There’s a lie a lot of us tell ourselves. It’s the lie of not being a good marketer.
There are a few things you can shift and actually choose your own adventure when marketing yourself.
- You will do what you actually like.
- How would you enjoy showing up online? What’s the most enjoyable thing for you to create? Start there. I love email newsletters, I like updating my website and blog posts are my jam. Those 3 are what I mainly focus on, with a little Instagram marketing thrown in on the side. Others I know I “need”, but don’t love. So for those, I just exist on and a few times a year, update, like LinkedIn and Facebook.
- Adding value can look a lot different for you than it does for me.
- Think about your favorite brands. How do you hear from them that you like so much? That’s a clue that it could also work for you.
Shift #1 – Your Mindset is key
- I’m not a marketer.
- I’m not good at this.
- I’m doing this all wrong.
- There’s no room for me.
- I’m too old to start doing this.
- This already exists.
- People don’t need to hear from me.
- Will anyone even care?
- What if I fail?
- The algorithm doesn’t like me.
Shift #2 – Plant your flag.
(And keep planting it)
But I don’t want to repel anyone.
Shift #3
Make sure your packaging matches your product.
Matching your packaging to your products may seem obvious for product based businesses, but for service based businesses, that means making sure your website, your photos, and ads match the level of services and actually spells out what exactly you offer. Has it been a while since you’ve even looked at your website?
Here’s a quick checklist of items for your website:
- SEO for Google – here are some examples of good SEO based on what people search for
- “business coach”, “corporate coaching”, “business coaching near me”, business coaching for _____” insert your ideal clients.
- “family lawyers near me”, family lawyers free consultation”, “best family lawyers”
- “financial coaching”, “financial coaching for women”, “financial coaching services”
- Can your audience figure out these in 7 seconds or less:
- Who you are
- What you offer
- How to contact you
After the above questions are answered, your audience will scroll to see if what you are showing and selling is resonating with them. If it is, they’ll feel like you are a good enough fit for them to want to click on your offer or take the next step in working with you – or not.
Don’t get so busy working in your business that you neglect your website.
How old are your business portraits and brand photos?
This should go without saying, but if you have old headshots on your website, then you need to update these asap. And yes, people will know they are outdated when you have any in person or online video contact with your clients. If your website or photos look outdated, what does that say about your business?
A good guide is if your photos online are more than 2 years old, chances are, they don’t reflect the person you are now. They don’t represent the energy you and your business are currently in. Not to mention were the market currently is. Photos aren’t merely pretty pictures, they are energy! How many times have you seen that one billboard of that one lawyer in your town that has had the same photo on their billboards for 5 or 10 years?
Remember: Stale energy online = stale feelings about your business
After doing this for almost 10 years, I’ve got lots to say on the subject of marketing yourself. I’d love to hear what you think and if you’d like to learn more!
If you’re ready to uplevel (or just update) your business portraits, and put a new energy out online, contact me here: https://melissaraelynnphotography.com/contact
Melissa is a San Antonio based Portrait photographer empowering people to step in front of the camera to help them flourish in life and business as they continue to evolve. https://melissaraelynnphotography.com/contact or send a direct email to hello@melissaraelynnphotography.com for more information!
