Your problem with self-promotion is yourself

I love building websites for people.  It's what we do here at The Factory.  The goal is simple: Equip people with an attractive online home so they can make a difference in the lives of others.

95% of the time when a new client reaches out to me to talk about their interest in having a blog or a site I have to call out a fear in them: 

You don't want to look like you're self-promoting do you?

And I get it.  We've all had an experience with someone who is finding great worth in how many people read their blog.  Or, we are bombarded with posts on social media about what's happening on their blog.  We think, "We're okay with you being self-obsessed but now you're letting everyone know you're self-obsessed."

Let it be known: There is a significant difference between adding value to others and self-promoting.  If you want to add value then we're inviting you to write.  And yes, it should be personal but it also should be written with someone else in mind.  The fear of self-promotion is often a safety blanket for those who don't want to fail.  

There's three questions you can ask yourself to guard against self-promotion online:

1.  Am I adding value to someone else's life?

2.  Am I lifting others up or am I lifting myself up?

3.  When I (write/podcast/vlog etc) am I thinking of a particular person I want to help?

Is it really your fear of self-promotion or could it be a fear of failure?  If it is a real fear of self-promotion the answer is simple: Don't make about you.  As much as we worry about the one person in our life who would be critical of us putting our thoughts out there, there's another person you haven't met who needs the encouragement you have to offer.   You could be the light in someone else's storm.