Remember me? Apparently I am too successful!

You know the situation – you have the best intentions of  keeping your blog up to date, but somehow time slips by and before you know it you are staring at your website in June and wondering why there is still a sprig of Holly adorning your logo.

It’s a common malady, but for someone in my position fairly inexcusable.  After all, how can I advise people on how to run their websites when mine is the online equivalent of that shelf that your Mum runs her finger along and helpfully notes “Been a while since you dusted, dear?”

The difference is (and I don’t want you to all gasp when I say this) that up until now I haven’t actually needed a website for Angela Neal Media.  I’ll give you a second to compose yourselves, close your gaping jaws and pop your eyes back in their sockets.

Better?  Ok. The reason behind this incredible statement is the fact that I have never needed to actively promote myself online.  I have been fortunate to have a pretty full client roster since starting my business, and have gained new contracts largely through word of mouth, referrals, and occasionally via networking on sites such as Linked In.

So my website became the proverbial shoemaker’s child.

I am planning a big change in direction this year, and since focusing more on communicating with people online is a big part of my plans I have shuffled my schedule to allow me time to update my blog, spend more time on Twitter and connect with people on Facebook.  But as I try to keep up with the flood of information I want to share, I find myself constantly bumping into the same old names and faces…people who claim to be the best at what they do, and yet manage to find the time to log into every social network on the planet to tell people how great they are.

Now am I missing something?  If these people are so fabulously successful, where do they find the time to dedicate to self-promotion.  And even more puzzling: why do they need to?

In my opinion, those who shout loudest online about how great they are tend to come across as annoying and “pitchy”, and often alienate the very people they are trying to reach.  Call me old fashioned, but I still believe that a whisper is more effective than a scream…as long as you as savvy enough to know how to find the ears of the people that you want to hear your message.