Every Day, In Every Way, We're Marketing Ourselves
I just watched a video on how authors can make sure they sell more than a few books after all the hard work of writing them. As you may have guessed, the tips were all about marketing the book in various ways. The speaker made a special point of trying to counteract what I imagine is a fairly typical negative reaction of many writers to the idea of marketing their work.
And it occurred to me that, really, we market ourselves many times every day, to a vast array of audiences, no matter what we're doing. Sometimes it's actually directly about our work, our products or our services. But many times it's just part of daily living.
When we move to a new town, we may "market" ourselves to other parents to establish a new community of friends. We join groups that interest us, and then "market" their events to get the word out about them, to fund raise, to get new members.
We greet people with a smile, shake their hands, listen with interest, and contribute to the conversation. If our help is sought, we look for solutions and resources to recommend. We do this every single day in the normal course of life.
So why does "marketing" become a negative word and concept when it's labeled as such? It's an unnecessary distinction that can make us anxious and unsure of how to proceed. When all we really need to do is start by being interested enough to make a personal connection and seeing if we can make a difference in someone's life.
Have you marketed yourself today?
Photo Credit: Market
Every Day, In Every Way, We're Marketing Ourselves
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