There are a number of reasons you might want to market yourself online. If you’re establishing a business, building yourself as an influencer, presenting yourself as an authority figure or you just want to get more followers on your social media platforms – all common reasons to get more attention online.
So, how do you market yourself online? Either a freelancer or to build up your personal brand – check out our 6 top tips.
1. Write on your blog
Having your own blog is always a good way to build your brand. The trick to marketing yourself with a blog is being consistent and focusing on your niche. This way you can build authority in whatever sector you’re aiming to highlight yourself.
2. Create a podcast
Right now, podcasts are big. And having your own podcast is a brilliant way to get your brand seen and to market yourself online. Again, focus on a niche and be consistent. OK, you might not be reaching Joe Rogan levels of recognition anytime soon, but by having a regular podcast you can certainly build an audience.
3. Have a YouTube channel
The term ‘YouTuber’ is loaded, but it is still a great way to get your message out and build a personal brand online. You can also tie your YouTube channel to a podcast. Of course, managing a YouTube channel is a lot more time consuming than writing a blog- but it can have great rewards if you’re looking to build your personal branding.
4. Write on other sites
There are a number of blogging platforms that will allow you to get your message out there, and can even act as your personal blog. An example of these sites is Medium. But you can also use sites like Blogger, Linkedin or HubPages to create a personally branded blog.
5. Be active on social media
Let’s face it, if you’re looking to build a profile online, you need to be using social media. Instagram and Facebook are two of the most popular ways to market yourself online. But increasingly TikTok is being seen as an essential channel too. Depending on what your aims are, you might also want to use Linkedin (professional network building) or Twitter (niche audiences) or even Reddit.
If you need a boost, it can also be useful to run ads on one of the major social media platforms. Choosing between Facebook Ads vs Instagram ads might be your biggest challenge though.
6. Appear at real life events
One of the best ways to market yourself online is, funnily enough, appearing at real life events. Being a guest speaker, taking part in competition, being a judge or other live events can be very effective. Obviously it depends on your niche, but look at people like Logan Paul. You don’t need to become a boxer to promote your YouTube channel, but you can understand how that buzz has helped his personal brand.
7. Become a thought leader
Thought leadership is part of a broader strategy which encompasses all of these channels. It basically positions you as an expert in a specific field, as you are sharing your thoughts and expertise everywhere from your own channels (blog, socials, etc) to more specific industry platforms such as webinars, events and other real world happenings.
Linkedin serves as a great place to share your expertise, whatever your industry. Check out Justin Welsh’s Linkedin OS for a great course on building your presence on this professional social platform.
Some final tips
Whatever your approach, be consistent and present yourself as you would like to be seen. Although controversy can be good, courting negative press, for example by being racist or misogynistic, can be very detrimental. Understand the difference between controversy and negativity.
Never buy fake likes or engagement, as this is usually short lived and can be detrimental to your brand.
You should also use multiple channels and be prepared in the case of being cut-off certain platforms. For example, if you’re trying to promote yourself as an influencer, relying on one platform such as Instagram can be sabotaged if you get banned.
This is also the same as a business brand. Work out where your audience visits online and try to be visible across different platforms on a regular basis.
And, if you’re looking to get headhunted by a business, know how to be visible in the right places.
Do you have any tips to market yourself online or build your personal brand? Share them in the comments below… We might even include your suggestions in a future update!
