One simple habit that makes self-promotion feel effortless
Why solopreneurs need to master soft promotion.
As solopreneurs, I think one thing we often suck at is self-promotion.
I get it, it’s hard. Putting yourself out there on the interwebs, day after day, for all the world to see? Sheesh.
And worse still, some other folks have zero inhibitions about it and will suck all the oxygen out of the big digital room, leaving you gasping for air.
But unfortunately, until we learn to move past the awkwardness of hyping ourselves and our solo businesses, we won’t move off first base. And trust me, it’s crowded there at the best of times.
So how do you do it? How do you get over the cringe and talk about yourself in a way that draws an audience to you organically?
Well, the simplest approach - the one with the least amount of friction - is this: just do something, and tell people about it.
For instance, I ran an experiment on Notes. Once I was finished, I wrote a post detailing what I did and what happened as a result. No-one can argue with that - it’s just fact-sharing.
You can do the same as a solopreneur to promote yourself:
Share about something you’ve tried out
Tell people why you did it, and how
Be transparent about the results
It’s a great way to build trust and loyalty within your audience. And if your experiment produces the desired results, people will want to replicate it. Helping them do so is where you make money.
If you’re uncomfortable promoting yourself online as a solopreneur, try testing out a few new approaches and let your audience know how they went. That’s all.
That connection will prove invaluable over time.
What next?
If you’re still stuck on how to start talking about your work publicly, here’s a more detailed breakdown of that dead-simple structure I mentioned. You can use it for your very next post, Note, or email.
Think of it as a “show-and-tell”, not just a pitch. Just walk people through what you did or are doing.
1. Start with a problem or curiosity:
“I was struggling to grow my email list beyond 100 people, so I decided to try posting YouTube videos…”
This immediately hooks your reader with something relatable. You're not bragging - you're being real.
2. Describe what you did
“Here’s what I tried: [brief outline of your method or experiment]. I kept it simple, and it only took me about 2 hours.”
People love behind-the-scenes breakdowns. This is where trust starts to build.
3. Share the outcome honestly
“Here’s what happened: [share actual results, even if they weren’t amazing].”
If it worked, awesome - show how. If it didn’t, even better - people will appreciate your transparency, and learn from your process.
4. Invite conversation or more curiosity
“Have you tried something like this? I’d love to hear what worked for you.”
This turns the post from a monologue into a moment of connection. It makes you more approachable, not more “promotional.”
Why not make it a series?
Doing this once is great. Doing it regularly builds a rhythm, a personal brand, and an engaged audience that’s invested in your progress.
Over time, you’re not just sharing your work, you’re leading by example.
Write. Try. Share. Repeat.
That’s the solopreneur loop. It’s how you build trust, momentum, and eventually, income, without ever having to shout, “Buy my thing!”
PS. If you’re still on the fence about solopreneurship, take my free email course and find out if it’s right for you.
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Hi David, Thank you for this post. You've nicely illustrated a thoughtful way of overcoming our self-doubts and fears around self-promotion. I still struggle with these issues despite being a "Solopreneur" for twenty years. I've found it's much easier to promote others than to promote myself. I particularly appreciated your numbered points. So often I'm told why I must do something, but not told how. Thanks for that.
Yes!
That's the antidote to shallow content that doesn't help much readers (and thus writers).
I'm slowly figuring out how to do this (and still doing it wrong a lot!) because it's the opposite of what I've been trained for more than 20 years as a scientist. But my strategy is along those lines: solve my own problems or test new things and share my journey (and sell the solution to those interested in doing the same, but faster or more easily).
Thanks for the nudge!