The brand storytelling power of print is undisputed, and it’s even more powerful when it’s paired with social media. Whether you’re promoting your own business or building a brand for clients, a media mix approach can help you reach a larger audience. At Blueline By Domtar, we know it’s tough for many designers and printers to balance working in your business and working on your business. While it may seem impossible, self promotion is essential if you want to maintain relationships, grow your business and be seen as a leader in your field. Regular self-promotion that includes print and digital components is the best way to keep your business top-of-mind with current and future customers.
Social Media Guru Roberto Blake has created countless videos, tutorials and blogs to help people build their businesses, and he’s convinced everyone can — and should — make time to self-promote. Here are Roberto’s top tips to work marketing your business into your busy schedule:
- Make it a habit.
How often should you self-promote? It’s less about quantity, and more about consistency. “Decide what is practical in your situation, and what is sustainable, and then show up regularly,” Blake says. “Have a habit for success. It’s like exercising — if you do it regularly, you will notice a difference. But if you only do it occasionally, you may not notice a change.”
- Focus on relationships first.
You could cold-call your clients — but a warmer approach works better. Blake suggests sharing content your audience wants to see. Every promotion may not lead to a sale — but in his words, “You can’t close, and shouldn’t want to, on the first interaction, because that is not a real relationship. Use each interaction to cultivate that relationship, so when they need your product or service, they are comfortable to buy.”
- Reduce effort by curating content.
Whether your self-promotion is printed or digital, developing it takes time — but you don’t have to create everything from scratch. “Let’s say your goal is to post on social media 4-5 times per day. That sounds like a lot of work. But I just go to Twitter, and search #design or #printproblems,” Blake explains. “I find 25 articles from trusted sources like @HOWbrand, paste them into Hootsuite, add hashtags, and create a playlist by mixing in articles I wrote. That’s a week’s worth of content, in less than an hour.”
- Save time with automation.
Write status updates early, and set them to auto-post on using a program like Hootsuite. Instead of typing a blog, dictate it into your phone. You can also break one piece of content into multiple pieces to post on various platforms. Post a video to YouTube, upload the audio as a podcast, and use screen shots to create memes for Instagram.
- Invest in yourself.
If you don’t feel comfortable creating content, carve out time each week to learn more. “Educate yourself over a week, using three hours of spare time,” he suggests. “The hours aren’t billable, but they are an investment in your business.”
If you don’t promote your business, no one else will. Self-promotion takes time, but it’s worth the effort. To get more ideas on digital self-promotion, visit robertoblake.com or check out Roberto's YouTube channel. Visit the Blueline Gallery.