One of the questions I receive most often from clients and members is, “How can I market my business more efficiently and effectively?” This is just a fancy way to ask for tips on ways to be seen and found by more people who will buy your products and services. While there are a million ways to do this, it pretty much boils down to showing people what you are doing. People are innately curious, so showcasing what you are doing naturally attracts them. Once people see what you are doing, they are halfway to your shopping cart.
While showing what you are doing sounds easy enough to do, many small business owners (our IBN members included) struggle with the self-promotional aspects of showing their work because it can feel haughty and egotistical to do so. This emotional stumbling block often holds them back personally and professionally.
We'll be tackling and overcoming this challenge in our next Indie Business Book Club pick: Show Your Work by Austin Kleon. The book has been described as a user’s manual for embracing the communal nature of creativity, or what the author calls the “ecology of talent.”
As an entrepreneur, it is critical that you embrace the truth that “Closed mouths don't get fed. ” A similar quote from Show Your Work is, “You can't find your voice if you don't use it.” Building upon these concepts, we'll read this book and discover 10 simple ways to share your creativity and get discovered by more prospective customers. You want that, right?
Of course, you do! So let's get started!
What you'll learn …
In addition to enjoying a fresh and affirming entrepreneurial perspective, here are some of the things you'll learn by reading this book with us:
- Understanding what the author calls “the etiquette of sharing”
- How to avoid the dangers of oversharing
- The difference between “using the network” and “networking” (oooh!!)
- … and so much more!
Reading Plan
The reading plan progresses in our private Entrepreneur Member Facebook Group.
The graphic below displays our easy reading schedule.
Austin Kleon is a writer and artist living in Austin, Texas. He's the author of two bestselling books: Steal Like an Artist, a manifesto for creativity in the digital age, and Newspaper Blackout, a collection of poetry made by redacting newspaper articles with a permanent marker. He speaks about creativity for organizations such as Pixar, Google, SXSW, TEDx, and The Economist.
Follow Austin Kleon on Instagram.
Purchase Show Your Work!
Buy this and other Indie Business Book Club picks at IBN's Amazon shop.
The book is also available on Audible and on Kindle, via Amazon.
Of course, you can also purchase the book at your favorite local book store or check it out of your local library.
Are you ready? Let's do it.
Join us!
If you're not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you can click here for more information.
If you're a member of the Indie Business Network, make sure to join us in our private Entrepreneur Members Facebook group to get started.
If you're not an IBN member, what are you waiting for? Join now and enjoy the book club and tons of other benefits to help you and your business become better every day.
