Women’s Bragging Rights: Three ways to stop downplaying your greatness

When a man brags about his business wins, he is usually celebrated, congratulated, or taken for a steak-dinner (and rightly so!).  When a woman self-promotes, we are often seen as arrogant, pushy, or self-serving. When it comes to celebrating our wins, the truth is, it is not a level playing field for each gender.

There are endless studies around the gap between men and women in their ability to tout their skills. It’s also likely a huge reason for gender inequality in business and beyond. How many times have you been in a situation where you’ve watered down the immense value you provided in a proposal, team, or project for fear of coming across the wrong way? I’ve done it more times than I’d like to admit, whereas our male counterparts don’t think twice about elevating their performance – with confidence.

But ladies, the harsh reality is: if nobody knows about the work you’re doing, there is no point in doing it.

You’ll never get that funding, that dream client, or that incredible new opportunity. If you want to be recognised for the awesome work you do (and continue to help those who need you), you must master how to celebrate your skills.

And there are plenty of ways to do it without coming across as ‘full of ourselves’, I promise.

Self-promotion is harnessing the power of social media, marketing, and branding to amplify your expertise. If you break out in a sweat at the mere thought of tooting your own horn, here are some ways that you can get started, play bigger, and embrace the art of bragging:

1. FOCUS ON WHO YOU HELP

Flip your mindset and rather than fretting about what your peers might think, think instead about who it is that you serve and why they need to hear about your offering. Assuming that you are in business to make a difference and help people, think about those people learning about you and how your talent will positively impact them.

Before you write that pitch, bio, or sales page, picture your avatar client, and speak directly to them. Imagine their pain points and how much better their lives or businesses would be with your help. Tell them what you can do and how you can rock their world. They need you – time to step up to the plate.

2. BECOME AN INDUSTRY AUTHORITY

Ensure that your online bio (on social media or your website) is your very own digital cheerleader. This is the exact spot where you’re expected to showcase your talents. Use it #likeaboss.

People want to work with experts, so make it crystal clear that you are one. Do an audit of your social feeds and ask yourself: Is it glaringly obvious what I offer the world?

Whether you’re a graphic designer, a bookkeeper, or a petsitter – position yourself as THE graphic designer, bookkeeper, or petsitter. Harness your social channels and regularly share content that adds value to your clients or industry. Follow writers that cover your beat, and begin to grow your network to include anyone who needs to know how wonderful you are.

3. GET SOMEONE ELSE TO PROMOTE YOU

When you share your story through the media, you’ve got instant access to a plethora of potential new clients. A single piece of press coverage, at the very least, will reach thousands of people. In all likelihood, it will reach millions. Our PR business has had clients make more sales in one day following a press hit than they had made all year.

If you want to take your impact and exposure to the next level, then PR is the perfect way to shine the spotlight on you or your brand. Publicity is a third-party singing your praises, and it also adds in a whole bunch of industry credibility and authority at a low cost – so what’s not to love?!

You will still need to get comfortable with celebrating your superpowers though, as you’ll want a really impressive pitch to send to the media. A great place to begin is to create a ‘brag list’ and write down all the impressive things you’ve accomplished throughout your life/career. Then you can get started on your elevator pitch and nail down exactly what you want to be known for.

At the end of the day, putting your head down and working hard is important, but it simply is not enough. Get out there and share the value you bring to the world, with those who need to hear it.

About the author: Lynn

If you’d love to get publicity, but have no idea where to start – we can help. At The Launch, we are the experts at DIY publicity and teaching female entrepreneurs to secure their own press coverage. We have helped our clients reach millions of potential customers and secure placements in just about every publication you can think of… (see what I did there? 😉 ). Let’s connect @thelaunchpr