Market Yourself!

Hi there everyone,

Im quite new to the forum, so i thought id introduce myself and make a contribution. Its hard to find the 'different' ways to market yourself beyond paid advertising etc, so heres a few tips to keep yourself motivated and ways which you can market yourself, and your business. Enjoy


Live actively - Be active and involved outside your home or office. Make an appearance at networking events. Go out of your way to talk to people when you're in public venues. Do not forget that 75% of the jobs are never advertised and a similar portion of big clients only derive from relationship-building.


Concentrate on results when networking - When you visit networking events, go in with a goal on your mind. Sure, you should try to enjoy your conversations, but make it a mission to find the best lead or even a golden opportunity.

Exploit social media - Don't just have a name on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Ensure you post material that is interesting and not merely inane personal stuff. Use social media to strengthen your reputation by building on your own area of self-marketing expertise.

Make people feel important - When you are talking to someone, make him or her feel like the only person in the globe who matters to you at that moment. This will help you develop advocates, people you can count on when you require help.

Build your "Google trail" - Be assured, that people are Googling you on regularly. A potential client will likely Google you to know who they're dealing with before meeting with you. For this reason a Google trail is so important. If nothing or very little pops up when someone Google's you, there is a problem - they'll assume you don't have much happening. Therefore, Google your personal name regularly. In case you are not very visible online, deliberately get your name out there to build an Internet presence.

Ask probing questions - Don't just chit-chat and make small talk during networking conversations. Ask some questions designed to uncover the critical information which leads to new opportunities.

Refresh your elevator speech - Does your 20-second intro speech need updating? You have to be able to say what you do quickly, clearly and in a way that captures people's interest.
Pay attention to your customers and colleagues - Whenever we get too busy, it's simple to start making assumptions. Those assumptions can cause you to lose opportunities. Instead, ask the key questions and truly listen to the responses. Don't just go through the motions. Allow the other person's words sink in and make an impression in your brain.

Never let up - When things are good, don't let complacency prevent you from perpetually marketing yourself. When things are going poorly, don't let discouragement be an excuse for apathy.