Did you see the first post in this series? Click here for Ghost blogging: Unethical, or an extrovert's dream come true?
When I first started building a coaching practice and learning how to be successful in self-employment, I heard the idea that there are two types of marketing: active and passive.
Active marketing included tasks like networking, giving free sample sessions, speaking to groups - basically the activities that got me in direct contact with another person who was a prospective client or referral source.
Passive marketing was "behind the scenes" work, things like setting up a website or sending a newsletter - quiet, solo tasks that were pretty appealing to an introvert like me.
(Actually, I'm more of a combination, as most of us probably are. I'm extroverted when it comes to performing - I love being in front of a group, whether I'm singing or speaking.)
This early education may have warned me against spending too much time on blogging, as a passive activity that would keep me hiding out and not getting in front of real people. But I see blogging as a wonderful opportunity to combine both forms of marketing, active and passive.
Writing is a task I can enjoy in my quiet time. Then, by publishing relevant content to my blog on a consistent basis, I create the opportunity to have active conversations.
Readers email me or post comments to my blog, or a post may serve as a conversation starter on Twitter. When I write connective content and link to other bloggers, that is another chance to correspond with someone I may not have met otherwise.
What's more, most of these conversations happen in writing, so I can think as long as I need to before responding (something else introverts really appreciate).
Nancy Ancowitz, author of Self-Promotion for Introverts®, wrote about introvert authors as social media mavens, and how blogging and other forms of social media give the introvert more control over social settings. (There are more fascinating insights and comparisons in her book.)
Blogging and other social media tools have really leveled the playing field for people who aren't as comfortable in traditional networking forums. Introverts, let's show them what we've got!
P.S. Here is a whole other take on active versus passive marketing, where it's about whether you are looking for your client (passive marketing) or your client is looking for you (active marketing) - check it out and measure your efforts through THAT lens!
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