No one likes a shameless self-promoter on social media. Labeling yourself a guru, expert, ninja, pro or passionate in your online bio is the quickest way to signal “trying too hard.”

Those who try to hide their ego-boosting with false modesty are even worse — which is why the derisive hashtag #HumbleBrag was born.

So are you just supposed to cower on social media for fear that others may think you’re full of yourself? Should you just post cat videos and hope everyone will like you?

No, you can sell yourself without being smarmy. You’re missing out on a major benefit of social media if you’re afraid to make a name for yourself.

So I present three strategies to promote yourself and grow a social media following without coming off as self-aggrandizing.

Reporting

During my days as a journalist, I pinned an index card with a single word behind my monitor. The word was REPORT.

This was a reminder that if I got stuck, it was probably because I needed a return to basics. A journalist can’t write without reporting. So I would hit the street, talk to more people, and learn my subject more in-depth.

Then after filling my reporter’s notebook, I just shared what I learned with readers. A reporter’s main function is to let facts do the talking.

Show, don’t tell. That’s what my journalism professors taught me.

You can do the same with your social media bios. Report on yourself like a subject for others to learn.

Take this LinkedIn bio example from Alex Lahr, a senior at Marquette University —

I’m Alex Lahr. I hail from a small Wisconsin town where the local tavern served as the town hall, restaurant and recreation facility.

In my college career, I’ve been lucky to follow a unique path. I’ve hosted radio shows, participated in a year-long photography project, taken a class on Alfred Hitchcock and learned about advertising and branding in London and Barcelona.

Alex reports on himself. He tells a story with his background, his formative experiences and his interests. People can then draw their own conclusions. Show, don’t tell.

Reciprocity

Are you still having a hard time figuring out what to include in your bio?Maybe you’re too modest to brag. Maybe you think everything you’ve done is awesome and you don’t know where to start.

It can be hard to tell what’s important and what’s not when you don’t have distance to offer perspective. This is why reporters have editors.

So ask someone else what they think stands out most about you.

The easiest way to do this is to first do the same for them. Pick people you’ve worked with and write a LinkedIn recommendation for them. People want to help those who have done them favors. It’s the law of reciprocity.

When writing a recommendation, focus on the tangible actions, traits and skills that person displays. Ask them to do the same for you. What they say about you will be more credible (and palatable) coming from someone else.

But don’t just recommend someone expecting a quid pro quo. I’ve written 65 LinkedIn recommendations and received 23. That’s OK.

You won’t always see or need an immediate return on your good deed. But you will start to see patterns of skills and traits you admire — and what you want others to see in you.

Repetition

In social media, your bio can only take you so far. In reality, you’re lucky if someone skims it when they click follow, friend or connect.

Your day-to-day actions are a lot more visible and carry more weight. The best way to promote yourself in social media is through consistently sharing valuable links that communicate your interests and insights. Your posts are your living resume.

“The currency of social media is the share,” Courtney Seiter writes on the Buffer blog. “We all want to be the go-to person with the latest news, the most intriguing viral content, or the best hidden gems followers wouldn’t have found otherwise.”

That’s why I keep a reading list full in Pocket and Readability apps, which save articles for me. Then after reading them I can add commentary and share via Buffer, a tool that automatically spaces out my posts across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus.

If you’re still not sure how to promote yourself? Start by sharing this article.

At least then I’ll think you’re an expert. #Humblebrag.