October is self-promotion month, so it’s time to bring on the brag! Go ahead, start screaming about your successes, aggressively pushing your services and tooting your horn. Talk about yourself non-stop, grab the mic at your cousin’s wedding to plug your web site, and chase down a neighbor to tell her about your latest award. Don’t take “no” for an answer – this is your month to focus on YOU!
Okay, reality check. It’s probably not a great idea to do any of these things in an attempt to celebrate self-promotion month, especially chasing down the little old lady that lives next door when she is trying to get her mail.
But you certainly can (and should) celebrate self-promotion month and promote yourself on a regular basis…in a better way, of course. In fact, one of the best ways to promote yourself is by getting the focus off you and concentrating on giving to others — “giving self-promotion,” as I like to call it.
Here are seven ideas to help you plug yourself through serving others…and they won’t kill any of your valued relationships in the process.
- Focus on writing blog posts that offer good, useable information to your readers. A good rule of thumb is that for every blog post you write that promotes something you’re working on, you should write at least three that have a primary goal of helping others.
- Speak at an industry event to share your knowledge, network with colleagues and work at establishing yourself as an expert. Be sure to stick around after your session to answer questions and provide individual input.
- Volunteer your time for a local or online organization that works for a cause you believe in, or join a charity event that excites you.
- Mentor an up-and-comer who is just getting her feet wet in the industry for nothing in return. It can be an informal or a structured arrangement, but the focus should be on helping the mentee move her business forward.
- Hold a free teleconference answering common questions posed in your industry, or provide a free report that can be downloaded from your web site.
- Promote someone else by blogging about him, retweeting his announcements, recommending him to others and supporting him in other ways.
- Create a way for others in your industry to connect and collaborate. It can be as simple as an email discussion group, or a more advanced online forum or free membership site. Organizing a local tweetup for industry professionals is also a great option.
Each of these activities focus on the benefit to others, not promoting yourself. And, provided you are undertaking these activities with a honorable motive and not just for the promotional benefits, they all have the potential to garner added publicity without you having to scream your name from the mountain top.
Of course, you shouldn’t hesitate to promote some of these activities yourself – writing and sending out a press release is a great way to help spread the word – but if done right, this type of “giving self-promotion” can speak for itself and promote you more effectively than you could ever do yourself.
What are you going to do this month to promote yourself? Is there a way to put the focus on the benefits to others?
Image credit: Alan Luckow
Alyssa GregoryAlyssa Gregory is a digital and content marketer, small business consultant, and the founder of the Small Business Bonfire — a social, educational and collaborative community for entrepreneurs.
