Words by Porcelain Alice | Photographs by Tom Wilkinson

Part of being a professional performer is creating a brand for yourself, and keeping that brand consistent - especially when it comes to your online presence. We were lucky enough to have Professional Showgirl and Instructor here at Sky Sirens, Porcelain Alice give away some online branding secrets.

‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken’

The only time I do not recommend such hallmark advice is in the online sphere, on a ‘professional profile’, where building an online brand is the intent.

Social media platforms give you potential access to more people than you will ever meet. The term IRL is used to assert ‘in real life’ as a different space to online. While this should seem obvious, the two spaces blur as we see our friend’s lives, share pet posts and feel connected to the ‘real world’. But online is an opportunity to select platforms and edit, contemplate and create.

A brand does not have to be ‘real life’ that you present - however this process is also not about lying.

Marketing by nature is finding the best angle or light for a product to be seen through - so what if the product is you?

Before I launch into my ‘how to’ list, I again want to reiterate putting your ‘best Louboutin foot forward’ is different to mis-representation. I hired a fire breather for a gig four years ago and when she arrived she straight up said she ‘couldn’t do it anymore’. She had really never had this skill and simply lied, hoping perhaps the booker would not be on site for the event and her fire twirling would suffice.

People always ask me the difference between Porcelain Alice and Julia Rose - both are me, but one is better dressed, however when I arrive at work, I arrive as Alice (What they have seen online).

So my suggestion is this: shift the idea of ‘real me’ versus ‘online me’ to ‘everyday me’ versus ‘branded me’. Branded me is still ME, just the best possible bits.

It is also worth mentioning, this redaction of parts of yourself is an opportunity to ensure a level of privacy from the many peeping eyes online. Multiple people in the community of Sky Sirens, the adult industry, or with a public position use a ‘stripper name’ for this reason. It is a tool that assists in keeping the general public, fans or clients away from intimate reality.  

So with all this in mind here are my humble suggestions for building an online brand:

Name Yourself

Have that false name if you think you need it (Be guided by your work place, people doing similar work to you and your own personal history and gut feeling). Give that new name a personality behind it - The most popular images online are those that have people featured.

What’s the Talent?

Show off your skills and achievements, remember people often follow others to be inspired! What can you do thats impressive? (this is not showing off - its showing impressive angles of yourself).

Are you Unique?

Think about what you offer, is it unique? If not, don't worry - shift the question to how can you make it unique. Everyone is a different skill set. Can you package your set together uniquely?

Keep it Cohesive

People want to see a life that is not the same as their own, however the tricky bit comes with people being creatures of habit. Once your brand is recognisable, always reflect back to it before wildly posting everything in your day. Remember the online sphere gives you the opportunity to edit and exclude. Food bloggers rarely stray from dining, cooks, kitchens, food or ingredients. 

Keep in Linear

Try and stay true to real time or if looking to the past, be honest. There are multiple hashtags dedicated to memories, ‘Flashback Friday’ or ‘Throwback Thursday’. People seem to respond to current ‘reality’ over exclusively just memories so try to have both. Im not really sure why, but I know from personal experience I want to believe artists I follow currently offer something worth following. 

Keep your Dollars

Opulence is endlessly rewarded on and offline, however as always I do not recommend spending lots of money just to appear fancy online. I often joke, “we should aim for more money in the bank then Instagram followers”. In saying this, branding implies a product being shared or sold and of course investment into a product can be required. My suggestion therefore is pay for classes that build the talents you offer rather than purchasing fake followers. If you are not convinced and want one thing that directly assists your online look - let it be lighting that you invest in. 

So with all this in mind you are armed now with knowledge that guides you hopefully through two things. The first is how to begin to create an online brand, however the second (and more important element of this knowledge) is that when you see someone else online you can (and should) admire their style, talent or lighting but know not to compare yourself, because they are, like you, only showing their best angle.