No matter what kind of business you own, you most likely understand that an online presence is necessary. Your website, Google Business profile, and social media accounts are all part of your marketing efforts to engage with potential clients and attract them to your business.
Even if Content Marketing is not your primary marketing strategy, you have to put out some content just to participate in those online spaces. This is where I start to hear a pretty common complaint from entrepreneurs, “I hate talking about myself. What am I supposed to share on social media and my website without making it all about me?”
Perspective Shift: Talk About Your Passion Instead of Yourself
If you’re an entrepreneur or business owner, then you most likely have a passion and expertise for your industry. Something drove you to start your business. Maybe you saw things being done in your industry and wanted to improve it. Maybe you just loved helping people with your gift.
The thing is - you have a passion about something. Write about that. That’s your solution.
When you talk about your industry, sharing what you’ve learned and your experiences, it takes the spotlight off you. Rather than just trying to make yourself look good, you are actually try to share something helpful with others.
It becomes less of sharing about yourself and more of sharing what’s in your head and heart. That’s going to come more naturally for many of you.
Perspective Shift: Talking About Yourself Benefits Your Clients
Most small business owners who hate talking about themselves are turned off by the notion of sounding proud. They don’t want to brag about their brilliance or problem-solving skills. Some of them may be suffering from what we call Imposter Syndrome, which is the false belief that one isn’t really qualified for what they are doing. If they draw attention to themselves, others might find out that they are a fraud.
While humility is a useful trait in business ownership - it motivates you to always look for ways to learn and improve - it needs to be combined with a healthy dose of confidence rooted in objective facts. The objective facts are that you are qualified to own your business, you do have the skills and intelligence to be paid for what you do, and you have something of value to share in the marketplace.
It’s not bragging to highlight your own expertise. It’s sharing something of value to an audience that wants to hear from you. Once you shift your perspective from “talking about myself” to “helping my customers,” sharing more about yourself online becomes an act of customer service. It’s still marketing, but by giving away something of yourself, you are giving more value to your potential customers.
Because of all the noise online today, customers are actively seeking deeper relationships with the businesses trying to earn their money. They want to know what makes you passionate about your business. They care about your story, your background, and your values. They want more than a transaction in their purchases; they want a mutually invested relationship.
When you think about it, we are kind of coming full circle on pre-industrial ways of doing business. Before industrialization, people could only do business with their neighbors. Business was built on trust and relationship. The industrial and technological revolutions, plus globalization, de-personalized commerce. But that’s all changing. Local, small businesses are on the rise again because people simply want to work with and buy from people they know, like, and trust. Talking about yourself is the modern way of doing business, and I think it’s a positive shift in our culture.
What are the Best Content Marketing Topics?
Even if I have convinced you that you absolutely have valuable content to share with your audience, I don’t expect you to suddenly open the floodgates of self-promotion. There are many ways to highlight your story and expertise within your current comfort level. As you become more familiar with creating content, you will naturally become more confident in what you’re willing to share.
For those who are truly uncomfortable with any content creation, or simply don’t have time to do it, consider outsourcing it to a professional. You only have to share your thoughts and ideas with one person, and they will create something valuable for your audience. Marketing professionals and content writers can produce social media posts, videos, blogs, articles, and even ebooks.
If, however, you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone a bit and start letting your audience see a bit more of yourself, you don’t have to immediately bare your soul. Start by sharing what you know rather than who you are. Whatever passion and education drove you to start your business is a vault of shareable information:
Explain industry terms, history, or improvements.
Offer an explanation or critique of recent industry news or regulatory chatter.
Discuss an advancement or development in your field and how it has changed the way business is done.
Recall a client or networking conversation and how you were able to offer insight based on your experience.
With this type of content, you are sharing about yourself, but indirectly. I refer to this as Serving over Selling. You are offering your audience a glimpse into your values, knowledge, and motivations that helps them develop that relationship they are seeking. You are also serving them with valuable content that will help them learn more about the products and services they are researching so that they can make informed decisions. They will recognize your commitment to service and see you as a trusted professional who has earned their business.
As you build your audience and customer base, your confidence will grow. Before you know it, that story of what got you started in business will be something you’re actually looking forward to sharing!
No matter how comfortable you get talking about yourself or sharing your expertise, the task of content creation isn’t for everyone. Whether you need to ease into the process, don’t have time to write your content, or you need a professional to clean up and format your brainstorms, we can help! Book your free discovery call for an initial free consultation to explore your content marketing needs.