Superstars of Self-Promotion
By Laura Donovan
Though intimidating, self-promotion is an effective —- and possibly the most important —- tool for advancement in the workforce. A new report by nonprofit organization Catalyst ties self-promotion (i.e., talking about one’s accomplishments) to compensation growth for women. Aside from the monetary benefits, women who self-promote also catch the attention of others and spread the word on their work and accomplishments.
At the Levo (League), we understand that self-promotion can seem impossible to master and scary, so we’ve put together a list of our favorite female self-promoters whose techniques are easy to emulate. You may not have the audience as some of these well-known gals, but you do have access to some of their key platforms —- Facebook, Twitter, major blogs —- so study up on the strategies of these success stories to see how you can become an expert self-promoter yourself.
Leslie Bradshaw: Co-founder of creative agency JESS3, Forbes blogger
Industry: Tech, entrepreneurship
Self-promotion strategies: Personal website, Forbes blog, Twitter
Why her techniques work: The president of creative agency JESS3 does a little bit of everything. The young entrepreneur, who resides in the Washington DC area, has a personal website and Twitter page in addition to her Forbes blog, which allows her to write and conduct interviews with other successful career women. Bradshaw is a strong self-promoter for dabbling into multiple areas of social media and having an active, pervasive web presence.
How you can use her tactics too: In the words of Bradshaw herself, be great at something before you promote yourself on social media. “Not just good, but great,” Bradshaw told The L (L). “I’ve focused on being great at three things in my 29 years of living and they are: working really hard and working really smart, building and doing, and arming myself with theory, strategy and philosophy that spans many belief systems and experiences. When social media hit hard about five years ago, I was able to take what I am, what I do and what I stand for and port it into social. As a result of being great, you have great things to talk about. Building your presence will come naturally from there.”
Not everyone has a Forbes blog, but WordPress and Blogger offer free blog services. Play around with their different complimentary layouts to decide which ones work for you, and use the blog to promote your message. If you’re a businesswoman like Bradshaw, contact blogs and sites of that nature (i.e. The Grindstone, Levo League of course!), present your business model, and inquire about becoming a contributing writer.
Bradshaw’s big secret for snagging a blog at such a prestigious publication?
“Simple answer: I asked,” Bradshaw said. “Many people go through life complaining about being left out or left behind, pointing to their peers and saying ‘why don’t I have that?’ and ‘why does he make more than me?’ Most of the time, all you have to do is ask. Granted, you have to have a compelling pitch and the depth to backup your request (in this case, qualified to write for an outlet with such a distinguished reputation as Forbes), but when you do and when you are great at something, it will come through in your pitch.”
Hilary Mason: Chief scientist for bit.ly
Industry: Tech
Self-promotion strategies: Employing self-deprecating humor on personal website
Why her techniques work: The smiley, self-proclaimed “data scientist and hacker” has a charming way of sharing her accomplishments with the world. Through her personal website, Mason posts updates on her latest interviews, appearances, and speeches alongside funny anecdotes. Upon informing readers in a blog post that she made Fortune’s “40 Under 40” list, Mason wrote, “My world domination clock is ticking.” In her blog post about being featured in Glamour magazine, Mason wrote, “It’s exciting to think that people who never would have picked up an article about a bunch of nerds will be reading and thinking and being inspired.” Mason simultaneously keeps readers posted on her impressive achievements and jokes around, so she’s both entertaining and interesting to follow.
How you can use her tactics too: Have a little fun with your site. Sprinkle your blog posts or website updates with jokes and sarcasm. If research that humor relieves stress and helps maintain well-being is correct, Mason is doing all the right things to resonate with and lift up readers. Her jokes also give off the impression that she doesn’t take herself too seriously, and people always appreciate a funny, down-to-earth girl. Though Mason declined to be interviewed, she wrote in an email that her sense of humor is not an intentional promotion tactic, but a way to “manage the attention [she gets] in a positive way and to be a good role model and support [her] company and friends.” Most people are responsive humor, so it’s a fairly effortless, simple tool for reaching out to one’s audience.
On her website, Mason also includes a sidebar titled “Latest Updates”, which includes links to her blog posts and lists her recent achievements. Follow Mason’s lead and highlight your accomplishments on numerous places on your site.
Catherine Connors: Director of Community and Social Good at Babble.com, mom blogger
Industry: Parent blogging
Self-promotion strategies: Twitter, blog
Why her techniques work: A mother of two toddlers, New York City resident, and top mom blogger, Catherine Connors is the real-life version of Sarah Jessica Parker’s character in “I Don’t Know How She Does It,” which follows a career mom who tries to balance parenthood and a well respected job in finance.
“The ‘personal tidbits’ are everything - people get invested in the story of my personal life (especially when it involves things like moving to NYC,” Connors told The L(L) of the key to writing a successful parenting blog, adding that she appeals to a large audience of when she shares her own stories. “My self-promotion is not just promotion of self, it’s promotion of a whole narrative, so there’s a lot to work with.”
Though swamped with the responsibilities of a parent, Connors updates her blog consistently, tweets several times a day, and contributes to other sites. She details her accomplishments, awards, and skills in her website’s “About” section, which reveals that she has been featured in highly revered publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The London Times among others. Connors does not hesitate to mention her accolades and lists her email addresses on her site, making her easy to reach. She diversifies her Twitter posts with links to new blog posts and her site, updates on her goofy children, and yfrog and Instagram photos. With 14,000 Twitter followers, the ability to share her achievements with the world, and a trendy, widely read personal site, Connors has become an influential figure of the parenting blogosphere.
How you can use her tactics too: Maintain an active Twitter account and make your brand and niche clear in the “About Me” portion of your website and Twitter page. If you tweet on a regular basis and follow people of a similar mission and career path, you may eventually be viewed as an established member of your specific field. Retweet and tweet at your favorite public figures in your area of interest and they may respond, which could inspire their followers to follow you and see what you’re all about. While we’re on the topic of mom bloggers, let’s use Connors as an example. If she wanted to boost her credibility in her industry, she would follow parenting sites such as Mommyish, Babble, The Stir, Dooce, and more. Bottom line: Stick to your core focus so people know what to expect from your Twitter feed, but don’t be afraid to publish the occasional frivolous tweet about movies, television, or something silly your mom said.
Use social media analytics site, Klout to learn what sort of influence you have on the Twitterverse. If you’re low on the spectrum, which ranges from 1 to 100, narrow down the topics about which you tweet and focus on specific subjects to maintain consistency. Earlier this year, Michael Sunden of Landor Associates branding firm told tech site Mashable that establishing one’s brand is key on Twitter. “You need to find a mission, principles and a standard for what drives your brand,” Sunden said. “All those personality descriptions.”
Priscilla Gilman: Author of memoir “The Anti-Romantic Child”
Industry: Writing
Self-promotion strategies: Facebook
Why her techniques work: Earlier this year, the former Yale and Vassar English literature professor published a book about the ups and downs of raising a boy with a rare developmental disorder. Though she promotes her book on Twitter, Gilman’s book has gotten more traction from its Facebook page, which has nearly 28,000 fans. Gilman includes family photos, inspirational quotes from other writers, appearance information, personal tidbits about her life, articles about her book, and more on the book’s Facebook wall. She also responds to those who write notes on the book’s Facebook wall, and such correspondence is crucial to maintaining a fan base. The Facebook page isn’t all about her product either, as she likes to post relevant links about family life and the suffering of children. Gilman’s correspondence with readers, inclusion of information and links not directly related to her book, and broad range of Facebook content make her a highly effective self-promoter.
How you can use her tactics too: Take advantage of Facebook’s fan page offerings. Last spring, AOL site TechCrunch published a story on building engaging Facebook fan pages and explained to readers, “Facebook allows you to change the traditional boring tabs to be more exciting, original, and relevant.” Add apps to your page and establish a concrete publishing schedule for posting your content so others can always expect to find something new on your page. Use the “Notes” section to provide information on upcoming appearances or other great milestones. Make it a point to respond to fans’ public wall posts so it’s clear that you value the feedback and communication of your following.
Laura Donovan is an editor and writer for Levo.
