How Do I Market Myself?
I’m passionate about marketing. Why? Because take it as you will, marketing is a universal concept to all and everything we have created. Whether it’s how someone is perceived, when a business launches a product, what a company tweets, why a deal is finalized, marketing is a series of strategy choices that anyone can orchestrate and control. When it comes to you as a person, you really don’t need a complex marketing plan, selfie master plan, or an obtuse growth hack to market how you want to be seen. Sure, there are methods to the madness, especially if you have a budget on social media and other efforts, but money alone will not ‘define’ how you are observed and identified. Marketing yourself is an accumulation of the way you act, think, produce, and, above all else, live. I broke down how any given person is regarded by others, as well as themselves, with what I like to call “The 3 C’s of Marketing.” If you have ever studied any form of marketing, be it in a traditional classroom or (overpriced) online course, you’ll notice it’s important to give a title a simplistic and easy to recall name. Otherwise, you know… people don’t recall.
The following guidelines and points are my own personal opinions on the matter, and should be taken as such.
Create — With Consistency
Your work is THE most powerful marketing tool. Whether you want to believe it or not, this truth holds weight: people may brush aside what you say, but they will take notice to what you do.
You can talk all you want about what you’re going to do, what you want to create, where you are heading with your goals, but until you have tangible / visual proof, it’s all hearsay. We’re all guilty of this though, where we say we’ll do something only to wake up months later in our beds thinking “why haven’t I done this yet?” Procrastination loves popping into our minds ‘it’s okay, you’ll do it next time / later / on Friday.’ And then you don’t, once again. And procrastination wins, once more. If you are waiting for the right day or right time to do something, don’t. Just go. It really is one of the best pieces of advice that I’ve received and am now giving: trial and error is better than nothing at all. You can try launching your product, blog piece, educational webinar, whenever you want, truth be told. But that little voice in your head keeps finding its way in and whispering ‘not yet.’ Push it away. Do what you want to do now, then refine and polish it up along the way.
In addition, word of mouth is marketing’s best friend because it will never, ever leave its side. From the earliest days of human interaction to current day 2021, people talk. People share and relay information with one another. And, for lack of a better term, people gossip. Whether it’s positive or negative, we exchange new information to someone in our lives every single day. And take this how you will: people remember the little things about you, especially your consistency. If you write one article and never come around to another publication, people will forget. If you create one video, people will overlook your accomplishment. However, if you create what you enjoy with consistency, people WILL remember. And not only will they remember, but they will begin constructing their own image and branding of you. When you continue to repeatedly do something, people pay attention. Even if you don’t think they are because they might not be replying, commenting, giving you feedback, or even *Liking* your work, people build a mental conception and imagination of who you are. You market yourself by creating more, fine-tuning its quality, and leaving it to the world for more people to discover and spread the word about you.
Care — About Others
We need more niceness in the world, plain and simple. Generosity, courtesy, amiability, selflessness, and COMMON SENSE are not appreciated everywhere. Whether it’s a small action such as holding the door for someone or saying ‘good morning’ to a passing stranger, it’s almost wondrous to see many others dismiss little acts of kindness as snide, weak, or unorthodox. Large acts of kindness also see their fair share of disdain, wherein say you help a coworker with a huge project or favor without complaint, and they won’t even give back so much as a token of gratitude, or an effortless ‘thank you.’ This shouldn’t even have to be a topic of conversation, yet it is. How you approach strangers, work colleagues, friends, family, your online presence, and everyday life moments all add up to how you are marketing yourself, as well shaping your own self-perception.
Really, it’s quite uncomplicated: lend a helping hand. Being known as someone that’s good-hearted, charitable, sympathetic, generous, and compassionate will never hurt you, and will only furthermore market you as a well-intentioned human being. I’d rather be mentally pictured with any of those qualities rather than someone who just wants to do the bare minimum, brushes off others’ sincereness, and does what they can do avoid doing more for others. I promise that the miniscule things are what stick out in someone’s memory when it comes to how someone visualizes everything that makes up ‘You’. It’s vital to respond to everyone that reaches out to you and acknowledging them all. Why? Because everyone is worth your time. If you think otherwise, then that shallow cloak you’re wearing will never come off of you. We’re all busy. We all have things to do in our lives. Sure, others are more on a time crunch than others. However, no one is beneath you. Listening in to someone’s efforts, ideas, and/or their suggestions will go a long way to brand you as a person of interest and virtue, and not as someone who’s impassive, blasé, and couldn’t care less about another person’s voice.
Coach — Share Your Knowledge
No one understands everything. Hell, we still don’t have answers about some past historical events, religion, dreams, and life outside of Earth. No one is a self-proclaimed “know-it-all,” despite what their peers and/or fanatics may say about their wealth of expertise (looking at you, Elon). We all develop, grow, and learn more, each and every day. That piece of information you discovered today? There are thousands of others who have not known about it yet, but would like to. Don’t ever be afraid to spread your knowledge as it’s an asset that becomes unceasingly more valuable when you share it. We all have figures in our lives whom we admire, whether it’s a previous professor / teacher, a famous icon, a family member, or even one of our really good friends. We are designed to appreciate and admire. If you’re constantly judgmental about others’ works, that karma will only follow and find you in the right time, right place.
All of us have a skill or two or twelve that others do not. I like teaching others on fitness and workout exercises, building websites, how to utilize LinkedIn to its fullest potential, how to edit and make videos, and how to write well. What are you able to do? Even if it’s something that you may consider trivial, it is not. Cooking, as an example, is something most people would agree is a common self-sustaining trait that everyone SHOULD know. And yet, I’m not the best cook. I’m not terrible (according to myself), but I can acknowledge my faults and limited knowledge when I see some of my friends explain preparation methods, cooking styles, seasoning choices, combinations of foods, there’s so much that I don’t know, yet I’m open to learning about it. Teaching something to a person unlocks a deeper comprehension and cognizance of the subject matter, while also lures and enthralls a supportive group of people and produces opportunities for you. Sharing your knowledge, especially one that makes it a journey for you, makes others want to come along for the ride.
