The rules of self-marketing: How to position your business and get your name out there

1. Identify your target audience and where they can be reached, says Elizabeth Shelton of Write Results Marketing in Cape Girardeau. Are you selling to women? Consider sponsoring or buying a booth at a local event that attracts women, like the Boas & Bling fundraiser for Lutheran Family and Children's Services. Looking for young people? Try social media. Seniors? It may be worth it to invest in print products.

2. Set yourself apart. "Know who you are as a business and what makes you unique," says Dana Hukel of BOLD Marketing in Cape Girardeau. "Ask the tough question of 'Why would anyone buy from my business?', especially if there are more established competitors already in the market."

Next, work those differences to your advantage. Share with people what makes you different and why your business, product or service is worth looking into.

"Then, make good on your brand promise with every interaction with every customer," says Hukel. "Especially if you have competitors going after the same customer base, you must provide consistency to create loyalty."

3. Take advantage of social media. It's free to use sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, and you'll connect with people you may not have met otherwise. These sites are particularly important if you're selling a visual product, like artwork or hair accessories, says Shelton.

"Ensure each customer knows of your social media offerings and work to keep those offerings fresh with new content and tactics to get them back for additional sales," adds Hukel.

4. Don't overdo it. There's a fine line between telling friends and family about your product and pushing it to excess on your Facebook page.

"I would encourage setting up a separate Facebook page or Twitter account or Pinterest board, whatever you have decided is the best avenue to work with, rather than bombarding your personal friends," says Shelton. "I would recommend setting up a separate account for (your business) and promoting it occasionally on your personal page, without mucking up all your friends' newsfeeds."

The same goes for face-to-face interactions: "One mistake people make when selling is that they talk too much," says Shelton. "The best salespeople are the ones who listen to the needs and wants of their audience, and figure out how their products can meet them."

5. Get out there! Social media is great, but you also need to get out in the community, where you can connect with people one-on-one and show them your actual products.

"If you have good family support so that you're able to get out there and go to networking events and fundraising opportunities where vendors are encouraged to set up, that's a good way to get your name out there," says Shelton.

Participate in events where your product or service complements the theme of the event or venue, says Hukel -- think home shows, tastings, fundraising events, markets and more.

"Look for venues where your target audience will be present and then make sure you are there with enough product to sell," she says. "Get creative about how to attract venue-goers to your booth, and then the sales process is easier because they are interested in what you have to provide."

6. Talk to strangers. The woman sitting next to you at the doctor's office may be looking for a new makeup product -- you never know! So, perfect your "elevator speech" -- a few sentences that summarize who you are and what you do -- and then come up with a few opening lines to talk about your product. For example, if you sell nutritional supplements, say something like, "You look like someone who cares about being healthy -- do you use any particular line of nutritional supplements?" Shelton suggests. Ask a question and open up a conversation without immediately coming on to the person with a hard sell.

7. Don't spend a ton of money on business cards. "A lot of women, especially ones who have not been in business before, get excited about business cards," says Shelton. "You want them to look decent, but the goal is to give them to everybody without it costing you a lot."

8. Provide great service, and don't forget to follow up. Just like with any other business, great service is key to repeat customers and word-of-mouth.

"Make sure to follow up with them, and also make them aware of specials or if you have a new product they might be interested in," says Shelton. "Personalize it, but don't bombard everybody with every offer. Personalizing shows that you have a personal interest in them, and you're not just trying to sell a product."

While you're at it, chat with your customers about their experience, says Hukel: How did you find us? What can we do better? Would you be willing to recommend us?

"Taking the time to ask questions of your initial customers can help direct the focus of marketing efforts going forward, and allow you to continue to tighten the business structure around what your customers want," she says.

BONUS TIP!

If you work through a direct-sales company, there may be rules or limits on the promotion you can do for yourself. Be sure to look into this before you get started. Your company might also have marketing tips available that you can apply to your business.