Most parents tell their kids that it's uncouth to brag. However, when it comes to designing marketing and branding strategies, a moderate indulgence in self-promotion isn't entirely a bad idea.
While there are no one-size-fits-all rules, we've found out four that work in most scenarios:
1. Build a great product or service, and let your customers do all the talking.
Great brands are driven by customers and their experiences. Word-of-mouth marketing is still the most powerful medium to establish trust with both existing and new customers. If your product or service is better than your competitors', you can rest assured your customers will talk about it more than you'll ever have to. Quality is still the best marketing plan.
2. Share helpful information about your industry and market trends.
The ickiest thing about self-promotion is that it's often pushy. Any kind of look-at-me approach is a huge turnoff for most people. It's a good idea to share the latest information about what's happening within your industry, how the market is doing, and where it's headed. Doing so develops an authentic bond between your audience and your brand. Remember that people don't always visit your page to buy something; sometimes they want to learn something as well. Give them plenty of learning materials.
3. Interact with your customers.
Everyone's within a tweet reach these days. Elon Musk responds directly to people on Twitter. If he can find time from his insanely long work hours to individually respond to customers, you sure can. Having a chat with customers is a great way to understand the specifics of their expectations and recognize upsell as well as cross-sell opportunities. Besides, customers across cultures want to talk to an authentic person they know they can trust. It brings us to our next and last point.
4. Be an authentic storyteller.
In a world where falsehoods and fabrications travel faster than light, being able to tell a compelling story-one that resonates with many is a revolution unto itself. Storytelling is one of those enduring pillars of brand resonance that only an authentic person can evoke. A storyteller knows what to say, how much to say, and when to say it. They know that the best way to promote is to weave emotions around their brand while reflecting on the journey of those that helped in building and sustaining it.
Do you have a suggestion about how to do self-promotion more engagingly? We'd love to hear from you.
