heavy costume that you have to maintain in secret. This guide explains how to build one that you can actually keep up: a few simple traits, a name, a manner of speaking, a handful of rules and a method for reviewing it. Its audience is adult, and its descriptions never become explicit. For the wider picture, the guide to online persona and image is a good place to begin.

Begin with three traits

The strongest personas are simple. Choose three words that describe the mood you want to give, and test each against a plain question: could I sustain this on a tired Tuesday?

• Pick traits that exist in you already, even if you turn up the volume. Playful, calm, mysterious, warm, dry.
• Avoid traits that need constant effort, such as being cheerful every day or sounding like someone you are not.
• Check that the three words work together. A persona that is both very shy and very bold will be hard to write for.

Three traits give you something to come back to whenever you are unsure how to answer a message or style a shot.

Choose a name and a look

The name is the first thing people see, and it should protect you. Choosing a stage name explains how to pick one that is distinct, easy to say and free of anything that points back to you. The look follows from the traits: colours, light, framing and props that carry the mood. Building a visual style shows how to settle on one without giving away where you live or who you are.

Decide what is invented and what stays real

This is the most important choice, and it is worth making on paper.

Part of the persona	Safe to invent	Keep real or private
Name	A stage name unrelated to your real one	Your real name and nicknames used by family
Style and mood	Colours, themes, a manner of speaking	Nothing to hide here, it is yours
Backstory	A few light details, such as tastes in music or food	Your town, workplace, school, family and age details
Daily life	General rhythms, such as being a night owl	Real routines that would reveal when you are away from home

The fewer facts you invent, the fewer you need to remember. A persona is a style, not a false biography, and the simplest way to keep that line is to invent mood rather than events.

Write the rules down

A page of rules is the most useful tool you will make. Keep it short and private.

1. 1

   What the persona never shares

   Real name, location, workplace, family, other accounts and anything that could be traced.

2. 2

   What the persona never does

   Anything you are not comfortable with, however it is asked. Your limits go with you into the character.

3. 3

   How the persona answers personal questions

   A kind, repeatable redirect. For example: “That is something I keep for myself.”

4. 4

   How often the persona is present

   Times for messages and posts. A sustainable posting rhythm helps you choose them.

5. 5

   Who else may speak for the persona

   If an agency helps with messages, agree the tone and the limits in writing.

Keep it consistent

Consistency helps subscribers and it also helps you. When your persona has a recognisable voice, you do not have to reinvent it every day. Keep a few model sentences, a short list of words the persona likes and dislikes and a note of the facts you have already given. Talking to subscribers shows how to apply this in conversation.

Protect the line with your private life

A persona only protects you if the line is real. Use accounts, emails and devices that are separate from your own, and check every file for details that point back to you. Faceless basics covers the habits, and separate contacts explains how to keep the two worlds apart.

Review it every few months

Once a season, read your rules and ask a few questions.

A short review

• Does the persona still feel like something I enjoy?
• Is there a detail I invented that I am now afraid to forget?
• Has anything crept in that I wanted to keep private?
• Would I change the name, the look or the manner if I could start again?
• Do I need a rest from the character?

You can adjust one element at a time, or simplify. If the persona feels heavy, taking a break is a good option.

Questions and answers

How different from me should my persona be?

As different as feels comfortable. A close version of yourself is easiest to keep, and a more distant character gives more room to play. Choose according to the energy you have.

Can I use more than one persona?

You can, but each one needs its own rules, accounts and upkeep, which doubles the effort. Most people are better served by one persona that is clear and sustainable.

What if a subscriber asks whether the persona is real?

You can answer lightly and kindly, without lying about facts that matter. A line such as “this is the version of me I share here” is honest and keeps your privacy intact.

Does an agency create the persona for me?

It can help you think it through and keep it consistent, but it should not impose one. The persona is yours, and so is the decision to change it.