Why it’s So Hard to Market Yourself
It can feel imtimidating to market yourself if you are new to it. This is especially true when we associate it with such negative connotations.
When your friend finds out you needed help with something, but you did not ask them, the first thing they say is “you should have told/asked me”. The common response is, “I didn’t want to bother anybody”.
Remember that time you felt like you should say something to someone, but you hesitated and never said it for fear of bothering them? People…we…I often operate with the notion that we do not want to inconvenience people or bother them.
Yes, it is true that people generally have lots of responsibilities and are preoccupied with however they choose to spend their time. Nonetheless, you would be surprised at how the right people will actually welcome you to bother them in some way.
No Marketing, No Money
If, like me, you are in business or market anything, it is important that you take this positive viewpoint and run with it. Your goals and the success of your ventures rely on the fact that you must interact with people. Ultimately, you have to bother people to make a buck
Before I started blogging and having my own business, I was definitely the type to fly under the radar. Like many people, I also had a negative connotation of the word bother and just didn’t want to be “that person”. You all know that person.
My own anxieties convinced me that I shouldn’t draw any attention to what I was doing. Honestly, this was largely due to fear of failing. I thought, if I put myself out there too much and fail, then everyone will see. While this may be true, I realized I cannot let that fear and anxiety stop me from even trying.
Everyone is Marketing Something
Let’s look at it this way. If you have ever spent any time on social media, in a crowd of people, or even a normal conversation, you have witnessed people putting themselves out there through sharing.
Person A shares about the new face serum she just tried that works wonders. Then, Person B shares that he just tried a new restaurant and it was banging. Next, Person C shares that her kids got on her nerves all day today. Person D shares that he just started working as a virtual assistant and is looking for new clients.
What do all these people have in common? It is simple; they all chose to share something with people. As an observer/listener of each person, what are your options? It is again simple; you either choose to engage or not. It literally all boils down to a choice. We have the freedom to choose to share and we have the freedom to choose how we respond to what others share.
The striking truth is that everybody is sharing something, rather or not they own a business.
Why You Should Market Yourself
Who says you can’t talk about what is important to you and market yourself? Or are you still stuck on not bothering people??? There are countless negative words associated with the word bother (i.e. inconvenience, worry, disturb).
However, according to Oxford English Dictionary, there is one very positive synonym of the word that stands out to me: Effort. That made me see the word “bother” in a completely different light. In theory, to “bother” someone is simply making the effort to share. I am here for that and you should be too!
I’ve learned the hard lesson that I cannot be afraid to promote myself, my business, ventures, ideas, etc. I have learned that an invisible business has zero profit. Everybody is promoting what they want, rather it be ideas, memes, products, their business, etc.
How to Put Yourself Out There
I realized I have to put myself out there and promote what I want as well. If you have something important to you that you also want to share, you have to do it! This is the only way people will be aware of what you do.
Over the course of the past year, I have had numerous people contact me to encourage me in my latest ventures.
People have noticed my growth as I share more. People are now asking me how to do what I do and get more visibility for their own ventures (i.e. blog, Instagram account, etc). Of course, my first piece of advice to them is just share!
Tell the world what you are doing. Talk to everybody about it. Bother (make the effort to share with) everyone! Recently, another blogger asked me how I was getting through these quarantine days with kids at home. I boldly sent her the link to my recent blog post sharing the details of my new daily schedule. She may or may not read it, but I did something that in the past I have been hesitant to do.
I simply answered her question and put myself out there at the same time. Yes, I am patting myself on the back!
Grab Your Free Guide to Marketing Yourself
As a result of others asking me how to get started with blogging and using social media to market themselves or their business, I have created a freebie detailing 10 things I did to increase my own visibility and put myself out there. You can download it here:
Share this with a friend that is new to blogging or a friend that wants to use social media to promote her business.
The key for all of us is to just share away..market yourself! You never know who may need what you have to offer. You never know who may be encouraged by what you share. Every one of us has something to offer the world (ever heard of Purpose?!) and it is up to us to live up to that purpose. I can tell you now, being silent and shrinking back is not the answer. Take it from the former shrink back Queen (insert major face palm)!
Your Turn
Comment below and let me know what you are going to start marketing!
Follow me on Instagram! @greatlifeisamust
Disclosure: I love sharing my fav things with you all. So, this page may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn some money when you click on one. Read the full disclaimer here
Leave a Reply