Welcome to issue three of the Circular table, where I, Lucy Burton, a marketing strategist looks at positive news within business and how businesses can have a social impact. In this issue, I will at art of self-promotion, pushing for change industry-wide as well as Green awards, dissolvable packing and the James Dyson award.  
September can be like a new year for some, but with the current turbulent future.
Some are able to return to the office this week, and we all need to move, both within our businesses and beyond our office walls. And we need to trust that our movements and our decisions – however small – will make sense in the long term, even if we don’t understand them now.

Power and influence over self promotion

To start things off this week, I wanted to talk about the art of self-promotion.

First things first, it's never easy to promote yourself but in this digital age, the internet is a place for business, self-promotion and storytelling. 

So how can I REALLY stand out from the crowd?

Head of the table

First of all, think about what do I really want to be known for? 

What would be your end goal? 

Do you want to be a voice that shapes the world? 

A leader? Or someone that serves the community?

Ask

Ask your friends, family, and colleagues, what am I good at? 

Get advice and see what they say. It may be things you know but you may have surprises in what you convey. 

Inspire

Think about who inspires you but also why they inspire you. Write down 3-5 different people and what they do that inspires you. Take inspiration from this and can you do this in what you are doing? 

Do they promote certain issues they care about? Do they help brands or colleagues with problem-solving? Is there message clear or there values clear? Do they promote or write interesting articles on Linkedin?

If you are still not too sure, start speaking to heads of business about what their values are? Or ask them about there story and write notes on how they got there. What was there purpose and drive to create what they have made.

My story

Now you can start to think about your story. 

Again, what do I want to be known for? Why you exist and what is the purpose of either your agency or business. 

But today, people don't just want fluff. Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy reading the news again? So be a part of that news. 

Use your expertise to teach and educate your network and inspire them. But you need to plan. Take three hours to really think about, how you are going to promote yourself? Am I going to write one article every 2 weeks on Linkedin? Am I going to push my Instagram? Am I going to create a community on Instagram? Do I need my own hashtag? 

Don't copy and paste across platforms. Think how Linkedin is more for business, Instagram in a bit more personal and can give a little insight into your world and maybe you follow just the trade magazines on Twitter.  

Network

Think about your network. 

Start making a list of people who you want to talk to. 

Reach out to 5 people every day or every other day for both your business or personal brand. Have this at the beginning and end of the day, so you can refer back to it. It will slowly start to build. 

Say you want to do a new course in UX Design, contact 2 people that have done the course, two people that are in the field and maybe a customer who has used the services of the skills you have required and what they look for in a UX designer?

And if you don't think you have one, you will be surprised. As you start to get in touch with people, you will be building up your network but it all takes time. 

Join a virtual networking event, pick up the phone and call old colleagues or start a vlog. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on how you get in so feel free to get in touch. lucy@lucyburton.com

As a graduate how do you stand out from the OTHER 199 PEOPLE applying for the same job?

It sounds simple, but doing these things well really can be the difference in catching someone’s attention:

1. Tailor your CV to the opportunity & company

2. Write a cover letter - make it BESPOKE (every time!)

3. Show job or work experience and talk about how it could be relevant

4. Show proactivity within the field of interest like a course or some research you’ve done

5. Attach references!

6. Reach out and briefly introduce yourself to decision-makers

Lastly, I’d just say 10 really strong applications are better than 100 weak ones.

The world is too competitive right now, you need to stand out.

A similar approach also works well for businesses wanting to approach companies for new business.  
Researching target companies, look at there past annual reviews, and values. 
Create a creative bespoke approach to the client 
and make sure you lead with value.

Lucy's Picks

A favourite quote of the week. 
"Whenever you are overthinking a new business name, remember there is a really successful brand for kitchen appliances called 'SMEG'!"