Promoting yourself online is a crucial part of pretty much any content marketing plan. To do that you need to be visible online. But the ability to shout about our achievements does not come naturally to many people.
Women in particular have been taught all their lives not to show off. Not to raise their hand too often in class. To be smaller and less visible. And introverts, who get their energy from being in small groups or alone, may struggle further.
But if you want to build a business, being visible online is part and parcel of that. How do you marry up the voice you have inside your head, encouraging you to stay in your box, and the big dreams you might have for what you do?
I hope some of these tips will help people who have that push and pull between wanting to hide away and wanting to be more visible online.
1. Focus on engagement and connection
You do not need to be on every single platform. When you’re writing a marketing plan, it’s tempting to just write a long list of platforms that you could be on, and try to build an audience on all of them.
But spraying promotional content all over the internet isn’t a great experience for your audience, and trying to create deep conversations on every platform is exhausting.
Instead, choose one or two channels and really focus on them. Remember that social media is social – it’s not just about you and what you are promoting. Talk to others, engage with their stories, leave comments, share what they are doing.
Connecting with others online is one of the biggest joys of social media and it makes it infinitely easier to spend time online when there are people who are excited to see you and who you are excited to see.
Once you’re comfortable on those channels, expand if you feel like you need to, but only add in another one or two channels.
2. Remember who you are trying to reach
A big fear for introverts is being judged by others. I know that I have a fair few people following me on Instagram who probably don’t ‘get’ what I’m doing on there.
If I kept them in mind when I was online, I would probably never show up the way I do!
Instead, I keep the people I am trying to reach in my head. The people who tell me that I’ve helped them in some way, or who haven’t yet found their way online and are seeking out support. The people who are starting their own business, or leaving their job to go freelance, and don’t know if it’s even possible to do things their own way.
Yes, the friend you went to school with might think you’re weird. But the people who you want to reach and who need what you’ve got to say won’t find you annoying. Speak to them with your content.
3. Find an accountability partner or mentor
I have a co-mentor and have also worked with a coach in the past. I also have some business buddies online who I can talk to if I get stuck.
This can help in a number of ways.
- Keeps you accountable: People who identify as Obligers particularly need this to make sure they keep on track
- Sparks ideas: Speaking to someone else (that you like and trust!) about what you’re doing almost always helps to spark additional ideas about how you can talk about something
- Acts as a sense check: If you’re not quite sure about something, having someone else to talk it through with can make a big difference
4. Tell your story and you’ll have to sell less
You do not need to shout to be heard above the noise online. You just need to tell your story in a way that brings people to you. Help people to see that you are their people. Give them a sense of belonging when they come across your content.
If people feel that you are the same as them, or that they would love to approach things from the same perspective as you, it makes sharing your paid work much easier.
5. Accept that the fear might always be there to some degree
But it does lessen with practice. Being an introvert and doing things your own way doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try new things. It doesn’t mean that you can’t push yourself outside of your comfort zone to find out if something works for you.
The first time I did a live video, I was terrified! Actually shaking a little bit. I had prepared a script, but still ended it not knowing what I had said.
Now I do them every week, and they still make me nervous. But I know that I can do them, and that the room around me won’t burn down for talking to a small group of people on camera for a while.
Every time I launch something, I get nervous. But I do it anyway. Because I know the fear is just one part of my brain trying to keep me safe. I also know in another part of my brain that I still am safe when I try something new.
6. Keep a long list of things to talk about
If I’m feeling unsure of what to post, I dither a lot, and most like won’t share anything at all.
Having clarity over the categories I talk about online, and regularly brainstorming ideas within those categories, helps me actually share online. I try to keep a super long list of ideas, and I refresh those ideas regularly.
This makes it easy to batch my content when I’m feeling super organised or just pick and choose the ideas I want to talk about in the moment. Having the ideas there and waiting takes away a whole level of stress, and makes it way easier for me to be visible online.
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