Raise your hand if you’ve taken a personality test recently. Yes? So have I.
Surprisingly, I discovered a slight shift in personality from my life five years ago. I shifted from an almost even split of introverted/extroverted personality, to a 60/40 ratio leaning more heavily on the extroverted side now. What about you?
Why does your personality even matter to your content marketing? Here’s a few tips.
In a Psychology Today article “Know Thyself”, author John D. Mayer, Ph.D describes personal intelligence this way:
“What does it mean to possess personal intelligence?
People who display such an ability understand themselves and know who they are. They evaluate others more accurately and therefore make more allowances for others’ foibles; they are better at acknowledging their own limitations, too.”
Simply put, life is better both for ourselves and others if we bother to “know thyself.”
Knowing yourself allows you to market authentically.
Authenticity matters — as it should — to your millenial buyers. Chances are, you market to millenials, since they now officially outnumber Boomers as buyers. If you’re trying to be someone you’re not in real life, your intuitive millenial audience will feel awkward right along with you.
What’s surprising? It’s okay to fly your “freak flag”. Got a weird funny bone? Do you obsess over sports or your doggo friends? Use your interests as connection points when you reach out to share your business.
If you’re an introverted marketer, your authentic self will find its voice much more comfortably in creating words that connect with your clients in blog posts or a simple podcast. Social media posting platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are also introvert friendly.
Extroverts, on the other hand, rock the world of video content creation. Not camera shy, you educate energetically and warmly shake hands with your target audience on Facebook lives, live Instagram, YouTube, and perhaps even TikTok. Go for it!
Knowing yourself helps you maximize your strengths and overcome your weaknesses in marketing.
- Make space for introverts!
According to the Hubspot article “Think Marketing Is Just for Extroverts? 4 Things Introverts Bring to the Table”, introverts are great at bringing razor-sharp focus to a project when they get the quiet space they need.
This rings true. My introverted side absolutely requires quiet space and downtime to think deeply. Checking backwards this year, I barely marketed my business for a three month period. Why? Life circumstances and stress kept me so busy, finding quiet space was hard. When I had mind space, my summer content marketing calendar took shape in just a few hours.
- Lean in twice and LISTEN double, extroverts!
Extroverts, on the other hand, bring energy and enthusiasm to their marketing. You’re great at educating and engaging your audience. You connect with all kinds of people. You thrive on an audience!
In another Hubspot article, “Introverts vs. Extroverts: Leadership Challenges & How to Solve Them” author Sophia Bernazzani advises extroverts, “Listen twice as much as you speak”. Your content marketing challenge may be that you run 80 miles ahead of your target market.
Ask questions of your live audience. Create connections by purposefully leaning in and really listening. In that live video, focus on your audience and ask them to interact with you. Then genuinely respond in the comment section. One amazing example of extrovert marketing done right is Renee Hribar of Entreprenurial Connections Movement group on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/485712388288047
Knowing yourself relieves pressure on yourself.
At the end of the day, if you’ve been authentic and wisely used your talents, you can move on when you don’t make that sale. You’ll attract your people — the ones you can best serve and help with your product or service.
Hey, there! Are you looking for warm, friendly words that educate, and engage your target market? Too busy to create your own content? I work with professional service providers and small businesses to get their content DONE! Contact me at: julia@marketingcontentsolutions.com
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