You know what you offer is valuable to your ideal clients who need you. You really do make life better for them. But the struggle is actually telling others you are good at what you do without feeling like you are desperate or tooting your own horn.

No matter what stage of business you are in, marketing and prospecting are important; the key to growth. Marketing helps tell the story of who your brand is, how you make life better/easier/more efficient/fulfilling, and how you do that differently than others. If you aren't controlling (or sharing) your story who will? Here are some ways you can promote yourself as a solopreneur.

Testimonials & Referrals

When you put in a little work up front the payoff is hefty on this one. Getting feedback from clients is an easy way to share what you do and how well you do it. The beauty here is it's coming from other people! Not only does this alleviate the mental block of bragging about your skills, it adds high-valued social proof. Meaning that of course you can say anything about yourself, but when it comes from others it has more weight. 

As mentioned there is some upfront work that should be done to obtain testimonials and referrals. Namely have a process so it happens consistently. Use third-party review platforms like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Trip Advisor, etc. Include asking your clients for a testimonial by easily sending them a link to your preferred platform. Then you can screenshot it to display on your website or social media. Even simply ask for a response in an email that can be used in your content.

Referrals can be as simple as sending a thank you note with your business card to pass along. Or a pre-written email they can forward to a friend or associate who could use your help.

Case Studies

Similar to a testimonial but information in a case study comes from you. You share the results of a client experience. What is a project you are really proud of the results? Or something you worked on where your client told you how helpful you were? Case studies tend to have a quantitative aspect to demonstrate by numbers that you can get results. There is also the qualitative aspect to a case study. For example one client I work with teaches swim lessons. He can speak to how many lessons he's given as well as the stories from parents who feel more relaxed at the beach or pool with their children after the lessons. They are confident their children have the skills to swim and therefore less likely to experience drowning. These are the stories that drive similar people to work with him.

Show A Little Personality

People do business with people. You will shine through your brand. Let your personality come through in your marketing. You can do this in your written communication (emails, social posts, website), in video, or when you meet in person or "e-person" - yes I just made that up. Networking events whether live or virtual offer a time to let your personality show when talking about your business. Be prepared by knowing what to say when asked "What do you do?" Talk about the transformation you provide for your clients. I could say "I help make marketing easier for small business owners so that their ideal clients are excited to engage with them." 

And remember you are not for everyone, you will attract the right clients when you focus on finding them.

Additional ways to market yourself to your ideal client:

• Find common ground

• Speak their language

• Use keywords of things important to them

• Tie what you offer to what’s important to them

• Provide quality products/service

• Share swag with your brand name

• Put links or promos in your email signature

• Join an affiliate group

• Be consistent