If you want to stand out online, think quirks (not mistakes)

In case you weren’t aware, we in England have local elections coming up on 7^th May.  These are thrilling times indeed.

I don’t do queues (or churches, or empty schools) unless I absolutely have to, so I vote by post.  My voting pack was delivered yesterday.  On opening it, I rolled up my mental sleeves and researched each of the candidates, their parties, and their manifestos.

If that sounds like dull task, let me assure you: it was.

What stood out to me most was how smooth and impersonal everyone was.  How vague and bland and outwardly polished their promises were.  Until I got to this little manifesto nugget, that is.

I’m not going to tell you which party’s manifesto this oddball snippet is from, so there.

Those words stood out like a glowing orange beacon in a sea of beige.  Whatever you think about them, they’re real and they’re quirky, which in turn makes them memorable.

I keep reading about people making intentional mistakes in their writing, just so readers will distinguish it from AI-generated wordage.

I find this deeply worrying.  Why should we lower our standards in such a deliberate way?  Why run the risk of readers thinking we’re just a bit sloppy, or that we can’t spell?

(I once wrote about the Persian Flaw, which is a legend involving ancient Persian rug-makers.  They wove an intentional flaw into each carpet they made, as a reminder that only God is capable of perfection.

These days we could easily substitute ‘God’ for ‘AI’, which is also acknowledged by the artist Grayson Perry in his recent AI-focused documentary, Grayson Perry Has Seen The Future. It’s an interesting – if slightly terrifying – watch).

Long before AI swaggered onto the scene, people have used intentional mistakes as a way to get attention.  But times have changed.

Quirks are a much more effective way to make yourself memorable online.  Not only are they much more fun, but you also get to keep your exacting human standards and meticulous attention to detail.  We need those things, perhaps more than we ever have.

What do I mean by “quirks”?  Fun facts.  Personal snippets.  Mental ‘hooks’ that make you memorable.

For example, my website’s home page lists ‘a few light-hearted facts about me’.  I originally wanted these to be conversational ice-breakers for people emailing about my writing services.  (They were: I once had a fascinating email conversation with a Russian university professor about the origin of ‘War and Peace’).  Now, they help me stand out in an avalanche of slop.

It’s not just me, though, and it’s not just now.  Quirks have worked for years.  There’s an illuminating tale about the singer Cliff Richard, who originally started his career with the surname ‘Richards’ until his manager told him to drop the ‘s’.  “People will call you ‘Richards’ all the time, and when they do, you’ll have to correct them,” he said.  “That will make them remember.”

I can help you find the quirks in your personality – or your business – and maximise them in writing.  It’ll be a fun and creative thing for us to do together, and you’ll be way more memorable as a result.  Let’s talk!