Say My Name Say My Name, 9 Tips for Shameless Self-Promotion

Destiny's Child coined it back in 1999 with the hit song of the same title, "Say My Name". The premise of the song centers around a woman whose man suddenly has what appears to be a change of heart and stops saying all of the sweet nothings that he used to. She demands to know that his affections haven't strayed by insisting upon him calling her baby, telling her he loves her and of course, saying her name. This woman wants to know that she is on his mind 24/7. It's only natural, and you should be striving for the same type of adoration from your target audience in your business. Yes, this is your business so it is a far cry from a love affair gone sour, but the message behind the request is a powerful one. You want your target audience talking about you to their colleagues and network of influence. You want them lifting you up through the power of their good words and solid reputations. When it comes to your area of expertise, you are the only person that should come to mind. As it relates to business, let's be honest. There is always going to be competition, even if on the smallest of scales there will always be someone out there who you will have to compete with for business. And this is going to sting a bit, but there might even be someone out there who is better than you. But guess what? That doesn't matter! What matters is that you leave no room for doubt in your prospects' minds that you are the best and only person for the job. How do you do that? Simply by making sure that your message, meaning your unique solution to their common problem, is in front of them constantly. Everywhere they turn they should be seeing or hearing your name and your message. Here are 9 solid tips to help you get in front of and stay in front of your target audience on a continuous basis: 1. ARTICLE MARKETING - Writing articles, just like this one, is a great way to showcase your knowledge and expertise in your industry or line of work. By providing your readers with useful information they can apply to their lives or businesses, you will be regarded as an authority on the topic of discussion. Once your articles are written, the easiest and most time-efficient way to submit them to the literally thousands of online directories that exist is by leveraging the power of article submission services like Article Marketer. You submit the article and they take care of the rest. Simple. 2. BUSINESS CARDS - This may seem as old as Methuselah, but traditional business cards are still a great tool to have when networking face-to-face. People only retain a fraction of what they hear, so while your elevator speech may be great, don't expect everyone to remember you. Having professional and attractive business cards on hand to give to people is a wonderful way to help jog someone's memory later of who you are and what you do. 3. CAR DECALS AND MAGNETS - Think of these as your traveling business cards. Placed in rear and side view mirrors and on both driver and passenger side doors, these signs literally turn your car into a 24/7 marketing tool. As you're out running errands, driving down the highway for a day at the beach, or parked at a local stadium for your kid's softball game, your business is being advertised without any extra effort on your part. 4. EMAIL SIGNATURE - It's surprising how many people still aren't taking advantage of this simple, no-cost way to get their message in front of people. Email communication has become a standard in business practices. Considering the number of emails that you send and reply to each day, why not take five minutes to create a signature that includes your name, phone number, email address, web address and possibly your company's tagline or perhaps a thought provoking question? Programs like Outlook and Thunderbird come with the option to add a personalized signature. 5. EZINES - Another great way to take advantage of the power of email communication. This doesn't have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as a useful tip sent out once a week. Or, you can get more involved and provide articles (those same articles that you already wrote from Tip #1) and recommendations. Do what makes sense for you, but just make sure that whatever you do, you remain consistent. 6. INTERNET RADIO - There are literally hundreds and hundreds of internet radio shows on every topic imaginable. Chances are you'll be able to find one, if not several shows that cater to your target audience. Show hosts are hungry for dynamic guests with great content for their listeners. Seek out and get in touch with as many shows as you can to start booking your interviews. If you can't find an internet show that fits your needs, consider starting one of your own. 7. PRESS RELEASES - Grab media attention with a well-written press release. In general, press releases should tell Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. The angle should be unique and it should not be one big sales pitch - keep it newsworthy. Just think about why it is important for people to know about your product, service or event. If you've never written a press release, don't worry. You can either hire someone, or if you're keeping an eye on expenses, there are plenty of free resources online that not only walk you through how to write an effective press release, but you can even find templates where all you do is fill in the blanks. Once your release is written you can use an online distribution service like PRFree to get your news to the media. 8. SOCIAL NETWORKING - If you think sites like Facebook and MySpace are all about dating and places for people to just "hang out" online, think again. Sites like these and many others are becoming solid marketing tools. When you set up your account on a social networking site, your profile page gives you total freedom to toot your horn. You can put up links to your websites and blogs, post articles, add photo albums, advertise upcoming events - the possibilities are endless! As you grow your connections or "friends", each time they visit your page they will not only see you, but whatever message you choose to share. In fact, many successful internet marketers use social networking sites as strategic marketing tools. 9. AUTHENTICITY - This final tip is truly the driving force behind the previous eight tips suggested. Whether it's these eight, or twenty other ideas that you decide to move forward with, none of them will be effective if you aren't coming from a place of sincerity. You can have the best stuff out there, but if you're pushy in your delivery, or if your agenda is to make a sale and not help others, it will show. Really think about how you want to be known in the marketplace. Do you want to be known as someone who has a good product but is selfish and obnoxious? Or, would you rather be known as someone who has a good product, really goes out of their way to help others, and is enjoyable to work with? Remember, having your prospects saying your name can go both ways; they can either sing your praises or bellow their discontentment with the masses. If you don't want to see your business end as quickly as it started, do business with the objective of serving others because in the end it will serve you as well. FINAL THOUGHT: There is no shame in promoting your business. If you don't do it, no one will know about you so that they can help you spread the word. Don't be afraid or feel weird about putting yourself out there - the more of you the better! Go ahead and start tootin' that horn so others can join in and together you can create a symphony of effective marketing that never ends.

More articles in this Category

1: Coaching Business Marketing with Networking that Works 2: Take Profits with Payday Loan Leads 3: Be a Leader With Lead Generation 4: Real Estate Agent Leads That Work 5: Relationship Marketing: Using Demographics As a Lead Source Tool 6: Email Marketing: The Economy and a Ton of Opportunity 7: Tips for Buying Payday Loan Leads 8: How To Get Clients In A Credit Crunch 9: Using Leads to Get More Business 10: How To Get The Maximum Benefit Out Of Your Email Marketing Campaigns?