The Art of Self Promotion

Marketing one's self is an activity that most people tend to shy away from. There are the rare few who relish in every moment they spend “tooting their own horns”. However, these zealous and unique creatures are hard to find among the Homo Sapiens species. For most of us, the ability to tactfully promote one’s assets and strengths is not necessarily a natural trait. Yet, self-marketing can be learned and perfected like any other skill. And this activity is becoming more and more important as virtually every job market, workplace environment, and creative community is brimming with skilled and educated pools of talent. If you want to find a great professional opportunity, get a promotion, start a business, and even get into the best education programs, you have to learn how to communicate your own personal brand in a manner that is positive, effective, and leaves your intended audience with a clear sense of your strengths, accomplishments, and goals.


I know. You are probably uncomfortable with the term “self promotion”, as it often conjures up negative images of an obnoxious braggart who is completely oblivious of how undesirable he or she is to be around. However when self-promotion or self-marketing is done properly, people can truly see a positive difference in how they are perceived and treated by others. In fact, those who have perfected this art, reap the rewards of their efforts in the form of successful careers, businesses and creative endeavors.


While self-promotion is going to vary in its appearance based on who is practicing this art, there are some golden rules to abide by when attempting to skillfully market yourself to others.

Make sure that you have accurately assessed your skills, strengths, accomplishments and goals. Think of yourself as a product with a personal brand, and make sure that the “product” is authentic and can deliver what your marketing campaign says that it can. In other words, make sure that you are not just telling people what you think will make you sound good. Instead, tell people what you truly believe are your features, advantages and benefits!

Get some feedback from colleagues, friends, and bosses to develop a total picture of how you are truly perceived, and what others value about you. This will also help you figure out what is best to convey to others when you are promoting your “product”.

Have some key goals that you would like to accomplish when you are skillfully promoting yourself or your work. Identify what you hope to achieve when you start your one-man, or one-woman marketing effort. By doing so, you will be able to focus your efforts on marketing yourself to the most appropriate audience at the most opportune time.

Come up with a succinct and effective pitch relative to your skills and specific goals, and learn when and how to deliver it. For example you don’t want to drone on about your 10 best professional accomplishments at a networking mixer during an informal event. Nor do you want to be curt and vague when interacting with a potential employer during an informational interview. Practice striking a balance between being interesting and personable, and being assertive and credible.

Finally practice, practice, practice! The only way to master the art of self promotion is to actually get out there and do it.

You really have nothing to lose by giving yourself some credit.

by Keri Glover