What most marketers don’t tell you is that it can be super difficult to brand your company when you don’t have the confidence or inclination to put yourself out there in a public way. But the marketing playbook doesn’t just apply to extroverts, it also applies to introverts who would rather spend their time crunching numbers, formulating strategies, and staying out the public eye behind their computers.
But fear not, because you can still grow your company’s brand when you’re not outgoing or the life of the party. How? Glad you asked, because we have three strategies that can help distinguish the what and why of your business, even when you’d rather go incognito.
Get social
It’s not that much of a revelation to tell you that social media has become one of the prime marketing tools for businesses to sell their culture and their products and services to target audiences of all stripes.
Notice how we put the word ‘culture’ ahead of ‘products and services?’ That’s not an accident, because social media marketing should always be about expressing why your company exists, and then engaging prospects to actually buy your stuff.
Social media marketing lets you post valuable content to appropriate channels that can appeal to your audience and drive them back to your website, or even allow them to engage with your business directly through the posted content.
But it also lets you remain anonymous, because you’re not selling your face or personality, you’re selling your culture and behind-the-scenes processes that don’t rely on you having to appear on camera.
Best of all, social media lets you remain at home or in the office coming up with imaginative and creative ideas, and fortunately, it’s the content that has to be fun, engaging and entertaining….NOT you.
Social media also lets you interact directly with your audience without having to do so at a local event that might cause you discomfort. When your followers post something nice about your business, you can use that as an opportunity to engage them further.
When followers post a criticism or post something negative about your company, you can also use that as an opportunity to make things right, or set the record straight, whatever the case may be.
Strengthen your credentials
If you’re not going to be spending as much time as extroverted business owners networking, attending conferences and hosting podcasts or live stream videos, then you need to be building your credentials.
Introverts are more likely to be attracted to learning new things and acquiring new skills, so take advantage of the time you don’t spend at public events by improving your knowledge and education.
For example, if you own a digital marketing company, you should think about taking an online certification course in a specialty so that you can offer something more to your prospective clients.
Certifications add social proof to your company, because when you post them on your website or social media channels, it provides evidence that someone respected has certified you as an expert in a specified field.
Continuing education also helps you stay in touch with the latest trends in your industry, which in turn lets you post even more relevant content for your audience that builds your brand through authority.
Build a network one person at a time
The word ‘introvert’ is sometimes confused with the word ‘shy,’ but they aren’t exactly the same thing. Introverts don’t necessarily hate social situations, they would just prefer to be around a limited number of people, or spend time alone.
In general, many introverts prefer to be in an environment that is stable, calm and peaceful, but they don’t shrink when they are in social situations.
Shy people tend to be incommunicative in social situations, and have an active dislike of being in public.
The point is, you can still build a brand through networking if you’re an introvert, but you will probably be far more effective at it if you build the network one person at a time.
Chance are, you’ve made some connections as a business owner, so reaching out to these connections on an individual basis can help you build a network of like-minded people who share common interests and are interested in helping each other succeed.
What’s great about building a strong network in this way is that you won’t become overwhelmed by having to be ‘on’ at a big conference or meeting, because the bulk of your work is going to be done on a one-on-one basis.
Getting on the radar of an influencer in your industry can pay off in big ways, because that influencer can provide your business with the kind of credibility that helps your branding. And you can do all of this without having to spend time meeting with a large group of people.
There are many ways to skin the branding cat
Sometimes, it feels like the companies that are best are branding are ‘loud,’ meaning that they’re out in public making sure they’re seen and heard everywhere.
But what’s great about branding is that there isn’t only one way to do it, and if you’re an introvert, implementing these three strategies can help your target audience pay attention, even if you’re not holding the bullhorn and screaming loud to be heard.
