I have a secret…I struggle with marketing my business too.

It feels icky. If you’ve ever talked to me for more than 5 seconds, you know that my style isn’t swagger. It’s dorky and self-deprecating.

That can feel at odds with marketing. After all, aren’t we trying to convince our audience that we’re the best? That we know what we’re doing, and that they should buy from us?

Humility is one of my core values as a person and I wanted it to be one in my business too. So I have spent a lot of time thinking about the two together.

The thing is, I believe that marketing and humility can go hand-in-hand. In fact, I think that a healthy dose of humility is essential to effective marketing. Let’s talk about why.

It helps you meaningfully connect with your audience.

When you’re being authentic and vulnerable, people can see that. They feel like they know you, and they can trust you. And when people trust you, they’re more likely to do business with you.

It keeps you grounded.

It keeps you growing.

One of the dangers of marketing is that it can go to your head. It’s easy to start thinking that you’re the best, and that everyone should buy from you.

But when you have humility, you remember that other businesses are doing great work. You don’t get complacent, and you stay hungry to keep learning and growing.

It helps you empathize with your audience.

If you’re constantly thinking about how you can serve your audience and give them what they need, it’s going to be hard to do that if you don’t understand them.

By staying humble, you remember that everyone is different. You listen to people and learn about their needs so that you can better serve them.

Plus, you are more aware of where you started. When we’ve been in our businesses for a while, it’s easy to forget what it was like to be a newbie.

But if you can remember your journey, it helps you empathize with people who are just starting out. You can relate to them and give them the guidance you wish you had when you first started out.

So the question becomes, how can I market my business humbly and effectively?

Remember: Selling is Serving

The first thing that I needed to do was change my mindset. Selling felt icky; serving felt natural.

The first step is to remember that your ultimate goal in marketing is to serve your audience. You’re not selling them something they don’t need, you’re providing a solution to a problem they have.

For me, that felt much more aligned with who I am and who I want to be.

Tell stories

Take the spotlight off you and onto your clients. When you’re sharing content, make it about them.

Talk about how you helped a client overcome a challenge, or how your product or service made someone’s life better.

People connect with stories, so the more you can share, the more likely people are to connect with you.

Ask questions and keep learning

Part of being humble is admitting that you don’t know everything. So ask questions!

When you’re trying to come up with new content or marketing ideas, reach out to your audience and ask them what they want to see. You might be surprised by the answers you get.

And always keep learning. The world of marketing is always changing, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. But don’t forget that you don’t have to do everything. Just pick one or two things that you want to focus on, and go from there.

Do you struggle with marketing your business? How do you strike a balance between being humble and being confident in what you’re selling? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!