What is the best way to promote your business? More on that in a sec.
First a share, and I promise, they are connected.
The thing is, I’m exhausted.
We just came off a long weekend spent getting our house back in order-ish after a huge renovation project. We have a deadline looming over our heads because my daughter asked to have a pool party at the house for her birthday. And in a moment of weakness, I said, “yes.”
And it is coming up soon. This will be the first time since moving into our new house we will be hosting an event here.
And I am freaking out a bit.
Let’s just say I wasn’t the ideal mother and wife of grace, patience, and kindness as this project started and I may have thrown away as much of their stuff from storage as I could when any one of them would turn around.
And I may have had a nervous breakdown over a coffee pumper pot lid I couldn’t open. And that was not the only breakdown of the weekend.
If I am honest with myself, my trepidation was based in fear. And is absurd.
Broken down into the two main fears:
- Fear: I am scared if we will be ready in time.
- Reality: Of course we will. Thankfully I am blessed with resources and I can hire more help to get us ready as needed. The party is more than a month away and there’s still time to bring in help.
- I am scared as to what people will think.
- Reality: I mean, these are our closest friends and family who I love dearly and love me back and know where the bodies are buried, and still love me anyway, so of course they will love everything at the house. And for my daughter’s other school friends who will be invited, they are 7 years old and just want a pool to swim in and sugar to consume, so I am sure they will love it all.
When analyzed with intelligence versus emotional crazy-pants, my fears are irrational. They are cockamamie. They caused me much stress, anger, and anxiety, yet they are not really based in reality.
Thankfully I snapped to it before the weekend was over and actually started to enjoy unpacking boxes, celebrating the memories contained in them, and thanked God for the blessing of having this house and the opportunity to host friends and family.
But these feelings of insecurity aren’t isolated to personal and home. Many experience this same thing when it comes to business. And it is holding them back from reaching more people who will benefit from working with them.
Putting Yourself Out There
Before bed one night, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a friend’s post, “putting himself out there” to the world.
Kevin had been speaking publicly for a long time, and he is finally ready to say, “Hey, I am good at this. You should hire me to speak more.”
That took a lot of guts and I am proud of him for taking the leap. (P.S. If you want a positive speaker on “Turning Positivity into Profits” contact Kevin at http://thepositivityguru.com.)
Interestingly, the first comment Kevin got could bring up a lot of fear…
It was that same fear of the “what will people think if I put myself out there” that stopped me from doing it for a long time. Although he really didn’t owe Caroline an explanation, I thought Kevin’s answer was perfect. And guess what he got in response?
Applause and support.
The thing is, putting yourself out there is scary. Stepping out from the crowd makes you get noticed. It gives people something to talk about.
And that’s the point… while putting yourself out there opens yourself up to be critiqued, putting yourself out there is the only way to stand out from a crowd and get noticed and achieve your goals.
If you want to stand out from your competition so you can be noticed by those who have a need for what you are selling, you HAVE to step out. The reality is, there are a bazillion (officially) people out there doing what you do. Your unique persona is what makes you different.
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Going for It
Take one of our Marketing Insider Elite Members, Demi Stevens, for example. Demi was a librarian in a small town for years. It was while she was a librarian that she ran a writer’s workshop and helped three dozen aspiring authors become published. She realized she was on to something but would have to spread her wings to fly. She would have to own her expertise of helping others get published and put herself out there as the authority.
This wasn’t an easy feat. And she could have given up many times.
But she pushed through and now runs a 6-figure business, Year of the Book, that only has one employee—her.
It was worth pushing through the fear. Not only for her but for the dozens upon dozens of people she guides into being published each year.
But the fear of being in the spotlight isn’t just for those starting out.
Professionals with established companies struggle with this, too. Should they make their face the face of the business or hide behind a logo?
The answer to this one is complex, yet simple.
Ask yourself… When is the last time you wanted to talk to a logo?
One of our private clients Miramontes Capital has leveraged the story of its founder to attract new clients and obtain more referrals. Sid puts himself out there as the expert and authority and leverages his personality to stand out from his competitors.
Now, Sid isn’t just an advisor. He is The Expert.
How do you push through the fear so you can get started?
Make a list of 12 questions you are asked frequently when people find out what you do for a living or that you hear in a prospect meeting. Then write 12 Facebook Posts where you list out the questions and then the answers. Next week I’ll share a simple formula for advertising these posts to reach more people. For now, just get comfortable with sharing content as the expert.
Post these three times per week and you’ll have a month’s worth of expert posts as a way to get started.
And next week I will share how to use these posts with an easy-peasy yet very effective Facebook strategy.
Let me know what you think in the comment section.
If you’re ready to get out there and start attracting more of your ideal prospects and turning them into sales make sure to check out our newest offering (SAVE 75% now by clicking here)
After listing the 12 questions & answers, when does one start posting 3 per week – starting now or after you share the ‘easy-peasy’ Facebook strategy next week?
I like the ‘fear’ analogy.
Sounds like your daughter’s party is going to be a blast! (I’m a magician & pool party sounds fun.)
Great question Mark! Start right away to get used to the positioning of yourself as the Expert. Next week’s strategy is about how to advertise the posts, but you can start with this content this week.
How can I use Facebook to promote my service when my business service is a commercial contracting service that is bought by only specific departments/Department Managers within a company? In other words, how can I advertise to people who only work a specific job within a company?
Yes, Brian! You can advertise to a specific job title using Facebook’s advertising Ad Platform.
This is exactly the push I needed Kim. Thank you!
Yes I think its really a great idea to write down these and start posting 3 times a week for Facebook promotion as it is very effective to reach the clients .Thanks for sharing these .
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I hope you continue to have such quality articles to share with everyone! I believe a lot of people will be surprised to read this article!