Is Self-Promotion Wrong??

I came across a post the other day on LinkedIn that made me laugh … definitely made me think … but mostly made me laugh. It was negative and judgmental. And I couldn’t help but wonder if it was aimed at me as the timing was awfully curious.

I’m paraphrasing here, but it was about self-promotion and how one shouldn’t do it. (Wait. What??) And I started to doubt myself. Yes, me: the Freelance Rockstar. Is what I’m doing wrong? Is everything that I teach and speak and preach about WRONG?

So, I did a little digging. Who was this individual, and why should the audience believe them? Did they know something I didn’t? Were they more successful than me without promoting themselves? And if so, for the love of all things purple, please tell me: what’s their secret sauce?!?

I went to their website … only to find inauthentic copy, broken links, and typos running amok.

I went to their social media profiles, thinking maybe they’re doing something cool there to help elevate their brand’s reputation.

Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary. Plus, there weren’t many followers at all and definitely little engagement (including on that particular post).

So, what’s the compelling reason why anyone should listen to this person’s advice?

I’m still trying to figure that out.

In the meantime, I’ve reassessed the situation: I’m a freelancer … which means I’m self-employed. I don’t have a PR department to get the word out about me. I don’t have oodles of cash lying around to spend on paid advertising and marketing. And I certainly don’t expect my friends, followers and clients to do the heavy lifting for me.

So, I’m done doubting myself. I have unapologetically built a dynamic brand using self-promotion. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Besides, how else would y’all know what the heck I’m up to? For me, it’s not bragging. It’s genuinely sharing joy and excitement. Tips and value.

Don’t like it? I get it. There’s a simple solution for that. It’s called unfollow or disconnect. I won’t lose any sleep. Obviously, those people are not my target audience.

There will always be haters, negative nellies, jealous and judgmental folks out there. If that’s the image they want to project, that’s their prerogative. However, it’s not mine.

Going forward, I’m going to continue spreading the love and keeping folks abreast of what’s going on in my world. Because THAT’S how I built a successful brand for my freelancing business.

Want to learn more about my process? Let me know.