What Message Would You Wear on a T-shirt?

Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com

I like T-shirts with slogans on them. If I see a display of shirts at a store or a kiosk, I do stop to check them out. I usually find at least a couple with slogans that I find funny or interesting. The T-shirts we choose to wear give the person who sees them an idea of who we are without our having to say a word.

I remember the ’70s as being a time when T-shirts with messages were very popular. Customers could go into a store and look through a book of transfers to select the message they wanted to convey. The customer also got to choose the size, color and style of shirt they wanted and the order was completed while he or she waited.

At least one of my friends was sent home from school for showing up wearing a shirt that the administration felt was offensive, but for the most part the slogans were fun. I remember a friend of mine who was very tough and thankfully always had my back used to wear a shirt that read, “You Toucha Da Shirt, I Breaka You Face.” At least you always knew where you stood with her.

My sister adopted a different approach when she went out wearing one that said, “Improve Your Image; Be Seen With Me.” (She really needed to work in her low self-esteem issues.) I used to have a T-shirt that explained the process involved in competing in what could prove to be a popular Olympic sport: the Aluminum Man Triathlon. It involved using beer cans for the three events: Open, Chug and Crush.

What do messages on T-shirts have to do with being a freelance writer? Let me explain. Every time you write a blog post that is going out on your blog or under your own name, you are sending out a message to the reader. Your comments on blogs and discussion forums and your tweets do the same.

The reader may not remember your name at first, but they will remember the message you conveyed. If you are going to put something out there on your own version of an online T-shirt, make sure it’s an accurate reflection of who you are and what you want the reader to remember about you.

Case in point: I still remember working at a summer fair about 30 years ago and seeing a man walk by wearing a T-shirt that read, “I’m So Horny the Crack of Dawn Looks Good.” I have no recollection of how old he was or what he looked like, but I do remember the shirt…..and the fact that he had his wife with him. I’m sure she was very proud of her man’s fashion sense….not.

If your goal is to use your online communication to attract potential clients, make sure they are remembering you for the right reasons. What message do you want your online T-shirt to say to people?