
Social media self-promotion in your business is vital… and awkward. It’s not uncommon to feel embarrassed about it, especially if you have a small dose of imposter syndrome. But at My Pocket Partner, we always encourage our clients to put themselves out there and create their own content. It not only helps you gain confidence in the work that you are doing, but allows the whole world to revel in your genius.
For many, as children, we are told to “be humble” or “not to brag” with this caution that as we get old, we will be perceived as “cocky” or “entitled” for sharing our success stories. In reality, this is an over-generalization and it’s important to be your own biggest cheerleader. Low self-esteem can have dire consequences in personal relationships, professional mobility, and financial effects. But low self-esteem in business can lead you to missing out on opportunities.
No worries though! You’re not alone. We’ll walk you through the first steps of overcoming this fear and the more you do you, the easier it will get. It takes time, but we guarantee that self promotion will make all the difference.
Change your perspective
This idea of appearing overly confident and not competent enough is a huge catalyst for shying away from self-promotion. Like any habit, it takes time to change this idea that has been drilled in our heads for years. Start by standing in front of the mirror and saying positive affirmations about yourself. Wear a favorite outfit that makes you feel at most confident. When you see yourself looking like a boss, you may feel much more willing to accept yourself as the boss.
Acknowledge your self-promotion insecurities
Understanding why you feel a certain way will certainly help in getting over this fear. Talk about it with a close friend, talk to a coach, or write your journal. Giving yourself the space to honor these fears will allow you to move forward. After all, these are your stories and your feelings are valid.
Show off your passion
When you’re showing off something you’re excited about, you are in the zone. No one can take you out of this. In fact, people gravitate towards your knowledge and your motivation to succeed – especially your inner circle. They want to see you excited. They want to see you succeed and so you must show off your own skills! They will be your second biggest cheerleaders (after yourself, of course)
Remember that you’re not for everyone
Unfortunately, this is true at any age. Your content will not be for everyone and that’s okay! The wonderful part about not trying to appeal to everyone is that you can relate to many other people. They may not be your inner circle, but they will certainly help encourage you on a daily basis.
Now that we’ve told you how to begin overcoming your fear of self-promotion, let’s see how many you can accomplish!
21 Day Challenge: Overcoming Fear of Self-Promotion
- Day 1: Stand in front of the mirror for 5 minutes and say all the wonderful things you love about yourself. In time, say these affirmations louder and with more gusto!
- Day 2: Wear your favorite outfit that makes you feel like a boss – no matter the occasion. We’re sure you’ll feel just as great as you look!
- Day 3: Make a collage of the accomplishments you’re most proud of. How did they make you feel?
- Day 4: Journaling your journey will help see your progress through.
- Day 5: Do a SWOT analysis to create your self-promotion plan! Brainstorm your Strengths, Weaknesses, Obstacles, and Threats. This can not only help hold you accountable, but remind yourself that you do have strengths to help battle the other three categories!
- Day 6: Create a vision board of the accomplishments you would like to do.
- Day 7: Write a list of why you fear self-promotion. On the other side, write out a plan of how you will overcome these. The more specific you are, the more it will help you!
- Day 8: Leave you a voicemail to yourself. Talk about the journey you’ve been on. Keep it positive! Later on, listen to it again. You’ll be reminded how far you’ve gone.
- Day 9: List out your core values. What qualities do you treasure most in this world and which can you improve upon? This can help you create your very own personal statement and goal.
- Day 10: Meditate for 15 minutes. Take this time for yourself.
- Day 11: Focus on your values as opposed to your sales. For business owners, while you may want to drum up more business, remind yourself that this is for the long run. Find your core values, stick to them, and people will show up.
- Day 12: Do an act of kindness. Try not to get caught! Why? Because self-promotion isn’t always something flashy. It’s something to remind yourself and others that you’re doing a good job and whatever you’re doing. An act of unspoken kindness is exactly that.
- Day 13: Fix up your resume. Write about all the tasks that you’ve done. Try your best to show the impact you’ve made through numbers and statistics. Feel free to make yourself sound realistically flashy!
- Day 14: Take a series of selfies and don’t worry about showing these to others. Make silly faces, do a funny pose, anything to get you out of your shell. You can delete these all afterwards. Just make sure you’re stretching your limits!
- Day 15: Grab lunch with a confidant and share your journey with them. They will surely ask provocative questions that will have you dreaming (and planning) possibilities all day long!
- Day 16: Take pictures of your professional work – whether it be your co-workers (ask permission first!), your work desk, or your latest project, just snap away! Then, choose one to post on social media. It’s surprising how much people want to see where and how you work!
- Day 17: Record an introduction video. Explain who you are and why you are passionate about _______. If you feel comfortable, post it on your social media!
- Day 18: Reach out to people you know. Share your work with them and ask for feedback. Remember, they have your best interest at heart and so you have to be strong to also receive critique and improve your work.
- Day 19: Reach out to someone you admire in your field! Introduce yourself and offer to have coffee, talk, or simply gush about the work they are doing. They may not respond, but hey! You’ve put yourself out there first!
- Day 20: On your personal social media, tell your inner circle what you’re up to, your goals, and what you expect to accomplish. If you can take pictures of your work in progress, even better!
- Day 21: Offer to help someone you know. Promote the work of others. When you help others, they are more willing to help you back. Self-promotion is not just one-way street. You need your cheerleaders to know you are there for them. Respond by showing them the favor back.
Still worried? My Pocket Partner wants to make it easier for you by taking on your workload so you can get back to growing your business. If you have more questions on what we can help your business, email us at mypocketpartner@gmail.com for customized solutions.
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Meet Mae
I am the founder and very first Pocket Partner. In the midst of all the data-driven algorithms and analytics involved in small business and digital marketing, I am an artist and storyteller...read more
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