How to promote yourself without sounding arrogant

We are truly living in the ‘age of me’. All you need to do is scroll through people’s carefully choreographed photos on Instagram to see how self serving society has become. This line of thinking can also be applied to more professional outlets like LinkedIn - where there is an abundance of people claiming to be so called “experts”. If you tried to figure out the amount of people who claimed themselves to be gurus or experts, you would find it truly mind boggling.

But, if you are a self employed freelancer, then being bashful, whilst an endearing quality, won’t lead to people using you for your services. In order for you to promote yourself, you need to be confident but not sound like a ‘cocky so and so’...

So how can you promote yourself without sounding arrogant?

Practise what you preach

Take an example of one of the most visible kinds of self employed people out there: personal trainers. A proper fitness enthusiast will rigorously train themselves, pay attention to their diet and have a keen interest in their industry. This demonstrates to prospects that they live what they do - and they have the results to back it up. In order to be able to self promote in a way which will get people noticing, it’s important that you demonstrate that you know your industry inside out. A lack of passion will show immediately and this could have an impact on your sales.

But how can you demonstrate your passion clearly? Well, one way is:

Videos

Showcasing what you do through YouTube videos is a great way to demonstrate that you can offer a quality service. It’s also a nice gesture, particularly for people who are in research mode and are undecided if they are going to buy from you. By offering free video content, you are illustrating the knowledge that you possess and making their decision easier. Be fun with your videos. Do them in your house or while you’re having lunch. This will show you as a ‘normal person’ doing regular things, rather than a pushy salesman. Never underestimate the power of visual intimacy - it could get you quite a large following, if executed well.

Qualifications

Another factor that will get you extra brownie points are any accreditations or qualifications that you have. This is not arrogance, because it demonstrates that you know what you’re doing and you have the relevant bodies backing you up. It also encourages trust. If you have worked hard to master your craft and enhance your knowledge, prospects will notice this and will want to engage with you.

Keep it simple

There is nothing that looks worse to a prospect than when something looks too complicated. Whether on your website, emails or just through the way you talk - people hate someone who can’t keep things simple. It looks conceited and will make it harder for potential customers to understand what you are offering. Ensure, that all your communications are simple and easy to digest. Put yourselves in the mind of your buyer. How would you want to be spoken to? These are all things you need to ask yourself when you go about creating the ideal tone for your copy.

If you are in doubt, you could hire a specialist content writer. This can be really handy, particularly if you don’t have the time to sit and write on a regular basis. A copywriter will convey your tone of voice in the best possible way and also create interesting and engaging words to entice potential customers.

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