The Art of Self Promotion

"It's not what you know, it's who you know." We've all heard this little phrase time and time again. But in the business world, how will those people know us enough to remember us if we don't stand apart from the crowd?

Whether we're trying to communicate to current or prospective clients, constant self-promotion is a must. This doesn't mean Xeroxing 500 fliers at your local copy shop and then slapping them up around town on billboards. It means taking your individuality and reinforcing your brand's image on postcards, ads and in newspapers. By creating promotional materials that are consistent with your brand identity, your repeated efforts will surely gain clients' attention.

Everyday our mailboxes are packed full (at work and at home) with direct mail pieces. Sadly, many go straight to the trash and marketing dollars have gone to waste. So how can we promote our business while staying unique enough to be noticed? Here a few ideas:

Idea Box: We all have old ideas for promoting ourselves that we didn't have time to put into motion before. These are marketing opportunities waiting to happen!

Creative and Unique Postcards: Think about sending a strangely shaped piece of direct mail. Or what about a 3-dimensional object? Anything different and unusual is good because you'll surely be seen amongst the junk mail.

Photography: People are visual creatures and they need stuff to look at. If your brochures and communication materials are filled with sentence after sentence, consider investing in some stock photography to liven things up a bit.

Logo Consistency: If your company has five different logos, drop four of them. It takes 3-4 times of staring at your business before a person will remember it. No reason to throw extra logos at them!

Thank You Stationery: I, too, feel that often I don't have time to jot down a hand-written thank you. But imagine a colleague or client's surprise at receiving a nicely, custom designed note card. The handwritten address on the envelope is enough alone to get a person's attention. Plus, people always appreciate the five minutes you're willing to dedicate to them.

Be Yourself: The great thing about people watching is that everyone looks completely different! Businesses are the same way. Bring this individuality out in your company. Don't be afraid to look different and use graphics out of the ordinary - people will remember you more for it!