I am an introvert and learning how to market myself and my business was one of the most challenging things I’ve done so far.
Here is what used to make me uncomfortable:
- Public speaking
- Speaking about myself and my accomplishments
- Talking about why my business is amazing
- Going on live videos
- Getting my photo taken
- Networking
- Communicating verbally (I am much better at writing than speaking)
Showing up online not only drained me, but it also made me feel really insecure.
On top of that, I also struggled with a major case of impostor syndrome as my business began to flourish.
But I got through it… and here is what I have learned.
Marketing tips for introverts
- Being an introvert makes my business more successful! Why? Because I do a lot of listening. I listen to my clients and audience and I make sure that I provide them EXACTLY what they need. So listen to your audience, implement what they need, and this will set you apart from the rest!
- Deciding what success meant for me. I would often compare myself to influencers and Instagram accounts that had “viral” content and tens of thousands of followers. I realized that I had VERY little in common with these people/accounts and I realized that comparing myself to them made NO sense. I needed to determine my own way to measure success.
I now determine my success by:- My revenue – I am building a stable, long-term business that can financially provide for my family, allows me to hire staff, and expand and grow. The numbers matter to me – but not influencer numbers, income numbers.
- The clients I serve. I provide a direct service – our websites and branding packages make a significant impact in the businesses we work with. I measure my success by the quality of our work and the impact it has on other businesses.
- Staying true to yourself. I am a nerd, I like start trek, technology, and learning (a lot). For so long I wanted to be the “cool kid” but what I realized is that trying to market my business in a way that wasn’t authentic to me was actually putting a halt to my success. When I stepped into myself and began to show my audience and clients who I am things changes significantly. I began to gain their trust, increase my authority in my field, and really connected with my clients and following. So stay true to yourself, it’s so important!
- Doing the HARD work. I knew that as an introvert I would NEED to work on my communication skills and sales skills. This part of growing sucked. I would practice speaking in a mirror. And then to my husband. And then on recorded video. And then on LIVE videos and webinars. This didn’t happen overnight but within a month of constantly working on my communication, I saw a massive improvement in my ability to speak and share my thoughts. I now work on my communication daily and feel much more confident in how I show up to my audience.
- I also read a book on sales called To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink it gave me a fresh perspective on sales and really changed my mindset around “selling”.
- I also read a book on sales called To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink it gave me a fresh perspective on sales and really changed my mindset around “selling”.
- Get help from a few selected individuals. I don’t have a large circle – I prefer to stick to myself and my select few. Part of my small crew is my mentor and my marketing team.
Yes, I hired a company to do my marketing – but this wasn’t until I worked on all of the above. Without doing the above-mentioned work, I wouldn’t have had the revenue to be able to hire out my social media and marketing. I did this because it allowed me to focus on my strengths (website design) – and my team could focus their attention specifically on my marketing.
So if you are an introvert and if you find marketing and sales hard, I get it, I was there too. Just keep on going and keep on practicing!
- Laurel, Owner LB Media