Today I thought I’d dig into the age-old question: what am I actually doing here?
I’m an artist. I’m a writer. I’m a content creator, a marketer, a mother with a gazillion interesting stories to tell, if you are willing to listen. Or read them.
When I first started freelancing, I had zero clue how to market myself. With all the labels like “content strategist”, “blogger”, “copywriter”, “social media guru”, the list goes on. I could not narrow my title down to just one thing.
Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash
But here’s the thing: marketing yourself when you’re not 100% sure what you’re selling doesn’t have to be as complicated as we make it.
Because here’s what I learned through my mistakes:
1. You Don’t Have to Be a “Master” Yet
When you first start a new creative journey, it’s easy to feel like you need to have everything figured out before you start marketing…. but you don’t.
And you’ll never have it all figured out.
When I first started my own business, I was still figuring out my strengths, what I actually enjoyed doing, and understanding how to tie that back to needs I could address.
I made a promise to myself, though: I wouldn’t wait for perfection to start pitching myself.
My advice:
Find one thing you know how to do well and talk about it. You don’t have to be an expert. Offer the solution you can currently provide, even if it’s not “perfect.”
People are willing to pay for progress, not perfection.
2. Let Your Work Speak for You
One thing I didn’t realize at first was that marketing didn’t always have to be about a sales pitch. It could be about showing your work.
My advice:
Post the process. Let people see what you’re working on — whether it’s writing a blog, designing a logo, or brainstorming content ideas. People don’t necessarily need to see a finished project.
The journey is more interesting.
My small business started out by people who liked my art on Instagram, and everything snowballed from there.
3. Use Simple Language
When I started out, I didn’t know what to call myself. So, I just kept it simple: “I help businesses create content that connects with their audience.” It was broad, but it worked, and since has evolved.
My advice: Instead of overcomplicating your pitch, use clear language that anyone could understand.
Think: “I help [type of client] with [type of service].”
4. Ask for Feedback
The more I put myself out there, the more I learned what people actually needed. I asked past clients for feedback and paid attention to what they valued most in my work. I even asked them for Google reviews because I quickly learned that people were finding my business online through search results and keywords like “marketing loudoun county”
My advice: Reach out to people you’ve worked with (even in volunteer roles) and ask them:
“What was the most valuable part of working with me?”
What You Can Do Today:
Start with one simple service that you know you can offer (even if it’s just a small part of a larger project). Maybe it’s copywriting, or editing, or creating social media posts for a client.
Share your process on social media or your blog to build visibility and engagement.
Ask for feedback from past clients or people you’ve helped to refine your pitch.
Marketing yourself doesn’t need to be a perfect science. It’s all about putting yourself out there, learning as you go, and refining along the way.
📰 Subscribe to my newsletter on Substack for more: Off Course Chronicles | Shay Wins | Substack
