Why We’re Terrible at Marketing Ourselves (Even When It’s Our Job)

I’ve seen people launch products, grow companies, and build brands from scratch. I’ve helped them find their voice, tell their story, and connect with audiences in ways that shift entire businesses.

But here’s the irony: when it comes to marketing ourselves, we often stumble.

Take myself, for example. This is literally my job! I spend my time shaping brands that people trust, helping people to put themselves out there. Yet when it comes to my own personal brand, I have to treat myself like a client. I have the same questions, the same hesitations, the same struggles. How should I position myself? What should I post? What if it doesn’t land?

It’s funny, because we all do it.

When it’s our own reputation on the line, everything feels different. The clarity we have when working with others disappears the moment we turn the lens inward. It’s not that we don’t know what to do. We just can’t take ourselves out of our own heads long enough to see ourselves objectively.

We’re too close and that closeness makes it hard to experiment, to “just put something out there,” the way we’d tell any client to.

The Human Hurdle: When the Stakes Feel Personal

Branding isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about progress, testing, tweaking and learning.

“The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.” Seth Godin 

And that’s it, really. iIf you never start, you never even get the chance to find your voice.

I’ve seen this over and over again. The people who grow fastest are rarely the ones with the best content from day one.  You can be like those people if you just start. It can be messy, but as long as it is consistent. You’ll figure it out along the way, and that builds trust.

We Think Everyone’s Watching (They’re Not)

Most people are scrolling between meetings, half-reading, half-thinking about lunch. They get an impression of who you are and what you stand for, but they’re not zooming in on every sentence. There might be those who are watching but they already know who you are. They’ve seen your work. You’re allowed to experiment. You’re allowed to grow publicly. No one’s watching as closely as you think. Be free my little ingenue marketers!

Progress Over Perfection

In marketing, momentum is everything.

If you want to start building your brand, start small. One post a week for three months. Three thoughtful comments on other people’s content each week. What does that take? Fifteen minutes, tops.

What matters most is rhythm. You learn more by doing than by planning, and you refine your message every time you hit publish. Over time, your voice sharpens. You start seeing what resonates. You start understanding what you stand for.

And don’t expect instant results. Personal branding doesn’t work like that. It’s not about immediate ROI; it’s about reputation, visibility, trust; things that compound quietly in the background until one day, they open doors you didn’t even know existed.

The founder of LinkedIn (Reid Hoffman) said “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” 

The same principle applies here. You’ll look back on your first few posts and cringe a little (I know I do) and that’s how you’ll know you’re growing.

Build Your Own System of Accountability

If you struggle to follow through, use the same structures you’d use for a client. Treat yourself like one. Create a simple plan, set clear goals, and share them with someone you trust.

Accountability changes everything.

You could set a challenge with a colleague, or have a friend check in each month. Even just telling someone what you’re trying to do helps you take it more seriously. Because when it’s just you, it’s too easy to let yourself off the hook.

And if you miss a week? Don’t spiral. Consistency over time is so much more important than perfection. One missed post doesn’t erase the work you’ve done, just get back on the horse and keep going.

Value Always Wins

Right now, everyone’s talking about the algorithm. The ‘Algo’ as some people call it. The hacks. The trends. The little tricks that supposedly get you noticed. You’ll log onto LinkedIn and see hundreds of contradictory opinions on how to build your brand (this blog is one of them). 

Now, if you create something people genuinely want to read, the algorithm will always reward it. Impressions are cheap. Attention is earned. Algorithms change. But value doesn’t.

People remember voices and stories that are real. They remember insights that help them do their job better or see something differently. They remember people who share generously, not performatively.

AI is flooding our feeds with more generic content than ever before. And that’s exactly why authenticity cuts through. Because “we [humans] never go out of style”... thanks TS ;)