10 Ways Introverted Female Entrepreneurs Can Market Their Business (Without Feeling Drained)

Hey there, fellow introvert! You might be thinking you’re just bad at marketing… but what if it’s not you? Let’s look at the best marketing strategies for introverts which don’t leave you feeling like a dried husk of a human being so you can get your business mojo on again.

Many lead generation strategies don’t work for introverts because it’s just not the way we’re designed to communicate – and the entire popular (cuz ‘everyone’s doing it – not because it works…) social media marketing game can seem like it’s set up for life’s extroverts – those who never tire of talking, flicking their hair and being the loudest in the room…

If however you’re more like me, the thought of marketing this way might make you want to hide under a blanket and binge-watch your favourite series (always Zombie related for me!) – and the actual ‘doing‘ marketing this way is a fast-track to energy depletion and burnout.

But fear not, because I’ve got some great news: you can totally grow your business without having to plaster on a fake smile or pretend you’re someone you’re not.

Let’s dive into ten ways you can market your business in a quieter way so you can conserve your energy but also get long-lasting results with where you do choose to put your energy.

Content Marketing:

What is it they say? “Still waters run deep” – and introverts are often deep thinkers and great writers so now is your time to shine and ramp up that superpower because this marketing strategy is the one which is going to turn you into Cinderella!

Craft blog posts, articles, or guides that showcase your expertise and personality. You have to dive deep because the Search Engines don’t like what we call ‘thin articles’ – that means they don’t like stuff which only skims the surface. If you want your article (keywords) to be ranked in a SGE age then I can tell you right now – the world doesn’t need another 300 word brief overview of something so basic even your cat knows.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation):

Of all the marketing strategies which work for introverts – SEO should be your number 1. It involves talking to exactly nobody – and you can do it at the kitchen table all on your own with just a good soundtrack to keep you company.

SEO (simple SEO techniques for coaches, course creators and service providers) goes hand-in-hand with Content Marketing above and it allows your site and content to be indexed and ranked by the Search Engines so you can show up right where your potential clients are looking.

Let’s face it – Google is basically the Wizard of Oz for businesses with its all-knowing knowledge of all the things! Instead of chasing likes on social media, why not focus on getting your website to the top of search results? By optimising your content with the right keywords, you’re putting yourself front and forward… 24/7 – with no icky Socials drama. Think of SEO as the quiet yet effective friend who does all the talking for you at parties while you retreat to the kitchen for a life-affirming chat with the host’s cat.

Optimise your content with relevant keywords (and their synonyms) so you show up higher. It’s also important to optimise your actual website so it’s structured in a way which machines can read. It’s all too easy to ‘build beautiful‘ – which is great for your potential clients… but if the machines (and their algorithms) can’t find you, then you’re wasting your time. Think Substance over Style! Top coaches are making huge mistakes with their SEO and paying $$$ in ad spend because their sites don’t rank.

Email Marketing:

Emails are like cozy chats over coffee – not the loud parties with some girl inexplicably crying in the kitchen and smearing mascara all over your shoulder… ; they’re personal and direct, just how we introverts like it. And, by building an email list you bring the people into your world who really want to be there because they opted in – and they clicked open when your email landed in their inbox. This is completely different to you showing up in the feed just because their thumb was on auto-pilot!

Build an email list with newsletters people love to read. Beware templates + AI-generated text. WE SEE YOU!… People are savvy and they don’t want AI junk in their inbox. Please respect your audience enough to send them the quality you’d want to receive. Building loyal fans will take time and effort on your part – but it’s well worth putting your very best content into an evergreen sequence so that you can re-use the diamonds – I mean Shirley Bassey even wrote a song about it – “Diamonds are Forever”! 🙂

Don’t worry too much about the numbers. It’s much better for your business growth – and your ‘reputation management’ over at your email provider to be sending out stuff people engage with. That means newsletters they open, read and click on links.

Remember pen pals? Well, email marketing is kind of like that but with more emojis and fewer stamps. It’s a way to connect with your audience on a much deeper level – and, going back to your introverted communication strengths as a writer and thinker – it allows you to really get personal with empathy.

*The best damned newsletter I’ve ever read – this is the kind of quality us mere mortals can only ever dream of: https://www.themiddlefingerproject.org/ – and that’s the difference between writing – and filling your newsletter from AI prompts.

Collaborations and Partnerships:

Hot right now in the online business world are Summits + Bundles as part of the ‘Joint Ventures’ strategy..

Essentially these are a way to leverage the existing audiences of others on your niche-adjacent industry. For example, if you’re a copywriter then you might want to be part of a bundle or summit which centres around building out your website and creating your main pages. The idea is to team up with other businesses who serve the same niche as you – but not selling the exact same product.

The idea is that you put together a free ‘bundle’ or workshop or something along those lines and allow the other participants in the bundle or summit to cross-promote. Of course you’re not going to appeal to everyone – and that’s fine – but by participating you get to put yourself in front of a new audience and get more leads.

And the best part? The majority of these collaboration platforms don’t require you to ‘go live’ – but instead submit a piece of your work you’ve pre-prepared. So again, no high pressure Social Media stuff going on!

After you’ve got these new people on your list – be sure to nurture them with your Email Marketing – and please, please, please don’t just whack them into your auto-funnel. Bundles and summits can be a busy time for participants – so when they get thrown into your high-pressure funnel 3 days after they’ll have no idea who you are or how they happened to get there. This is a mistake I’ve seen over and over and all it leads to is those hard-won leads unsubscribing. You have time. Remind them how they got on your list and what you’re all about.

Public Relations and Media Outreach:

I’ve been interviewed for SKY live on TV during the evening news – and I was fucking terrified beforehand because y’know – live TV during prime time? Actually – it was a doddle. These professional interviewers are so good at putting you at ease and their questions lead into your expertise so it’s really not half as frightening as it sounds. I’ve also been a podcast guest for ‘big industry names’ and again, it’s a lot less frightening when the extrovert is taking the lead.

Guest posting: this takes two forms really. It used to be the ‘done thing’ that you’d write a guest post for someone ‘niche-adjacent’ and the algorithms over at the search engines would give you a wee high-five and give your site a little boost for getting a ‘backlink’. However, in 2024 Google announced that they would no longer be rewarding this strategy – so, if you want to submit your content elsewhere then it must be for the benefit of boosting your profile and not shady SEO tactics. So, if you want to do this you should be looking at major online publications such as Forbes, Fast Company or Entrepreneur magazine.

Community Building (Online):

Be very strategic in your use of online networking in the Social arena and focus only on engaging in online communities and forums related to your niche where you can provide actual value and expertise. I see too many people engaged in a scattergun ‘spray and pray’ technique which just repels.

Be intentional with your time – so, if you are going to be using Facebook groups within your niche – just bookmark those pages so you can jump in once or twice a week to keep your finger on the pulse.

The aim of the game isn’t to answer every single possible question you possibly could and get your name sprayed all over the page like a Jackson Pollock – instead, if – and only if – you feel it’s a good question – give a good answer – simple as that. People experiencing genuine business growth and who are busy with clients aren’t spending 8 hours a day commenting on socials!

In addition to the socials we all know – ‘old school‘ forums are useful weapons in your armoury alongside introvert favourites such as Reddit, Medium and Quora.

Referral Programs:

Your business is a business – not an expensive hobby. Too many online businesses are barely surviving due to the ‘race to the bottom’ on pricing. First off – read “Profit First” and have a good, long think about your pricing – because if you’re not making a profit this tactic isn’t going to work for you.

Referral marketing leverages existing relationships and comes from 2 main ways:

• Previous clients: If you’ve provided a service for a client – why not offer them something ‘extra’ for putting out the good word about you? This could be anything from a discount on their next booking with you, through ‘flowers and champagne’ or an Amazon voucher – or even just plain, cold cash!
• Affiliate selling: Noooooo… not those blogs filled with ads so someone can make a few pennies from their next Amazon purchase – but, if you’ve got a course you’re selling for a few hundred dollars – why not give people an opportunity to promote it and take a cut?

Local Networking (Strategic):

Attending networking events can feel like forcing yourself into a room with extroverts acting like caffeinated squirrels – and after a couple of those – and one where I inexplicably had to sit through the dullest powerpoint presentation I’d ever had the misfortune to watch (and I worked in corporate… 😉 ) – I figured out the ‘no-fail introvert networking event strategy’ [TM] – and I used this when attending Big Tech events in capital cities throughout Europe which were filled with wall-to-wall youthful testosterone and exuberance!

The Easy Networking Strategy for Introverts

It’s really simple and here’s how it works:

• Look for the most introverted, scared looking person in the room (clue: it’s not you!) – take a swig of wine and go over and introduce yourself. They’ll be so delighted they’ve not had to make the first move they’ll be happy to chat. Once you’re a happy group of two, other introverts will sidle over – and before you know it – you’re actually networking!
• Focus on building deep connections with those few people. Sure… Billy Big Balls is going to force his ‘Vistaprint’ business card on everyone in the room – most of which will end up in the waste bin before breakfast – but those few you actually had a good conversation with? Follow up in the morning with a simple email saying how lovely it was to meet them and to let you know if they think of any way in which you can collaborate.
• Follow up with these people a week later with your offer and how you think it could work for them (if it could… don’t waste their time if you know what you’re selling isn’t right for them!).

Leverage Your Superpower: Listening

Ever noticed how people love to talk about themselves? Use this to your advantage and let them talk… and – take it all in and use it to your advantage by figuring out what they need – and how you can answer that need. Generally people love talking about themselves – so let them – and they’ll end up loving you too. Simple, but it works.

Intentional ‘Social’ Platforms Marketing:

Not all ‘social’ platforms are energy-vampires and some might work for you with pre-designed content distribution combined with ‘smart SEO’ and keyword research.

Platforms which can be leveraged by the introvert gang include: YouTube, Pinterest and podcasting.

Both YouTube and Pinterest are very SEO-friendly. That means – if you plan your content out and make good use of keywords – your content will be ranked well. I’ll be exploring both of these options within the next few months to boost my own site’s SEO – but also to grow my audience. There’s something on YouTube for all niches – Pinterest might not work for me – or you, depending on what you do. So make sure you do your research first to decide whether it’s a platform worth your time-investment because your audience – and your returns, just might not be there.

Again, AI has dipped its tentacles into the world of video – yet, curiously – users are not responding to AI-generated video – or even ‘studio quality productions’. They actually prefer real people in real places saying real things. Although – I’m going to suggest you don’t broadcast from the pyjama palace!

Ward of warning for podcasts – these should really be part of your lead nurturing strategy and not your lead generation strategy. Why? Because to date any algorithms operating on these podcast databases are promoting ‘already successful’ podcasts and it’s virtually impossible to get audience and growth traction without already having the audience. Nice little chicken and egg scenario there – but, it’s a trap I see many online business owners falling in to because it’s seemingly ‘easy’ – but, without a good ROI there’s little point in wasting your energy – even though if you’re perhaps more adverse to marketing the way everyone’s been telling you that you should – it can often be more ‘fun’ to create something new than actually get yourself out there and be seen and heard.

Delegation and Outsourcing:

Let technology be your best friend – and your hardest working assistant who never sleeps or asks for coffee breaks.

What can’t be dealt with using technology and automations can be outsourced to someone else so you can free up time and energy to focus on your strengths.

For example, if you want to go down that YouTube route in a strategic way – but, can’t face the thought of editing your own videos because you ‘look/sound weird’ (it’s a thing right!?) – hire a freelancer to take care of that for you. Every time you engage in a task you dislike it’s just going to suck the energy and creativity out of you and make you want to back off your marketing.

Conclusion:

Introverts can be very, very successful online marketers – and they don’t have to force themselves to be extroverts. They just need to find a marketing strategy which works to their strengths – and leverage those systems. Be they tech automations and SEO – or collaborations, PR et al.

Pick a strategy and commit to giving it a go for at least 90 days. You won’t know if it’s working until that point when you can go in and take a look at your metrics. If however, after 5 days you think “wooooah!, this isn’t me” then quit. Your time will be better spent spending the next 85 days working on something you can do than trying to force yourself to do a full 90 days of something sucking the life out of your soul. c.f., “30 day social media posting challenges“! 😉