Before we can think of saving, spending and investing – we first need to make money. Almost everybody would accept more money if it were offered to them. But, as is often the case in life, we need to put something in to get something out. One of the most effective ways to boost professional offerings, find new employment or elevate a business profile is by successfully marketing yourself.

Here are some easy ways to positively promote yourself:

Share what you know

Word of mouth is the best kind of marketing you can hope for. It is the verbal equivalent of a 5-star rating and it is so utterly personal compared to any other form of advertising. Your knowledge is an asset that gains value when it is shared (as long as it isn’t confidential or covered by an NDA).

Being generous with information will get you noticed by the people you help, and the people they know.

Networking is key

As the saying goes “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. Microsoft must have been well aware of this when they bought LinkedIn for a cool $26.2 billion in 2016 (for those that don’t know – LinkedIn is a career-focussed social networking site).

LinkedIn allows you to show off your career achievements and connect with like-minded professionals. It is the perfect platform to take advantage of the power of networking and market yourself to a focused audience.

Find your USP

A USP (unique selling point) is a niche factor that sets a product apart from its competition. Your own USP could be specialist training, astounding business achievements or a unique blend of past experience and personal interests. Once you’ve honed in on your USP be sure to let people know about it.

Remember, the best way to sell anything is by highlighting benefits over features. (For example: a feature of the iPod is that it has 2Gb of storage, the benefit is that you can carry around 1000+ songs in your pocket)

The job market is highly competitive, but the digital age has opened up many avenues for us to gain an edge. In addition to this, strain on the global and local economy makes it even more important for us to be accessible and approachable for new business. We live in a culture where people are most likely going to google you before that first engagement – make sure you’re happy with what they will find!