Many of us were told growing up that if we worked hard at school and at work, our efforts would be recognized and we would be rewarded. The sad news is that this is not the way it always works in real life. Sometimes you have to do some self promotion to get noticed. A little self-promotion can go a long way. The real world is very competitive and noisy. Singing your praises once in awhile can generate the attention you need to get ahead. So, here are reasons why it’s OK to self-promote.
It’s The New Normal
Your LinkedIn profile and other social medial platforms are essentially self-promotion tools. Nowadays posting about your success is the new normal. How many times have you seen a friend rave about a new job promotion or a company talking about their new product in social media? We expect to see these kinds of posts because it’s what everybody does and we like cheering for them. So why not get some cheers for you too?
Not Everybody Is Aware
Your mom might know about your new blog or new job but you can’t assume that everybody knows about it. Sometimes you have to tell the world about your triumphs in order to get more clients, sales or recognition. While everybody has their own agenda for self-promoting, sometimes you just have to make everybody aware of your achievements to get what you want.
If you’re a small start-up, you need your audience to be aware of what you are and what you’re selling. Self-promotion is a low-cost and efficient way of letting people know who you are.
It’s Necessary
If you’re an architect, photographer, web designer or singer; self-promotion is part of the creative process. Why? Because you can’t expect people to be aware of your talent. You have to tell them if you want to get their attention.
Self-promotion will give you not only the recognition you need but also the limelight. When you’re creative, you want people to be aware of what you can do so that you can be made aware of the opportunities your talent can open.
It Motivates You
Now that everybody in the world knows about your talent or skills, you need to be able to back up your claims. When this happens, it can motivate you to do better. Self-promoting will lead people to have expectations because you chose to broadcast your achievements. This can also lead to better opportunities. When a manager needs somebody to do a job, he or she will think of you because they’ve heard that you’re doing great things.
It Can Help Other People
When you are confident enough to self-promote, it can help other people overcome their fear of self-promoting. A friend might say that if you can do it, then they can too. When you are self-promoting, doors and opportunities not available could suddenly open and this could be true for other people too. Giving others confidence to believe in themselves makes the world less scary.
Boost Confidence
Doesn’t it cheer you up every time somebody likes your posts about your achievement? Doesn’t it give you a confidence boost? It might just be the something you need to help you finish a very hard project or a confidence booster when you’re facing challenges.
Information Dissemination
People need information and one of the best ways of doing so is through self-promotion. Sometimes, the best information comes from the source. Communication lines can get muddled and consumers end up with the wrong information. What better way to avoid this than by self-promotion. You can start by spreading the word yourself before letting other people handle the information. This way, you have it right the first time.
Never be ashamed of self-promoting even it’s about you or if the idea is yours. Self-promotion is now the new default and thinking that it is shameful might be hindering you from opportunities. People who are afraid of self-promotion might be afraid of being scrutinized. So if you’re not one of these people go ahead and start promoting.
