Top 10 Personal Marketing Tips | Business Networking
Interested in personal marketing tips? Popl is here to help! Successful networking has a lot to do with how you market yourself. This is true whether you’re talking about in-person or online marketing. And, as every in-person marketer can tell you, online identity will always play a significant role in your networking success. What is personal marketing, and what steps can professionals take to put their best foot forward?
Here are the top ten personal marketing tips for successful networking:
Use the Right In-Person Marketing Tools
Aside from social media, you’ll also want to have the right tools for in-person marketing so that you’re covered when potentially valuable situations come up or if and when you’re doing real-world networking events or conferences.
The best in-personal marketing tool is a digital business card like Popl. Using Popl will not only enable you to quickly exchange contact information with potential leads, partners, recruiters, and collaborators but will also make follow-ups easy and will add legitimacy to every interaction you have.
Another thing to consider — especially if you’re in real estate — is direct mail. Self-promotion is an old art that sometimes means “old” marketing methods still work. Direct mail can be very effective in certain industries.
Develop a Personal Marketing Plan
The first step in successful personal marketing is to have a plan. A personal marketing plan or strategy will help you achieve goals like landing a new job, working toward a long-term career goal, or articulating your ideas or plans to your boss.
Your personal marketing plan should include:
- Your target audience (e.g., potential employers, clients, or business contacts)
- What you want to achieve (e.g., a new job, more clients, or recognition as an expert in your field)
- How you will achieve your goals (e.g., through online networking, attending events, or speaking at conferences)
- What resources do you need (e.g., time, money, or help from others)
- There are personal marketing plan examples and templates available online.
Create a Professional Online Presence
Creating and maintaining a professional online presence is essential for career success. It’s also an important part of digital marketing, your own individual marketing strategy. This means having a well-written resume and profile on LinkedIn and being active on other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Here’s how to leverage social media for personal marketing:
- Use LinkedIn to connect with potential employers, clients, or business contacts.
- Use Twitter to share your ideas and connect with others in your field.
- Use Facebook to stay in touch with friends, family, and acquaintances.
- Have a good professional profile picture.
- Read more on online networking.
You should also consider making a profile on niche networking and personal marketing sites. This leads to our second personal marketing tip.
Market Yourself to a Niche Audience
Don’t try to be everything to everyone. When you market yourself to a specific audience or group of people, you’ll be more likely to make lasting connections. And as a result, you’ll have an easier time achieving your personal marketing goals.
Some examples of niche audiences include:
- Job seekers in a certain industry
- Entrepreneurs
- Small business owners
- Stay-at-home moms
Wondering how to find the right niche audience? Start by identifying the groups of people you’d like to connect with and then look for events, online communities, or other resources that cater to those audiences. Niche audience focus can be very specific, and, in fact, the more specific, the better. For instance, don’t just say, “People interested in real estate”; say, “Millennials interested in mid-priced real estate in New York.” The more focused your target, the more likely you will hit your mark.
Develop and Promote Your Personal Brand
Your personal brand makes you unique and sets you apart from the competition. It’s how people perceive you and includes your values, strengths, weaknesses, and passions.
To develop your brand, start by creating a list of adjectives describing you. Then, ask yourself how you want to be known and what you want to be known for. Once you clearly understand your personal brand, the next step is to start promoting it.
Some ways to promote your personal brand include:
- Writing articles or blog posts
- Speaking at events or conferences
- Networking online and offline
- Volunteering
Personal Marketing Tips: Be an Active Listener
When networking, it’s important to remember that it’s not all about you. To build strong relationships, you must be an active listener and show a genuine interest in others. This means asking questions and being interested in their actions, goals, challenges, etc.
Here are some great personal marketing tips to consider when working on active listening.
- Pay attention: Give the person your undivided attention, and keep distractions to a minimum.
- Show that you’re listening: Nod, smile, and make eye contact.
- Follow up: Follow up with an email or LinkedIn message after the conversation. This shows that you were paying attention and care about what they do.
- Being an active listener is key whether you’re on the job search or if you're the CEO listening to one of your subordinates.
- Read more on how to network.
Be Inclusive and Kind
Inclusivity and kindness are important parts of any marketing efforts. These qualities matter not only in your personal life but also professionally.
When networking, you’ll come across all kinds of people from different backgrounds and with different personalities. By being inclusive and kind, you’ll make everyone feel welcome and comfortable, making networking a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to be more inclusive and kind:
- Don’t make assumptions: Get to know people before making assumptions about them.
- Be open-minded: Be open to new ideas and perspectives.
- Respect others: Show respect for others, even if you disagree with them.
Consider Speaking Events or Making a Marketing Podcast
If you’re looking for ways to get your name out there, speaking at events or starting a marketing podcast are two great options. Not only will this help you build your personal brand, but it will also allow you to connect with new people and potentially land some new clients.
When it comes to speaking events, there are usually two options: paid and free. Free events are a great way to get started because they tend to be less competitive and more relaxed. Paid events, on the other hand, can be a great way to make some extra money while networking and building your brand.
As for podcasts, they’re a fantastic way to reach a wider audience and connect with people from all over the world. Plus, they’re relatively easy and inexpensive to produce. If you’re considering starting a marketing podcast, optimize your topics around a specific niche and go from there.
Create Your Own Blog or Website
If you want to take your personal brand to the next level, creating your own blog or website is a great way to do it. This will give you complete control over your personal brand and how people perceive you. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with new people and build relationships.
When creating your blog or website, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Choose a catchy name: Your blog or website's name should reflect your personal brand.
- Use high-quality images: The visuals on your site should be professional and high quality.
- Write compelling content: The content on your site should be well-written and engaging.
Personal blogs are a great way to form partnerships, meet potential clients, land new customers, and more.
Personal Marketing Tips: Provide Value
Maybe the most important rule in personal marketing is to develop a valuable skill and then offer that skill to help others professionally. You likely won’t get too far by simply trying to take, take, and take some more without ever giving anything back. If you want to be successful in networking and life — it’s important to focus on providing value.
One way to do this is by becoming an expert in a certain area and offering your services to others. For example, if you’re a great writer, you can offer your writing services to businesses or individuals who need help with their marketing materials. Or, if you’re good at social media, you can offer your services as a social media consultant.
Another way to provide value is by sharing your knowledge and expertise with others. Sharing information can be done by starting a blog, writing articles, or giving presentations. By sharing your knowledge, you’ll not only be helping others, but you’ll also be positioning yourself as an expert self-marketing person.
How to Use Popl Digital Business Card for Personal Marketing and Branding
Popl's digital business card is ideal for professional networking and a powerful tool for personal marketing.
Let’s explore how to harness the potential of Popl to boost your personal brand and leave a memorable impression.
1. Elevating Your Personal Brand
- Eye-Catching Design: Craft a Popl Digital Business Card that reflects your unique personality and style, showcasing your personal brand through colors, logos, and visuals that resonate with your audience.
- Customized Content: Tailor your card with personal information, including social media links, personal websites, and a brief bio to convey a compelling narrative about who you are and what you represent.
- Highlighting Achievements: Use Popl to showcase your accomplishments, such as certifications, awards, or portfolio pieces, reinforcing your expertise and credibility.
2. Amplifying Your Online Presence
- Social Media Integration: Seamlessly link your Popl card to your social media profiles, enabling connections to explore your online presence, engage with your content, and follow you on various platforms.
- Content Sharing: Share engaging blog posts, videos, or other media on your Popl card to provide value and insights, positioning yourself as an authority in your niche.
- Collecting Feedback: Encourage reviews and testimonials on your Popl card to build social proof and gain the trust of potential followers and collaborators.
3. Tracking Personal Marketing Success
- Analyzing Engagement: Leverage Popl’s analytics to track the performance of your personal marketing efforts. Measure the number of clicks, views, and engagement with your card.
- A/B Testing: Experiment with different designs, content, and strategies, and use analytics to determine what resonates most with your target audience.
- Adapting Strategies: Based on the data you gather, adapt your personal marketing strategies on Popl to continuously refine and improve your personal branding efforts.
These strategies will help you leave a lasting impression and cultivate a loyal following in the digital world.
The Takeaway
Personal marketing is all about creating value and establishing relationships. So, focus on providing value and making online and offline connections. If you do that, you’ll be well on your way to success.
Also, check out some of our new products at Popl if you want to set up your customizable digital business card. If you’re interested in becoming a Popl reseller, please go here: https://popl.co/pages/resellers
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About Popl Teams: Popl Teams is a B2B SaaS platform created by Popl that helps organizations create, manage, and distribute digital business cards for their employees. Popl digital business cards allow instant sharing with the tap of an NFC-powered Popl device or by sending a personalized URL or QR code. Among other major benefits, Popl digital cards support contact management and in-person networking by helping users capture more leads using autofill forms. It automatically synchs with popular CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, and more.
This article originally appeared HERE on the Popl blog.
