Self-promotion doesn’t always come naturally, but there are multiple ways to get noticed and further your career. Jesse Estes shares 14 of his top tips.
The term ‘self-promotion’ often has a negative perception. A quick search in Miriam-Webster reveals the first 8 synonyms are listed as: self-aggrandising, self-dramatising, self-glorifying, arrogant, bumptious, complacent, conceited, and egoistic. Not terms with which I would want to be associated. In fact, the term is so stigmatised that it is often referred to as ‘shameless’ self-promotion – as if the simple act of promoting ourselves is somehow a valid cause for shame.
However, this piece is very much a treatise in favour of self-promotion.
Self-promotion doesn’t come easily to everyone, especially those of us who tend towards shyness, introversion, or simply feel too modest, self-effacing or reticent to shout about our accomplishments from the proverbial rooftops. This blog entry is directed towards those of us for whom it does not come naturally, and I’ve included some tips below based on my own experience.
Personally, I find it helpful to disconnect from the ‘real me’ and my ‘brand’. Treat yourself – Joe Bloggs or Jane Smith – as a brand, that you promote in the same way you would your business. This may help ward off any lack of confidence we may have in ourselves, because what we perceive ourselves to be promoting is a ‘brand’ that just happens to share our name.
This distance between ourselves and our brand also serves to give us a slightly more objective perspective on what our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) are, as well as our unique selling points (USPs). The ability to recognise one’s strengths and strongest attributes (as well as our shortcomings) is a skill that will serve us well in life – in job interviews, performance reviews, and simply getting noticed by brands/companies/recruiters in the first place.
So, here are some specifics on what you can do to promote your ‘brand’ and help you get noticed:
Conduct a SWOT analysis on yourself. This is an effective method of self-assessment that will help identify personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Write three of the most important USPs you can think of about yourself. These are not necessarily your biggest strengths, but rather characteristics or abilities about yourself that will set yourself apart from the competition and create the biggest points of distinction between yourself and others. See more here.
Write a (short) bio. Draw from your CV or other list of accomplishments. What you lack in experience, make up for in creativity. Incorporate hobbies or other interests that people may take note of, even if it does not necessarily directly support your specific purpose.
Get some headshots taken. These don’t need to be professional; it can be as simple a friend who knows their way around a phone camera. Even if you don’t think you need them now, you will soon, and it’s better to have them prepared and ready. Additionally, study after study shows that social media traction is greater for photos of people, rather than objects, landscapes, food, cocktails, etc.
Identify Facebook groups, Instagram pages, or other forums that relate to your area of professional interest, and establish a presence there. As a starting point that can be as simple as joining the group, introducing yourself and explaining why you joined, commenting on others posts, and eventually getting more involved by posting about topics related to the group’s theme.
Find your niche: there’s value in being a jack of all trades, but there’s equal value in carving out a niche for yourself. In my case that was agave spirits; Ian Burrell’s was rum; and Cocktails For You was cocktail and content creation, photography and social media badassery. Whatever it is that interests you, set out becoming an expert in that subject matter – read books on the topic, attend seminars, or seek out experts who may be able to make recommendations on other resources.
Tailor your self-promotion to your end goal. Camille Vidal at La Maison Wellness is a perfect example. A few years ago many may have said that creating a consultancy company based primarily around Mindful Drinking would not have been a viable business model, but Camille is enjoying great success. Being patient is also a big part of building our personal brands; don’t expect things to happen overnight.
Always be looking for holes in the market. Up until the last 5-6 years, the ‘non-alcoholic spirits’ market was nonexistent. Now it is a booming segment on the rise (just look at Seedlip’s success). Look for opportunities that are currently considered niche, but that may become mainstream in the near future.
Optimize your online presence via social media accounts, LinkedIn, and even your own personal website. These can be created easily and at low cost using platforms like Wix, SquareSpace or WordPress. From there you can go a step further and optimize your name in search engines – ideally you want your website (if you have one) to be the first Google result when searching your name.
Adopt a moniker. Instead of using their real names, many industry figures have adopted monikers. This even predates the existence of social media handles – think of Dale ‘King Cocktail’ DeGroff or ‘Maestro’ Salvatore Calabrese. This can be a good way to further set yourself apart and even more literally create a brand around yourself and your work.
Be opportunistic (again, not in the negative sense of the word). Although there is a lot of value in saying ‘no’ early on in one’s career there’s a lot of value in saying ’yes.’ You never know where that opportunity will lead you unless you take it up.
If you’re a bartender, get involved in cocktail competitions. This can be a great way to amplify your voice through getting promoted on brand’s channels, which often have a very wide reach.
If you can afford it, set aside a certain amount from your pay cheque every month to spend on PR. There’s nothing that helps make a name for yourself quite like having your name in the press. Many of the top figures in the drinks industry have used PR companies to help launch their careers.
Get educated. There is a wealth of information online, including seminars by experts – many of which are free. If you can afford it, look into getting formal accreditation/further education to boost knowledge and add to your CV. Many of these programs – such as the WSET – regularly offer scholarships, so look out for these opportunities.