No matter what field you work in or aspire to, you’ve probably been told you need to self-promote to get ahead. But how do you do that without coming off like a jerk? Never fear — we have tips.
“Self-promotion” is kind of an ugly word, but it’s also a necessity. If you’re an artist, writer, or filmmaker, you have to get the word out about your work. If you freelance in any capacity, you need to pound the pavement for jobs. Even if you have a relatively steady job, you still need to make sure your accomplishments aren’t being overlooked. So how can you do that without being That Person Who Sends All The Annoying Emails? Here’s how:
Know your audience.
Lindsey Pollak, career and workplace expert and author of Getting From College to Career, gave me this tip for letting people in your life know about something cool you’re doing:
When you’re determining a distribution list for this kind of thing, make sure you’re not just blasting it to everybody you’ve ever met in your life. Think about who would actually want this information. Your mom probably wants it, your boss may not. Your friend who just got rejected from a job may not want to hear it.
We all have that one Facebook friend or email contact who’s constantly sending us updates on projects or events, regardless of whether we have any interest or even live in the city where they’re taking place — this isn’t just annoying, it also makes us less likely to pay attention if and when that friend is actually involved in something we might be interested in. Relatedly, says Pollak,
Couch it in language that’s interesting to the other person — “I thought you might be interested in watching this,” or “In the past, you’ve expressed interest in my work, you might be interested in my upcoming gallery show. Explain why you’re sending it.
And if you are sending mass emails, be sure to close with a thank-you and a way to opt out of future mailings, should your recipients feel like doing so.
Inform, don’t brag.
Career coach and artist advocate Caroll Michels, author of How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul, told me,
I believe in low-key. […] The things that turn me off when they come across my computer very often are talking about yourself in a braggy way […] To counteract that I like a low-key approach with facts and information and not a lot of bravado.
This doesn’t mean you can’t talk about your strengths or successes, but it does mean that instead of going on about “how great I am,” you may want to present concrete examples of your greatness. Pollak agrees — she says forwarding along an admiring email from a client can be a good tactic, as can sharing numbers that quantify your high performance. She notes that “using others’ words” — whether that means quoting kudos you got from a critic, a customer, or a former employer (if, say, you’re writing a cover letter) — can be more effective than simply praising yourself. It can also be a good tactic for people who are shy about tooting their own horns — start by letting other people toot them for you!
Be clear about what you want, and what you’re asking for.
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