It's not about you: the real purpose of self-promotion

I’ve never really had that much trouble sharing my thoughts through my writing whether it be opinion pieces, articles and online commentary. But recently when I had the idea to start a LinkedIn newsletter, I hesitated. Not because I didn’t know what to say, but because self-promotion in a professional space felt different. Somehow more exposed. More deliberate. It’s one thing to argue a point in an article; another thing completely to put yourself forward as somebody worth listening to in business.

Then I got over myself, and here’s what I realised: the people with the courage to put themselves out there, become the ones to whom people turn. And that’s not necessarily because they’re the most experienced or the best – but because they consistently show and share something of value.

Here’s the real secret: self-promotion, when you do right it, isn’t about you – it’s about what you’re offering others.

Adam Grant, in Give and Take, talks about how the most successful people aren’t the ones who hoard their knowledge but those who share it freely. Publicly sharing your expertise isn’t about proving how good you are. It’s about showing up, adding to the conversation, and ultimately helping others make sense of something that you already know.

Still, a lot of people hold back. What if I don’t have anything new to say? What if people judge me? Amanda Crowell, in her TED Talk on overcoming mental blocks, highlights one of the biggest reasons people don’t put themselves out there: they believe “people like me aren’t good at this.” But the irony? The more you share, the more you’re seen as someone who knows their stuff. And before you know it, you’re not acting like an expert—you just are one.

I used to think posting regularly on LinkedIn would feel awkward. But now that I’ve started, I realised no one was sitting there waiting to judge me. Instead, I had more conversations, more opportunities, and more engagement with my work. It’s because the focus is on how I can help you, my audience.

This is exactly why I encourage business owners, freelancers, and professionals to start sharing their insights. You don’t need to be groundbreaking. You just need to be useful, consistent, and authentic. Maybe you’ve learned a lesson that could help someone else avoid a mistake. Maybe you see something in your industry that others haven’t talked about yet. Maybe you just love what you do and have thoughts worth sharing.

And if you’re worried about not being a “good writer”? That’s where people like me come in—I help shape those ideas into compelling content.

The biggest shift for me? I moved right past my initial block and instead of fearing what people thought, and I jumped in and gave it a shot. And guess what? No one’s throwing tomatoes (at least not yet!)

So if you’ve been thinking about stepping into thought leadership but haven’t quite hit post, what’s holding you back? Let’s start the conversation.