OT: For the entrepreneurs & self employed: how do you market yourself?

[XXtwindad]

I'm looking for some avenues that I might not have considered. I write often about fitness (though not as much as I should) and am planning a series of talks.

How much does Social Media figure into the equation? I have to admit, I'm very wary of Instagram, for example. In my industry (fitness) it quickly devolves into a "cheesefest", with a bunch of shirtless guys pointing at their abs. Also, I can't help but think it's like "feeding the beast," and requires that you be wedded to your phone in order to manage your account. I'd like to get away from that paradigm.

Happy to learn from others on the Forum...

[AngryScientist]

I don’t know about the rest; but if you post any pictures of yourself here pointing to your abs... I’ll ban you 👊

[XXtwindad]

I don’t know about the rest; but if you post any pictures of yourself here pointing to your abs... I’ll ban you ������

Duly noted. I'll PM you instead. :)
Others?

[joosttx]

Lifestyle not abs.

[AngryScientist]

On a serious note; this is a great topic you bring up. This new culture with social media “influencers” somehow making money marketing some fake world or curated images is strange and interesting to me. I don’t pretend to understand any of it; and it seems like the advertising world is changing in a big way these days.

This all ties back into the debate about personal data and what is OK and what is not OK to be collected and sold on the web for marketing purposes.

I have no idea what I’m talking about and am interested to learn more from a distance.

[ravdg316]

I'm looking for some avenues that I might not have considered. I write often about fitness (though not as much as I should) and am planning a series of talks.

How much does Social Media figure into the equation? I have to admit, I'm very wary of Instagram, for example. In my industry (fitness) it quickly devolves into a "cheesefest", with a bunch of shirtless guys pointing at their abs. Also, I can't help but think it's like "feeding the beast," and requires that you be wedded to your phone in order to manage your account. I'd like to get away from that paradigm.

Happy to learn from others on the Forum...

It's industry dependent, but the biggest thing you can do right now is content marketing. I'm a big fan of Gary V -- less his talks about hyping millennials up to stop being lazy and more his long-form discussions on Youtube about content. Be prolific with content. Give content away for free -- stuff that in previous years would have been considered "trade secrets." If you give a talk, have somebody record it and then edit it and post it on Youtube.

Content marketing is the very first step in the sales funnel, and thus ironically should have little to no sales component. The information you give should be useful first, advertise-y second (if at all!). If you're talking about yourself, it's only to show people that you or your group are experts and that your content is legit.

The best thing about it is that it doesn't have to be expensive. However, it takes a lot of sweat equity and willingness to fail to do it right. The more content you put out, the more feedback you'll get and the more able you will be to create stuff that people actually want to see.

Example: I'm building an online tutoring company. While my clients that I currently have are all word of mouth (not unlike fitness training, I would imagine), I've been building a library of content by having my tutors record lessons they have with their students (with their parents' permission of course) that we can take excerpts of and dissect in blog posts. I've also developed a guide for aspiring college athletes on standardized testing, taking case studies from individual college programs and students. Word is out on how successful these initial campaigns will be!

Google's SEO algorithms also reward high-quality, long-form content more than ever before, so by doing content marketing you're basically doing SEO as well.

[XXtwindad]

It's industry dependent, but the biggest thing you can do right now is content marketing. I'm a big fan of Gary V -- less his talks about hyping millennials up to stop being lazy and more his long-form discussions on Youtube about content. Be prolific with content. Give content away for free -- stuff that in previous years would have been considered "trade secrets." If you give a talk, have somebody record it and then edit it and post it on Youtube.

Content marketing is the very first step in the sales funnel, and thus ironically should have little to no sales component. The information you give should be useful first, advertise-y second (if at all!). If you're talking about yourself, it's only to show people that you or your group are experts and that your content is legit.

The best thing about it is that it doesn't have to be expensive. However, it takes a lot of sweat equity and willingness to fail to do it right. The more content you put out, the more feedback you'll get and the more able you will be to create stuff that people actually want to see.

Example: I'm building an online tutoring company. While my clients that I currently have are all word of mouth (not unlike fitness training, I would imagine), I've been building a library of content by having my tutors record lessons they have with their students (with their parents' permission of course) that we can take excerpts of and dissect in blog posts. I've also developed a guide for aspiring college athletes on standardized testing, taking case studies from individual college programs and students. Word is out on how successful these initial campaigns will be!

Google's SEO algorithms also reward high-quality, long-form content more than ever before, so by doing content marketing you're basically doing SEO as well.

This is extremely helpful and thorough. Thank you.

[GOTHBROOKS]

its not fitness, but its fashion, and they are both rooted in vanity, so ill post this here.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4737/25235848518_dbd44a5ce5_c.jpg
i bought an industrial embroidery machine and set it up in the garage and became a bootlegger. i sell most things i make through a storenvy account linked from my instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gothbrooks/?hl=en).
instagram is what you make of it. it might come off as being lazy or jaded but totally i vibe on that whole approach of "if it looks good then ppl will want it" when it comes to my embroidery. ill post a pic, caption "link in bio" and they typically sell out overnight. theres no need for long winded prose. i also dont really advertise that im open to custom orders but ive had a few companies reach out about getting things made. ive done some things for zwift, ive done hats for the radavist (https://theradavist.com/2018/01/in-stock-the-radavist-howdy-cacti-hats/) and 100tacos (https://100tacos.bigcartel.com/product/100-tacos-hunger-buster-spicy-hat), as well as sweatshirts for golden saddle.
i am totally down for custom orders. i love embroidery. stitch all over the world.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4535/37647196565_1354565836_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/898/41126349621_8a01196af0_z.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/4743/38543313450_ddd7b8046b_c.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/1858/43576146135_3b6053f379_c.jpg

[Johnnysmooth]

It's industry dependent, but the biggest thing you can do right now is content marketing. I'm a big fan of Gary V -- less his talks about hyping millennials up to stop being lazy and more his long-form discussions on Youtube about content. Be prolific with content. Give content away for free -- stuff that in previous years would have been considered "trade secrets." If you give a talk, have somebody record it and then edit it and post it on Youtube.

Content marketing is the very first step in the sales funnel, and thus ironically should have little to no sales component. The information you give should be useful first, advertise-y second (if at all!). If you're talking about yourself, it's only to show people that you or your group are experts and that your content is legit.

The best thing about it is that it doesn't have to be expensive. However, it takes a lot of sweat equity and willingness to fail to do it right. The more content you put out, the more feedback you'll get and the more able you will be to create stuff that people actually want to see.

Example: I'm building an online tutoring company. While my clients that I currently have are all word of mouth (not unlike fitness training, I would imagine), I've been building a library of content by having my tutors record lessons they have with their students (with their parents' permission of course) that we can take excerpts of and dissect in blog posts. I've also developed a guide for aspiring college athletes on standardized testing, taking case studies from individual college programs and students. Word is out on how successful these initial campaigns will be!

Google's SEO algorithms also reward high-quality, long-form content more than ever before, so by doing content marketing you're basically doing SEO as well.

This!

I got my business started nearly 13yrs ago in an industry I never worked in by setting up a Wordpress blog/website and publishing thoughtful, valued content 4-5x/wk. It was a ton of work and looking back on it, not quite sure how I pulled it off, but I did.

Note: I had many good mentors in my life who taught me how to write cleanly, crisply and with substance. This contributed greatly to my success. So, if you are not a very good writer, hire a copy editor to go over your work before publishing. Poor, sloppy writing will reflect directly upon your brand!

[martl]

I worked freelance in IT, but marketing as a specialist for that kind is completely different than self-marketing as a content-provider or youtube/social media persona i guess.
There's multiple podcasts on that matter i think, dedicated ones and others. For example, Youtube makers Jimmy Diresta talks about that quite a lot with Bob Clagett and davit Picchiuto in "Making it" but i'm sure others in other fields do thesame

[FlashUNC]

Content, content, content.

If you're talking social, content is king. (Hit that like and subscribe button u guys!)

But the obsession with social as a sales platform is entirely due to the audience targeting and back-end metrics tracking. Facebook's ad algorithm is frightening in its efficiency. Want to target German Shephard owners recently divorced in a specific zipcode? Facebook can do that. Marketers eat that up as it hits the niches they identify with the data to back up the success or failure of their campaigns. Wayyyyy more precise than direct mail, magazine ads or some other less direct channels.

It's not a be all, end all. But if you want to target hyper specific audiences while also shouting a message to the world? Tough to beat social.

[XXtwindad]

its not fitness, but its fashion, and they are both rooted in vanity, so ill post this here.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4737/25235848518_dbd44a5ce5_c.jpg
i bought an industrial embroidery machine and set it up in the garage and became a bootlegger. i sell most things i make through a storenvy account linked from my instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gothbrooks/?hl=en).
instagram is what you make of it. it might come off as being lazy or jaded but totally i vibe on that whole approach of "if it looks good then ppl will want it" when it comes to my embroidery. ill post a pic, caption "link in bio" and they typically sell out overnight. theres no need for long winded prose. i also dont really advertise that im open to custom orders but ive had a few companies reach out about getting things made. ive done some things for zwift, ive done hats for the radavist (https://theradavist.com/2018/01/in-stock-the-radavist-howdy-cacti-hats/) and 100tacos (https://100tacos.bigcartel.com/product/100-tacos-hunger-buster-spicy-hat), as well as sweatshirts for golden saddle.
i am totally down for custom orders. i love embroidery. stitch all over the world.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4535/37647196565_1354565836_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/898/41126349621_8a01196af0_z.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/4743/38543313450_ddd7b8046b_c.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/1858/43576146135_3b6053f379_c.jpg

This is really cool!! I can see how Instagram would work for artists such as yourself and frame builders, where prose and explanations are less relevant. But in my business, explaining the proper technique for a push-up gets lost in the shuffle when some guy is screaming about getting RIPPED!!!

[XXtwindad]

Content, content, content.

If you're talking social, content is king. (Hit that like and subscribe button u guys!)

But the obsession with social as a sales platform is entirely due to the audience targeting and back-end metrics tracking. Facebook's ad algorithm is frightening in its efficiency. Want to target German Shephard owners recently divorced in a specific zipcode? Facebook can do that. Marketers eat that up as it hits the niches they identify with the data to back up the success or failure of their campaigns. Wayyyyy more precise than direct mail, magazine ads or some other less direct channels.

It's not a be all, end all. But if you want to target hyper specific audiences while also shouting a message to the world? Tough to beat social.

Aptly put. To Angry's point, we're living in different times. There was a new trainer at my gym recently, who, within 10 minutes of chatting with me, offered to "exchange followers." It feels kind of like being perpetually stuck in high school...

[HenryA]

Agree with lots of what’s been written. Also think about targeting to other than the “Let’s get ripped” crowd. Especially since you express disdain for that mindset.

Expose yourself (and what you really think on this subject) to the world. Give it away for free and let a following develop or not. You may have something new and fresh that appeals to others who are turned off by “lets get ripped” and are looking for something else.

Don’t let excellence stand in the way of good. Don’t overthink this. Do it. Put it out there. Get your thoughts out there on a regular and frequent basis. If it rings true for others you will develop a following.

[GOTHBROOKS]

This is really cool!! I can see how Instagram would work for artists such as yourself and frame builders, where prose and explanations are less relevant. But in my business, explaining the proper technique for a push-up gets lost in the shuffle when some guy is screaming about getting RIPPED!!!

oh yeah your mileage will absolutely vary.

[avalonracing]

oh yeah your mileage will absolutely vary.

GOTHBROOKS, I enjoyed your IG account. Fun stuff on there. Keep it up!

[joosttx]

This is really cool!! I can see how Instagram would work for artists such as yourself and frame builders, where prose and explanations are less relevant. But in my business, explaining the proper technique for a push-up gets lost in the shuffle when some guy is screaming about getting RIPPED!!!

sell lifestyle not abs and/or technique

[ravdg316]

sell lifestyle not abs and/or technique

There’s 100 percent room for both.

[GOTHBROOKS]

if you come up with a cool logo i will make you some merch for the xxtwindad webstore.

[colker]

I'm looking for some avenues that I might not have considered. I write often about fitness (though not as much as I should) and am planning a series of talks.

How much does Social Media figure into the equation? I have to admit, I'm very wary of Instagram, for example. In my industry (fitness) it quickly devolves into a "cheesefest", with a bunch of shirtless guys pointing at their abs. Also, I can't help but think it's like "feeding the beast," and requires that you be wedded to your phone in order to manage your account. I'd like to get away from that paradigm.

Happy to learn from others on the Forum...

There are way smarter ideas to market yourself on instagram than showing off your abs. Identify your market; identify their aspirations e most of all .. constraints.
Videos of classes showing physical space and atmosphere. Those w/ money to hire also tend to have little time for themselves so come up w/ ideas to solve that basic problem.What everyone wants to buy is problem solving ...