If you’re any sort of business leader, then you’ve probably already realized how important it is to have a loyal community that follows your work. But how can you build that community while standing out from your competitors? In this blog, let’s explore how to market yourself as a business owner with five concrete tips you can implement immediately to start seeing results.

How to Market Yourself as a Business Owner in 5 Ways

Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and consistency is key. Considering picking a few of these tips to tackle first and stick to it!

1. Become the Authority Voice on a Specific Topic or Industry

A lot of people know me as a vaccine expert. This has become a niche that I focus on, which allows me to build authority and trust around something specific.

A lot of entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to be good at everything. But by definition, you can’t be an expert in everything. Niching down isn’t going to limit you. It’s actually the opposite. Focusing on a few specific industries or segments of industries allows you to position yourself as a go-to voice in that field.

When you try to do everything, you end up being mediocre at everything. Pick one or a few arenas to focus on, and dedicate your energy to becoming an expert in those things.

2. Find Your Audience on Social Media

A lot of professionals will say that if you want to learn how to market yourself as an entrepreneur, you have to be everywhere online. I understand this argument, but remember what I just said: You can’t be amazing at everything.

Plus, you might very well find that your target audience has a bigger presence on some social media platforms than others. For example, TikTok is a great place to connect with younger minds, while Facebook has an older demographic.

This might take some trial and error, but that’s okay! Play around with the different social media platforms available to you, and see where you gain the most traction. Double down on what works, and shelve the rest for now.

Also, keep in mind that on a single platform, you can experiment with different types of content. For example, on LinkedIn (a great platform for entrepreneurs!), you can share text-based posts, articles, slideshows, pictures, and videos. You can even stream live to your audience. You might find that some types of content get more engagement than others.

3. Find Speaking, Interview, and Podcast Opportunities

This can be a game-changer. Sharing other people’s content online — and even posting your own — is a good start. However, understandably, people these days won’t easily trust a stranger they encounter online.

But when they can see your face and hear your voice, it removes much of the mystery surrounding who you are as a person. It makes it easier for your target market to get to know, like, and trust you.

This might mean appearing on someone’s YouTube channel or podcast. Or you might have these platforms yourself. You can also look for speaking and presenting opportunities at conferences, expos, meet-ups, and other events, whether they’re virtual or in-person.

I know that getting in front of people in this manner can be really intimidating. But with time and practice, it gets easier! This is such a powerful way to form real connections with other people.

4. Solve People’s Problems

Especially when your following and community are still relatively small, people aren’t going to remember you so much as the impact you had on them. This is more about them than you, the entrepreneur!

This is why as you’re learning how to market yourself as an entrepreneur, you should always be asking yourself one question: “How can I provide value for my audience?”

Solve their problems, give them something they need, inspire them, or entertain them. Give them a reason to keep coming back to you for more. If you’re not sure how or where to get started with this, think about these questions:

• What are their top three pain points?
• What are they trying to achieve?
• What’s stopping them from getting there?
• What solution(s) do you have to offer?

5. Build a Brand, Not Just Your Own Identity

As an entrepreneur trying to market yourself, you actually have to think a lot bigger than yourself as an individual. This isn’t just about promoting you. It’s about promoting the brand that is you. Think of questions like these:

• How do I want people to feel when they visit one of my channels?
• What’s the overall vibe of my branding?
• What are the top three things that differentiate me from my competitors?
• What’s the tone of the language that I use?

You can make it even more granular than this. For instance, if you post pictures of yourself on social media, how do you want to show up? What types of attire do you want to wear? What colors do you want to focus on for your branding? Fonts? Logos?

Take a step back and look at the bigger picture of your brand, beyond you as an individual.

Remember that some things you’ll try won’t work that well. That’s totally normal. On the other hand, you’re going to find things that work really well, and those tactics are going to give you a lot of direction and insight.

Stay consistent, be patient, and in time, your marketing efforts as an entrepreneur will pay off!

If you enjoyed this blog, learn about the top seven leadership qualities of effective entrepreneurs.