Like many entrepreneurs or self-employed people, I am a one-person band. I do the work, market myself, search out streams of income, make opportunities for myself, do the research, herald my successes, and handle the dilemmas. Marketing myself is a huge task. People need to know what it is that I do. And although in my line of work it’s your reputation that goes a long way, you still need buzz. You need so-called brand recognition – even when the brand is Meghan Lynn Allen.
And so, I “market” myself. If I am on television, I provide the link on my web site and social media sites. I document my successes on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You might have seen an interview like this one way or another recently. I also have a small list of people that I email a few times a year that do not use social media or that are professionals in the industry who I am not “friends” with per se.
Sometimes I wonder if there are people who tire of seeing links to my blog or tv appearances. But the truth is, I have to get it out there. I tried having a Facebook artist “fan page” for a while, but in the end I felt like a small number of people who were already my Facebook friends were getting the same info from two sources. There didn’t seem to be a benefit from the page. In theory, that is what my personal web site is for. People can find everything they need to know about me in one place. But if I don’t posts the links to my blog and videos weekly, I don’t really think people will go out of their way to check meghanlynnallen.com.
If you are self-employed and in the position of marketing yourself, has this situation ever given you cause for concern? Is there a better, more succinct way or marketing myself that makes more sense (on no budget)? Am I doing everything right? And if you are a follower, a fan, or a friend – what do you think? Sometimes I feel like I am saying, “I am narcissist, hear me roar!” But in the entertainment biz…maybe that’s a good thing.
God I love me, don’t you? Meghan
