In order to get people to take note of your business--whether it's based around a product or service you are selling, or you yourself are the product--you have to constantly work on getting your brand name and image out there. With that in mind, below are 5 self-promotion tips to take your brand to the next level.
Always Remember That You Are The Brand
If you've been in design for any length of time, you've probably worked with a range of companies and are well aware of the significance of brand guidelines. Now that you're the brand, you need to think about how you advertise yourself in the same way. At the very least, you'll require your own logo design; a strong, instantly recognizable colour palette is another effective way to promote your brand identity.
However, you should consider your brand voice and what it says about your company. When speaking as your brand rather than your everyday self, it never hurts to amp up the positivity and enthusiasm; it may feel strange if you're typically more quiet and self-deprecating.
Be Personal
The current generation must absorb far more marketing than any previous generation and the more people are exposed to marketing, the more they despise it. If you want your personal brand to be taken seriously, you must go above and beyond the soulless "hey" and "thanks."
Social media is about sharing the tales of your friends, and people will respond better if you inject some of your own personality into it. Make your post funny if you're funny. Tell it if there's a crazy story behind it. Friends visit your profile on your behalf, so putting a little more of yourself into the content you post is critical. At the end of the day, people are attracted to things and brands that are unique, and since every single person is unique, injecting your own essence into what you do is crucial.
Collaborate When and Where You Can
If you can help someone spread or share something and it doesn't hurt you to do so, why not? The majority of the legwork done while building your presence and brand online will be done by you, but you can go much farther if you cultivate partnerships and strategic alliances with others on the same path.
These kinds of relationships might start as suggestions from users, requests to connect on Linkedin, or simply liking and sharing content from people also in your niche. You might have a content or a post idea that would benefit someone else, in which case you can always reach out and suggest a more explicit partnership or arrangement.
Be Authentic and Interact
People should feel as if they are gaining something out of engaging with your content. If they're interested enough in your work to leave a comment, make sure to respond--especially if they are praising you or congratulating you for something. Also, keep in mind that there are ways to streamline and automate your interactions if you don't have the time to be on top of every single interaction. Even better, take compliments and constructive criticism to heart. The best way to continue to work on your brand is to incorporate feedback.
Not only will you demonstrate to your audience that their viewpoint is valued, but engaging in debate and receiving constructive criticism can help you improve in everything you do. Check out, comment on, and share the work of any of your friends who do similar things. You never know when they'll repay the favour. If you see people in the niche whose work and/or content you like, or you think they might be a good strategic partner for future collaborations, reach out.
Be Diplomatic With Critics
Part of building your brand online inevitably involves dealing with critics and even trolls. It takes a long time to build a reputation, but only seconds to lose it. Always keep your cool with people you believe are being unfair to you or, worse, trying to get a rise out of you. Your followers and potential clients, and customers want to see that you are poised, collected, eloquent and will treat even those who are upset with or disagree with you fairly and with tact.
If you want to build a brand that is known for customer service, this is what you have to do. Also, don't be afraid to report people for threatening behaviour or language. You should always attempt to talk an irate customer who is complaining about your product or service down, but you don't have to tolerate outright abuse.
Conclusion
Building your brand takes time and effort. If you aren't a celebrity or someone with some kind of previous notoriety, then you are a nobody in a sea of nobodies. That is not meant to demoralize you but to motivate you. You can absolutely make your name and business recognized if you are willing to stay focused on your brand and brand image. Keep the above tips in mind and amplify your reach, build your brand and stand out in that sea.