If you search for “get over it” on wikimedia commons you see a lot of different images, including the one of the space shuttle being ferried back to home port (Home runway?) on the top of a 747.
There are a bunch of other images, too. Campaign posters, human rights, how to pick up girls, drought diagrams, a drawing having to do with the Louisiana Purchase.
Point is, people have been getting over it, whatever it is, for ages and ages.
As a freelancer, there is one thing that I am incredibly lazy about and that I hear that a lot of people feel incredibly guilty about. That is
SELF PROMOTION
Let’s “unpack.”
Will I ever get over how stupid “unpack” sounds? No. LOL.
GETTING OVER SELF PROMOTION
As a freelancer my goal is to be fully employed with well-paying gigs. Maybe just a scooch over fully employed but not by much.
If nobody knows what I do, how am I going to be employed?
I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SELF PROMOTE.
Now, do I have to do this on my personal facebook page all of the time? No. Can I do it of I want to? YES. My life. My rules. Is it wise to use my personal social media as my only means of promotion? No. But it makes sense to put some things on there because word of mouth is a powerful way to get business. If my friends know somebody who needs services like the ones I provide, I might get some business. I have gotten business that way. Good business.
There are other places to self promote. LinkedIn, Upwork, Facebook BUSINESS pages, certain groups (depends on what the rules are), craigslist, professional organizations, direct contact with whomever you want to work for.
Let’s dive deeper. *vomit emoji* (I hate business jargon. AHHHHHHHHH)
A LOT OF FREELANCERS DO MARKETING WHY CAN’T WE MARKET OURSELVES?
Is it this thing where we were raised to not brag?
Or that we have to be humble (being humble is a good thing)? Being humble doesn’t mean nobody ever knowing what we actually do for a living though. ‘Cause that leads to unemployment.
We don’t want our friends to get sick of us? (Ok, well real friends aren’t ever going to get sick of you. On social media, acquaintances can just unfollow you.)
God is going to smite us? (Don’t joke. I know a lot of people raised in super religious households and the massive guilt they feel about their whole entire lives due to that upbringing really gets in the way of, well, living.)
You feel like you suck at what you do? You don’t have anything to offer? (Let me go into that one a little bit more: If you are trying to sell a product or service that you don’t feel confident in or you don’t think is actually beneficial to people you will not want to promote it. You have two choices: get better at the thing you’re selling so you truly believe it is the best thing ever or move to a different thing.) If you have massive self esteem problems (And people do. Sometimes I do.) and those problems are standing in the way of doing effective work, get a therapist. That’s their job to help you get over crippling insecurity. Nothing wrong with needing outside help.
Ok back to the topic.
GETTING OVER SELF PROMOTION: DON’T MAKE THE CHOICE FOR YOUR AUDIENCE
You ARE really good at what you do. Or, at the very least, you’re good enough for somebody. Someone is going to want what you have to offer. Your skills will be a match for somebody’s needs.
If you don’t put what you have to offer out there, YOU are making the choice for the people you could help. YOU are making the choice for them to not hire you because they don’t know you exist.
By telling the world that you know how to do xyz things, you’re not holding a gun to anyone’s head saying “You must buy this.” You’re letting them choose. But you have to LET THEM CHOOSE. They have to know you’re a choice.
HOW I GOT MY BEST CLIENT
She wrote a newsletter monthly that went to people in my industry. I read it and was like, “This chick has her $*&^ together and she does stuff that I do. Plus I like her voice. Imma write to her.”
So I replied to one of her newsletters and said, “Hey I like getting your newsletters (because I did.) I do similar things to you. If you ever need subcontractors, keep my info handy.” After a year or a year and a half of conversing, I started doing some work for her.
If I hadn’t sent that email I would have missed out on doing work I enjoy for someone I enjoy working with. And I help her too. I offered what I had and I let her make the choice.
