If you’re reading this, I guess you hate self-promoting online.

You’re not alone. For over 30 years, I was in direct face-to-face sales, yet when I came online, I struggled beyond belief with self-promotion.

In direct sales, you promote your product. You establish a relationship with the customer within the first few minutes of meeting them.

Online is the opposite; you spend a lot of time promoting yourself before you can begin “selling” to your customers.

Trust is overriding!

But there’s good news — self-promotion doesn’t have to feel sleazy or inauthentic. You can build an online presence and attract clients in a natural way that aligns with your personality.

Here are some suggestions that have worked for me, and I’m sure they’ll help you:

Reframe

Reframe self-promotion as helping, not selling. You have gifts, skills, and knowledge that can benefit others.

Focus on the value you provide, not on pushing a sale. When you come from a place of service, self-promotion feels more authentic.

Build Relationships

Build genuine relationships, not just a follower count. Forget about vanity metrics.

You aim to cultivate a small but engaged audience who know, like, and trust you.

Interact, ask questions, provide value. Real connection is more powerful than numbers.

Share Your Story

Share your story and how you got where you are. Customers want to feel they know you well.

Let people peek behind the curtain.

Be vulnerable and share your struggles alongside your wins. This builds trust and relatability. People want to work with humans, not faceless brands.

Ideal Clients

Focus on attracting your ideal clients. You don’t need to appeal to the masses, just the right people. Not everyone will want to buy from you, and many won’t take to you.

And that’s okay.

Part of your job is to weed those out and forget them. Just deal with those who want to know you.

Be crystal clear on who you want to serve and create content that speaks directly to them — quality over quantity.

Promote Others

To begin with, promote others more than yourself. The power of reciprocity is immense.

Share resources, give shoutouts, and be generous. When you become a go-to source of help in your niche, your reputation grows organically.

And you feel good uplifting others.

Your Work Speaks Volumes

You don’t want to be tooting your horn every five minutes. Let your work speak for itself. Be modest.

Modesty in human beings is praised because it is not a matter of nature but of will. — Lactantius

Showcase your results for credibility reasons. Share case studies, testimonials, and before-and-afters.

Provide so much value that your work becomes undeniable.

Self-Compassion

The fear of being judged and rejected is a genuine FEAR, especially if you’re shy or lacking confidence.

Be kind to yourself as you work your way out of your comfort zone.

You don’t have to be perfect; just be willing to experiment and learn.

The bottom line? Hiding in the shadows will not work. No one is looking for you.

Self-promotion becomes easier when you lead with generosity, tell your authentic story, and keep your focus on the people you want to help.

That’s how to start. Your confidence will grow, and in six months to a year, you won’t recognize yourself.

Thank you for reading.