HOW TO INCREASE YOUR VISIBILITY

I taught my PR mentoring group on the “Top Ten Things? That Can Ruin Your Brand Online” because branding is all? about trust. Trust equals business.?

Think about the last time you hired a contractor, either for? your business or to do something around your home. Did you? look for the lowest price, or did you look for someone with? experience? Did you check the contractor’s references, or? just take his word at face value??

You likely have heard the old adage, “you get what you pay? for,” and usually, when you hire someone simply based on? the lowest price, you will get someone who is not as? experienced as the higher-priced contractor. Lack of? experience can lead to mistakes, and sometimes they are? costly. And let’s face it, not everyone is as honest as you are,? so if you are not checking references, you might get? scammed.?

What is the lesson here?

Successful businesses stay afloat when they gain years of? experience and build their credibility with their audience.? These business owners learn from their own mistakes, adjust? the way they do business when something does not work and? are willing to share their knowledge with their clients prior to? being hired.?

Fans will flock to businesses with a good track record and? good customer reviews. It stands to reason that an influx of? customers means hiring more team members and making? more sales, thereby growing your business.?

Now let’s put YOU into this equation. You should always? charge what you are worth because if you undercut your? competition, that will bring in the tire kickers who are not serious customers and may still ask you for a discount. This? is not the audience base that will allow your business to? grow.?

You should also showcase your expertise online and offline.? Never be afraid to market yourself because you cannot control the search engine rankings and you do not want to? depend on ‘hope’ marketing. That is a very passive way to? run your business; HOPING that people will find you. Be? visible online and offline, be vocal, tell people what you do,? share your experiences, and offer advice. THIS will build? your credibility and you will gain more visibility, thereby? gaining new followers and potential new clients.?

No matter what stage of business you are in today, whether? you just opened your doors or have had a string of clients for?years, today is the day to concentrate on building your? credibility and sharing your expertise with the world.?

This is no time to be a wallflower, especially if you have big? dreams of growing your team, hitting a certain income? milestone, selling a certain number of products, or booking a? guest appearance on The Today Show. Be proud of your? success and plan on sharing it with your audience.??

Do not be the world’s best-kept secret. Get out there! PR can? help and so can partnering.??

Ask nearly anyone who runs an online business what their? biggest struggle is and chances are they will say, “more? traffic.”?

You need traffic to build an email list. You need traffic to? make sales. You need traffic to fill your coaching programs? and get speaking gigs. So, the big question is, where do you? get all that traffic??

You could buy ads, but if you are not careful, you might fill? your list with less-than-ideal audience members and that will? do nothing for your sales. You could focus your time and? energy on search engine optimization but unless you have? years to build your business (and who does?) then SEO? should not be your top choice.?

Good thing you have other options like these:?

Be a Guest??

Everyone needs content. It is the one thing that remains? consistent among all content creators - there is never enough.? That is where you can help. By guest posting on other? coaches’ blogs, you can “borrow” some of their traffic.?

You cannot simply regurgitate old content and send it out in? a dozen directions though. To get the best results, you will want to:?

? Create custom content designed with your host’s? unique audience in mind.?

? Provide stellar value with actionable ideas and? strategies not found everywhere else.?

? Inject your personality so those new to you will? instantly connect with you.?

? Offer a compelling reason to click through to your? website or blog for more information.?

Partner Up?

No list? Here’s a quick way to “borrow” someone else’s list? to kickstart your own: Schedule a free event with a partner.?

Here’s how it works: You (as the one with the small list)? create a compelling, free training which leads naturally to a? low-cost, no-brainer product. Install an affiliate tracking? system such as Eventbrite or Infusionsoft.

Offer your best affiliates a higher percentage of profits in? exchange for co-hosting your webinar and bringing their? traffic along for the ride.

This is a win/win for both of you, as you gain the traffic? while your affiliate gets a bigger payday. Just be sure you? have a good funnel in place so that your new list members? can benefit from all that you have to offer.?

Get Interviewed?

Want to really show off your expert status and bring traffic? back to your site, too? The easiest way is to get on the? interview circuit. Try podcasts or local talk radio shows. Just? like authors with new books and actors with new movies,? coaches and service providers can get in front of new?audiences simply by answering questions about what they?know.?

You are probably not going to appear on the Today Show or?on OWN (although that is possible), but there are still plenty of? opportunities out there for coaches and consultants in every? niche.?

Look for interview and speaking opportunities on: ? Podcasts?

? Other blogs?

? YouTube?

? Facebook Live?

? Local events

? Industry conferences?

? Telesummits?

Start by reaching out to your colleagues and to podcast and? blog hosts you most admire. Get the word out with your? friends and your list that you are looking for opportunities.?

Even if you do not yet have a list of your own, it is easy (and? fun) to kickstart your audience growth simply by making? yourself available for these and other opportunities.?

Each guest post, podcast interview, and webinar is another? chance to get in front of a whole new market, so take? advantage of it!

Pam Perry is an?award-winning?communications?professional. She?teaches and mentors?authors, speakers,?and entrepreneurs on?how to build a?platform and attract?major media and?publishers. She is also the publisher of Speakers Magazine?and founder of the National Association of Black Podcasters.?After working with Pam, her clients have been featured on?CNN, TBN, The Word Network, Radio One, Oprah?Magazine, Tom Joyner Morning Show, Essence, Ebony,?Black Enterprise, PBS – and many other major media outlets.?Her clients have been offered major publishing contracts and?have created successful full-time careers as “authorpreneurs”?earning six-figures.?She has been called by Publishers Weekly a “PR Guru” and?featured in many major publications (including several?covers), and on more than 100 radio and TV programs. She?also has a 20-year career expertise in marketing, public?relations, and journalism in Detroit; including work with The?Detroit Free Press, WNIC, The Edge with Jeffrey Miller,?Radio One, Michigan Chronicle, WNIC and TheHUB Detroit?magazine.?Pam has worked with many nonprofit organizations, like the?Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and?the Detroit Area Agency on Aging, developing their social?media presence, online brand, and digital marketing programs. She is also author of Synergy Energy: How to Use?the Power of Partnerships to Market Your Book, Grow Your?Business and Brand Your Ministry and 115 PR Tips on How?to Brand Your Ministry (both available on Amazon.com).?Known as the master of connecting the right people, for the?right project, at the right time – Pam Perry PR works hard to?help her clients’ brand (and get paid) like a superstar.?www.PamPerryPR.com