Brand Strategy for Introverts: How to Talk About Your Work

3 steps to define your impact and refine your messaging so it’s easier to speak up.

the introvert's dilemma.

First, hello friend. 

I’m writing this from a standpoint of deep humility. Not because I’m a supremely humble person, but because I am that person. I know a lot of stuff. I’m good at a lot of things. I am smart, capable and most of the things I do turn out well. 

Except nobody knows about it…!

The Introvert’s Dilemma

I think I just kept hoping, for a while, that people would, you know, ‘hear’ about me. Like osmosis by proximity. Or like a speakeasy where ‘you have to know to know’.

What I’d like to say here, now and for all my introverted friends who eschew TikTok, Facebook, Instagram…the osmosis principle might not work fast enough to sustain the brand you are trying to build. 

You might have to talk to real people. Or write. And you might have to do a lot of it.

This, my friends, is marketing. And your business doesn’t exist without marketing.

Overcoming the Fear (of Marketing)

If the thought of putting yourself out there makes you a little bit queasy because 

-it’s scary

-you don’t know when you’ll fit that in with everything else

-you think you’ll waste your time putting out a bunch of stuff into the void

Or,

-you have a bad taste in your mouth for social media

BUT. 

If you write, think, advise, make, create or do things that you want to build a life and an income around, you have to let the people know who you are and why they need a YOU in their life. You need a solid brand strategy and some specific talking points.

Make it Easy to Talk About Your Work

Instead of thinking (perhaps over-thinking) about what you do and how you do it, and how you’re ‘supposed’ to talk about it, let’s try backing that train up just a little bit and think about why you care about this stuff - your work - in the first place. 

Because it’s probably not the actual WORK that you are doing that you care about deeply. It’s what you believe your work will DO. The impact your brand or idea will have.

Your work is a vehicle for the change you wish to see in the world. 

If you can re-frame your conversations around the impact of your work, not only will you more easily find a way to talk about it, you’ll also connect with ‘your people’ on a deeper level that can naturally evolve into conversations, shares, reciprocity and doing business together. It's a crucial cornerstone of an effective brand strategy.

your work is a vehicle for the change you wish to see in the world.

In Brand Strategy, Action Precedes Impact. 

What action do you believe will change the world? 

In order to get a handle on impact, you first need to name the action that creates the impact. 

This is going to turn into a grammar lesson for a hot second. First, clearly identify your verb (the thing you do), your subject (who you impact) and the action (the specific activity you want others to do) so that you can craft your impact statement and to more easily talk about your work and build your brand. Most of the time, it will look like this:

“To + verb + subject + to do/be + action.”

Step 1: Identify your ‘to verb’: 

For example:

‘To inspire…‘To build…‘To connect…‘To teach…‘To be…

Step 2: Identify your subject - who you will impact:

For example:

‘People’

‘Women’

‘Writers’

‘Leaders’

‘Designers’

Step 3: Identify what [specific] action you want people to take:

For example:

‘Feel more empathy’’

‘Speak with more clarity’

‘Be more green’

‘Relax more often’

‘Appreciate details’

‘Do things that inspire’

It pretty much goes without saying that the impact of your work, product or offer is that the world is a better place in some way, shape or form. If it suits you to name the specific impact, by all means, include that as well. Ultimately, your impact statement (also known as a vision or why statement) looks like this:

“To + verb + subject + to do/be +  action + [so that the world is better].”

Voila!

Some examples of finished statements:

"To inspire women to speak with clarity, fostering confidence and leadership representation."

"To lead in building a greener future for healthier communities and the planet."

"To teach relaxation for a calmer world and peace of mind for all."

"To connect writers and inspire empathy through the written word."

"To inspire appreciation of the minutiae for deeper fulfillment in life."

"To build leaders who inspire happiness and positive change at work."

The most important thing here is CLARITY. This is less about wordsmithing and polishing than it is zeroing in on what matters to you and to the brand you're building. 

Wordsmithing for the plaque on your wall can come later. 

to + verb + subject + to do/be + action = your impact statement.

Re(focus) on Impact

While it would be AMAZING if people would just find you down the back alley and knock down your speakeasy door and hire you for the genius you are, for most of us…we’re going to need to talk about our work. 

BUT here’s the thing: talking about your work doesn’t have to be self-promotion. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and it might even become less scary or even fun to talk about your work (read: do marketing) when your work becomes a vehicle for the impact you want to make in the world. 

By refocusing on impact, you can authentically and confidently share your work. Identify the change you wish to see in the world and craft that impact statement so you can connect with the people you want to serve and do business with. It will resonate. 

Ready to take the next step? I created a workbook to help you define your work, starting with WHY you do it. You already have a head start! Use the code HEADSTART to get it for just $5.

Also, I’ve taken my introverted self over to LinkedIn. Let’s connect! 

To meaningful connections, speaking up, and uncomplicating words to talk about your work.

Cheers!