Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.~ Jeff Bezos
In the beginning, you are your brand and no one can advocate better about what you do best than you. Getting good at conveying a clear and concise message in highlighting your proficiencies is essential in the early stages of marketing your company. We often advise our network to be active in sharing about their company, and displaying their unique skill set in well-ordered, one-page, capabilities statement, white papers, and use cases. You have to decide on your brand as you are building your business because it will establish the path you take to properly market your work to the right target audience.
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Click to connect:
Platforms like LinkedIn are a great place to start your research of who is working within agencies that you are attempting to do business with. According to research done by the great Mark Amtower, there are thousands of government agency representatives that are active on LinkedIn. Also, the agencies will most likely have a company page as well that displays opportunities or events that you can attend virtually or in-person to learn more about how to do business with them. LinkedIn will provide access to information and opportunities to connect which can lead to more efficiency in your process.
Here you can also research leaders within your field of work, and see what they are up to. Perhaps a connection with them can lead to finding a solid mentor or even the opportunity to partner with a company that has been in the game longer and can share what they have learned or bring you in on projects that will help you rack up the ever-precious past performance.
You should also take time to research how your competitors are marketing themselves as well. This will help you stay focused with messaging and even create solid differentiators in what you do versus others in the market.
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React, respond, repeat
Effective engagement on LinkedIn is going to include participating with your network. Reading and reacting to posts from your connections will show you are engaged and listening. But you need to be consistent with this. Take time every day to share some thoughts on articles and posts that you see. The more you interact, the more you will show up in the feed, so not only will you be learning and building your community, but you will be seen more frequently as well. Be sure to be sincere, though. In every industry, who you know is very valuable. Be genuine with your interactions and build some viable connections in the process. Remember: kind words are a great idea and a wonderful gesture! And it’s a gift to share that won’t cost a dime but could make a huge difference!
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Find your voice and post, post, post!
Messaging is very important in marketing what you do. You need to be clear, concise and lead with what you do best. Above all else, consistency is key! The way you present your proficiencies and the frequency of your social media interactions will gain some traction and visibility in the market. Don’t be afraid of a catchy hashtag or tagging your contacts in posts that are relevant to them as well. And it goes without saying, you need to be courteous. Negative messaging will haunt your process, so steer away from naysaying and argumentative rhetoric.
Also, a safe pace for your posts should be once a day, and try to do so at the same time every day as well. There are many that give advice on peak times for sharing. You can google to find recommendations on that.
All of this can be accomplished in less than an hour every day and can make a big impact on your visibility. Not to mention, it doesn’t cost a thing. This is a great start for marketing within a budget as you are getting acclimated to the industry! Try it for a month and see if you gain followers and responses. I bet you won’t regret it!