Navigating self-doubt when doing your small business PR
Written by Sophie Carefull - Self-belief coach for introverted creatives
Self-doubt is an experience that most business owners can identify with (maybe you call it imposter syndrome?) and it tends to show up whenever we’re doing something brave and that we care deeply about. So, pretty much everything we do as self-employed people, right?
Doing your small business PR certainly falls in those categories! I’m a self-belief coach and I’m here to share some tips that I hope will help you feel more confident as you work on generating press for your brilliant business.
DON’T LET YOUR SELF-DOUBT TELL YOU YOUR STORY’S NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH
Many of us small business owners got into what we do for the love of it, not because we wanted to become a public figure or to share our personal stories with the world. If that rings true for you, you might shy away from talking about yourself in your marketing, or shrug off advice about putting your personality into your communications.
So, if you’re doing the valuable work of seeking press opportunities for your brand, you may think the last thing people want to hear about is you. (And the voice of your self-doubt may be quite loud when it reminds you of this, telling you your story’s nothing special!) However, there is huge power and potential in letting your prospective customers get to know, like and trust you as a human, not just as a business owner.
So don’t be afraid to embrace this and let yourself be seen.
Your “inner critic” may say this is a bad idea, but that’s only because it doesn’t realise how courageous and capable you are! Have a word with this part of yourself, reminding it that you’ve got this and it’s going to be alright.
SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES AND STICK TO THEM
This may seem contradictory to my previous point, but both things can be true at once; it’s great to share your personal story in your PR efforts, and you get to set clear boundaries about how much you’re willing to reveal about yourself. One of the biggest joys of entrepreneurship is literally being your own boss and calling the shots, but sometimes we forget that we’re in charge!
So when you’re doing your small business PR, remind yourself that it’s up to you how much you share and how much you keep private.
Psychological safety is one of the key factors affecting confidence, so if the idea of sharing something about your life in the name of a good press opportunity leaves you feeling vulnerable to the point of feeling unsafe, it’s not worth it. Look after your mental wellbeing as a priority while doing your own PR. Approaching self-promotion from a place of inner safety is more conducive to true self-confidence and it’s more sustainable over the long-term too, so it’s a win win!
UP YOUR SELF-CARE IN LINE WITH YOUR VISIBILITY STRATEGY
The more visible you are, the more you need to prioritise taking really good care of yourself. Showing up as the face of your business takes courage because being seen requires a level of vulnerability. So, it makes sense that if you’re seeking PR opportunities that are going to give you and your brand a bigger platform, and expose you to new audiences, you’re likely to feel a bit nervous about this.
Be sure to factor this in when you’re planning your PR efforts, and make time for the things that make you feel good. This could be getting out for fresh air every day (it’s all too easy to overlook this if you work from home), meeting a friend for coffee once a week, or just giving yourself an earlier bedtime if you can!
Another way to protect your mental health in a period of increased visibility is to monitor your media consumption and beware of getting sucked into refreshing online platforms to see how the stats are looking. It’s totally natural to want to see how a piece of press is being received, of course! But if you’re finding yourself obsessively checking social media insights or comment sections, it might be time to take a step back from it and give your brain a break.
STAY ALERT TO YOUR MIND’S NEGATIVITY BIAS AND CELEBRATE ALL YOUR PR WINS, BIG OR SMALL
Your thoughts are not facts. You can’t believe everything you think, and when you’re experiencing self-doubt, you need to take your internal monologue with an even bigger pinch of salt than usual.
If you’re trying something new like doing PR for your small business, you may notice it’s startlingly easy to come up with a long list of things that might go wrong, and all the possible worst case scenarios. It’s much harder to go into new situations feeling positive and optimistic, partly due to your brain’s built-in negativity bias that wants to keep you alert to danger at all times. This is why it’s so important to actively nurture your mindset and refocus your brain on what could go right.
As well as keeping an open mind to all the wonderful potential outcomes that could come from getting press for your brand, celebrating your progress is a great way to combat negative thinking. Don’t wait for the big end goal (like a feature in your favourite magazine, for example) to happen before you allow yourself a pat on the back; take time every day to acknowledge and feel grateful for the little stepping stones that are leading you there. This might be meeting a new contact, sending out another pitch, getting new photos done, learning a new marketing-related skill, or just continuing to promote your business on your own platforms while the press leads you’ve been nurturing slowly come to fruition. Every win counts, no matter how small! By actively drawing your attention to these positives, you’ll strengthen your self-belief and give yourself fuel for the rest of the journey.
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE AND PRACTISE SELF-COMPASSION
The way you speak to (and about) yourself matters. Cultivating a self-compassionate voice can go a long way to helping you feel more confident in yourself. Self-compassion also comes in very useful when you’re making moves that feel risky or like they’re stretching your comfort zone. Doing your small business PR and increasing your brand’s visibility may trigger a more critical inner voice than usual, so be careful not to beat yourself about this. It’s completely natural, and every business owner experiences it in their own way too.
Every time you hear a judgemental thought popping up about yourself or what you’re working on, pause, take a breath, perhaps place one hand gently over your heart, and offer yourself some kind words. If this feels a bit odd at first (it probably will), it can be helpful to imagine a close friend saying something cruel about themselves - how would you respond? What might you say to them to help soothe their fears and doubts? Now, say it to yourself. This is a great place to start. Keep practising for as long as it takes for this self-kindness to become your default response to self-doubt.
I hope you found this article insightful and supportive as you navigate self-doubt when doing your small business PR. You’re doing a brilliant job. Keep going!
Sophie Carefull is a certified coach and business mentor for introverted creatives, with a background as a personal branding photographer. She helps her clients trust themselves so they can thrive in work and life. You can find Sophie online at sophiecarefullcoaching.com and @sophiecarefull_coaching