Getting comfortable with self promotion

jordylucas3

Jul 24, 2018

Self-promotion: a concept so many people feel uncomfortable with.

Simply, people don’t like marketing themselves. We exist in a culture of rampant tall poppy syndrome so it's no wonder it's an icky subject for many.

Unfortunately, self-promotion is unavoidable if you choose a career in freelancing or running your own business.

If you don't market yourself, who will?!

Here's a few tips on nailing your business plug, without feeling like a douche bag.

Figure Out Where Your Fear Comes From

Take a look within to begin with, using time for self reflection to work out where your fear is coming from. What is it about promoting yourself that you don’t like? Some people don’t like the idea that they might be rejected. They may even feel like an imposter, or vulnerable, or even that people will think they are full of themselves and not like them!

Once you know where your fear is coming from, it’s easier to obliterate it as you realize that it’s just in your head.

And if you're worried about judgement?

I live by this motto:

Those who matter won't mind, those that mind, don't matter.

Be yourself & believe in your business!

When you believe in yourself and your business, magical things do begin to happen. People can tell in the way that you speak, and the words will come naturally. That is what will help you to get sales. You also shouldn’t try to be anybody else. Don’t make yourself sound like a script, or say things that you think you should say. Anything that doesn’t feel right to you should be avoided.

Engage With Your Audience Online

Engaging with your audience online is essential - but don’t put off engaging in person, too. Make sure you demonstrate actual value with the content that you post, thinking of your audience and what they might like to see, rather than thinking about how you can sell yourself to them.

Building a high quality website can cost thousands, but is worth it if you’re looking for a way to promote yourself 24/7. You can look at how to get a loan with bad credit if you don’t currently how the cash for a site, but you need to be careful as business loans and credit can really add up. It’ll be best to figure out what else you need cash for first.

There are also lot's of cheaper, crash courses for building sites with Wordpress and other platforms.

Remember, your website and social media channels will often be the first encounter a potential customer has with your business, make it a memorable one!

Tell Them Why You Want To Work With Them

Get passionate and tell a person or business why you really want to work with them. What is it about them that makes you think you’d make a great team? Be transparent, as they will know if you pull the wool over their eyes. By expressing your true, passionate desire to work for them, for reasons beyond money, you’ll usually find that you land clients. It won’t feel awkward, either, it’ll feel great! Say why you know you’d be a great match for them. Stick to the following rules:

Be transparent
Be yourself
Say what’s in your heart

People will usually know if you're being truthful, and passion is always attractive.

Practise in front of the camera!

I'll admit, even with my background in acting, talking to camera for Instagram and Youtube did not come naturally to me in the beginning. I felt uncomfortable, weird and pressured to get it right the first time.

The key to overcoming this is practise! Here are my top tips for getting used to chatting to camera:

Draft a little script with key information you want to share
Schedule time to film so you don't feel pressure to get it right straight away
Let your personality shine through! No one expects you to be perfect. In fact, imperfection is endearing and shows you don't take yourself too seriously!
Try to have fun and BREATHE!