The Marketing Introvert Part I: Marketing for Introverts 101

I’ll never forget the first time my introversion was so widely belittled. Nathan and I were probably in our second or third year of dating, and we went to a dreaded family reunion. Since I didn’t know anyone, I pretty much kept quiet. I usually keep quiet in situations like this, even now.

Well his extroverted, loud, large, and did I mention extroverted family was just not having it. One of his aunts or cousins or whoever she was, loudly commented on how quiet I was. Then his step-mother, in her even louder I’m-going-to-one-up-you-with-how-loud-I-can-be voice let it be known to all that, “Oh, we’ve been dealing with that from her for years.”

Yeah.

Up until then I never saw being quiet as a negative trait. And while it wasn’t the first time I realized that I’m a tad on the awkward side socially, it was the first time I’d ever been put on blast for just being myself. The first time someone tried to make me feel bad about not being loud and a sharer.

Because honestly, in my family loud was rude. Loud was obnoxious. Loud was showboating. Loud was what the drunk neighbors did.

I come from a long line of introverts.

So how does this play into running a business? How do I go about marketing as an introvert?

For a long time I’ve been thinking about putting together the ultimate marketing for introverts guide, but it’s dependent upon what kind of introvert you are.

The most important factor in marketing as an introvert is to use your special type of introversion to your advantage and to make sure you understand yourself so you don’t burn out while promoting your business.

Because you do need to promote your business and you can’t use the fact that you’re an introvert as an excuse.

Debunking the Introvert Myth: The Four Types of Introverts

Being quiet does not equal shyness. Being imaginative does not equal socially awkward.

The world gets introversion wrong and even we mislabel ourselves.

The stereotypical definition of an introvert is someone who is awkward and quiet in social situations and would rather be alone.

But there is so much more to being introverted than that and the more you understand what kind of introvert you are, the easier it will be to create a marketing plan around your personality.

Psychologist Jonathan Cheek hypothesizes that there are four types of introverts and all introverts are a unique combination of the four to varying degrees.

Once you figure out your own personal flavor of introversion, you’ll be able to determine the best ways to market your business and how to use your introvert types to your advantage.

The Social Introvert

I bet I’m going to get a lot of hands up for this one.

Social Introverts prefer socializing with small groups, one-on-one, and are drained from large social situations.

I’m definitely rank high as a social introvert.

Solitude is my best friend- and dogs.

But it’s not anxiety that drives this need to avoid social situations. It’s simply an energy drainer.

If you often leave social situations feeling tired, frazzled, and needing a full-day’s nap, you’re most likely a Social Introvert.

But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever connect with people in real life, and if you aren’t, you’re missing out on some major marketing momentum.

The Thinking Introvert

Think Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.

Imaginative, thoughtful, introspective.

At social gatherings you’re not shy and don’t give credit to others’ opinions of you, as you value your own personal opinion of yourself the most.

Thinking Introverts have major marketing power in a world of cluttered, copy-cat brands.

The Anxious Introvert

While Social Introverts don’t want to be a part of large social gatherings because it’s draining, Anxious Introverts lack confidence, often have physical reactions, and become self-conscious while in large groups.

This anxiety often doesn’t fade while alone and Anxious Introverts will ruminate on social interactions and analyze how actions did, or could have, gone wrong.

This was me in my early 20s. I gave a lot of thought into what others thought of me and was hyper-critical of myself. Now I care far less of what others think and lean more into my Thinking Introvert side. Not sure if it’s age, experience, or generally just learning to not care.

Marketing as an Anxious Introvert has a whole different set of challenges, but acknowledging that you lack confidence and have feelings of self-consciousness will help you create a marketing plan that works with your insecurities.

The Restrained Introvert

Another word to describe the Restrained Introvert is reserved.

You’re not a quick starter. You operate at a slower pace and think before you speak or take action.

When Restrained Introverts wake up, they need space to get energized before they jump into action.

I definitely score high on the Restrained Introvert spectrum.

Using Your Introversion Type to Your Advantage

In my personal observations (as a Restrained Introvert who loves to observe what’s going on around me), I think the world has had their fill of extroverted marketers.

When done well, extroverts bring the party and make everyone feel included.

But when done wrong (and boy do they do it wrong a lot) they are just flat out pushy and obvious.

I believe the world is in need of more introverts in business because introvert seek out personal connection.

In a world of constantly being plugged in, people are craving one-on-one conversations and intimate group settings. And who owns that world? Introverts.

If you can cook up a marketing playbook based on your introversion type, not only will marketing be easier on you, you’ll connect with people in a way that’s far more genuine than the typical extroverted marketer.

Marketing for Social Introverts

Social Introverts thrive in solitary settings and in smaller social settings.

Content marketing is the no-brainer for the Social Introvert.

From the comfort of your own home you can blog, create video, take photographs, research topics of interest, and publish to your website and social media without ever having to people.

Remember- being around other people is draining to Social Introverts, but posting a video on YouTube doesn’t involve any kind of social interaction other than responding to comments. There should be no excuse for a Social Introvert to market their business through video content as long as the Anxious Introvert levels are low.

But let’s not forget about meeting people in real life.

A little fact about our business- it’s run by two high-level Social Introverts and all of our new business (outside of referrals) comes from meeting people at conferences.

If you run a service-based business and/or are at a premium price point, people want to know who they’re working with and the best way to get to know you is through meeting you in person.

Now I could write an entire post on conference-going as an introvert (stay tuned) but the trick is to seek out small group opportunities.

Talk with people in the lunch line, go to smaller retreat-style conferences, find small, local networking groups, go out to cocktails with a fellow business owner.

Because big business deals aren’t made in large groups. Use those large groups to seek out your small tribe of people.

Marketing for Thinking Introverts

Thinking Introverts are open to the one thing that most business owners shut their minds off to- niching.

Thinking Introverts will gravitate toward differentiating their business because they’re so used to being different on an everyday basis.

Marty Neumeier’s must-read book Zag highlights the necessity of differentiating your business in a world of cluttered brands. His process will be a natural marketing power play for the Thinking Introvert, but even if you’re not on the imaginative and quirky side, read and implement the book anyway.

While differentiating your business will help your business stand out, your personality will also help in social situations.

One trick I’ve learned from years of conference going is that the weirder my outfit (and no- I don’t go shopping, my wardrobe is just a bit weird) the more people want to talk to me.

Because in a sea of either business suits or trendy attire, I usually stand out. This happened by accident, but my Thinking Introvert side just gravitates towards being different.

Do I want people to talk to me? Yes! I’m just really bad at introducing myself, so I let my clothing do some of the attraction work for me.

And I’ve often been heard starting conversations about true crime. And yes- inevitably someone around me will hear and I’ve found a new friend. Yes, I’ve freaked out a few others, but those aren’t my people.

Thoughtful Introverts are also naturals for marketing their business with passion projects- creating something to market their skills just for the sake of creating. Have fun, show your skills, come up with quirky marketing campaigns. This is where you thrive!

Marketing for Anxious Introverts

Sometimes you need a little marketing help from your friends.

I know a few Anxious Introverts and while I score lower on this spectrum currently, I’ve been there. It’s hard.

But not impossible.

Content marketing still has a low-barrier for entry as an Anxious Introvert. The main issues that might arise is pulling the trigger and actually posting for fear of your work not being good enough or ridiculed. Often times, imposter syndrome kicks in and content never gets rolled out.

This is when an accountability buddy helps. Or an editor. Or hiring a content marketer to do the work for you.

As a non-Anxious Introvert, getting negative comments on my own content is disheartening, so I know it must be harder for you.

If you are high on the Anxious Introvert spectrum, hiring the marketing work out will relieve your promoting stress.

And having either one person, or a small mastermind of trusted business-owner friends to talk with on a regular basis will help you feel understood, cared for, and more confident.

As for conferences and retreats, don’t discount them. Either make sure you feel comfortable in the setting or find a business wingman to help you feel at ease and to bring you into the conversation. Believe it or not, there are extroverts out there that love connecting people (my best friend is one of them). Find those people!

Marketing for Restrained Introverts

Restrained Introverts need to market on their own schedule.

We need time to strategize and create what will work best, where to put in our marketing efforts, and what in-person opportunities to seek out.

But this doesn’t mean we can be haphazard and use our reserved nature as an excuse to never post, never meet people, and never market.

Creating a consistent content marketing schedule works best for Restrained Introverts, and quality will mean much more than quantity.

Instead of posting seven days a week to Instagram, the Restrained Introvert will create three, high-quality posts with thoughtful captions and strategic hashtags or will only post when there is new work to share- and it will be epic.

When blogging, give yourself time to write long-form content and determine which keywords to target for SEO purposes and set a weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly schedule.

The key is to stay consistent.

As a fellow Restrained Introvert, I enjoy conferences that have slow mornings with time for breakfast and maybe a bit of yoga/meditation time before the day gets started.

Finding conferences that also allow for a customized schedule (like Alt Summit- my personal favorite) allow for more space in my day. Instead of consuming massive amounts of content and not implementing any of it, I purposefully map out my schedule days in advance to allow for rest and reflection time.

Do You Need to Be the Face of Your Marketing as an Introvert?

One of the biggest hangups for introverts- putting your face out there.

But we’re not one-size-fits-all in neither our businesses nor our own personal blend of introversion. So the answer isn’t always cut and dry.

Are you a service provider? Will you be working one-on-one with people?

Then yes- you need to be the face of your business because people need to get to know you.

As Social Introverts, Nathan and I have no problem putting our picture out there. We’d rather not because we are private people, but we know that we’re not just selling a service. We’re selling us (and you can find out more about us here). And the more we put our faces out there, the more business we get, so we got over that pretty quickly.

Thinking Introverts will shine as the face of a service-based business because they’re uniquely qualified to showcase the way their business is different. Nobody will say it better than the Thinking Introvert.

Anxious Introverts will need to work with trusted photographers that make them feel comfortable and have photo shoots at least once a year. No need to go overboard on the brand photoshoots. And if sharing your face on video brings on the hives, you don’t have to go live, you can do retakes, you can do screen shares. But the best thing? People will get to know you and so many people will understand your anxiety because they have it too. And if you’re open to the idea, your business can become a beacon for mental health advocacy, much like Jen Gotch of Ban.do.

Restrained introverts will need to put themselves out there on their own terms and on their own schedule. Just make sure you put it in your schedule. And being the face of your marketing doesn’t mean you need to share everything about your life. As a restrained introvert, I know there are plenty of things I will never share. It’s all about creating healthy boundaries.

Do You Sell a Product or Experience?

This is where you might be off the hook if you absolutely do not want to be the face of your business.

I personally can’t think of a hotel where the owner is the face of marketing. My favorite hotel to stay at, The Bobby in Nashville, actually has a rescue dog named Sasha as their mascot.

But like Jen Gotch, sometimes having a face to a brand is marketing magic because your brand will become something much bigger than cute clothes.

If your product involves an educational aspect, you’ll need someone as the face of your business, much like Kat Gaskin of The Content Planner. I can’t think of The Content Planner without thinking of Kat, and her resources and teaching sell her product.

The big question is will being the face of your business enhance the customer experience?

And if you aren’t willing to be the face of the brand, can someone else be?

Marketing for Introverts Conclusion: Market Where and How You Most Feel Comfortable

This goes for everyone, not just introverts.

If you decide to market in a way or on a channel that you’re just not digging, you just won’t do well.

We personally hate Facebook. It’s a time suck and full of toxic people in our experience.

I enjoy going to conferences where I can make meaningful connections and set my own schedule.

Nathan enjoys passion projects and sharing his work on Instagram.

We both can get behind the writing and photography of blogging while simultaneously automating our Pinterest posting.

Marketing for introverts is all about figuring out what works best for you while also not making excuses.

It should be a mixture of digital marketing and getting to know people in real life, however best that works for both your personality and your business goals.