Every time I see one of these “I am pleased to announce..” notices on LinkedIn I feel compelled to shake my head wryly.
It is a pavlovian response. I can’t help it.
The announcement may be “I am pleased to announce I have had an article published in (insert some professional publication)” or “I am pleased to announce I am taking up a new position in Acme limited as a (insert any role you like)” or “I am pleased to announce I have won an award”. You know the type of announcement I am referring to.
I shake my head and say, “what’s in it for me?”
This may appear to you, and any casual observer, to be a selfish, cynical view of someone sharing their good news.
And I accept that’s what it looks like.
In my defence I can only submit a lifetime of hustling and grinding and looking for, and needing, an angle as a small business owner and entrepreneur.
Most things that I would publish or post online, or anywhere else for that matter, must have something for the reader. It must answer the question “what’s in it for me?” This is the essence of the marketing and communication effort of a sole entrepreneur.
She is always grinding and hustling. But she must answer the first question that pops into the reader’s head, “why should I care?”
So, the vast majority of what I publish online must answer this question. It must have utility for the end user, even if that utility is small and part of a bigger, longer-term strategy.
My posture is, “here, I made this-you might find it useful”. This might be a blog post, video, podcast episode, observation, idea, etc.
And if the answer is “no”, my response is, “ok, I will have another one tomorrow”.
But there must be something in it for the reader.
You may be interested in my book, “The Art of Marketing Your Services Based Business Online“, available on Kindle, paperback, audiobook.