The business world is crowded. Not only are we competing for attention from competitors, but our prospects lives in general are just so much busier. You and your business can easily slip under the radar screen from your prospects from one day to another. So what do you do when you know that they just don’t wake up in the morning thinking about you?
It’s that time of the year for planning for a New Year in life and business. In my mind are echoes from a mentor early on in my corporate training career. I asked him, what are the three most important things to do to attract business? Without hesitation he stated, visibility, visibility and visibility.
Then I couldn’t help myself. Do you know how you download both free and fee audios and eBooks – all year long ? I went to my Chef’s Table for Entrepreneurs Telesummit speakers for the skinny on how to get that visibility, visibility, visibility. For me to take on my new year planning challenge, I needed to distill their wisdom so I can put it into action. Jon Hansen, Sally Shields and L. Drew Gerber shared sooo much valuable information last fall, I just had to go to them again to help me get clearer in my planning.
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1. Here’s what I remembered was most striking in what Jon said in an almost non-stop brain dump: to build a sustainable brand your plan doesn’t have to be elaborate. That from someone who went from no where to everywhere in just 3 short years with using key online social media venues. The best thing – almost everything is available to anyone at low to no cost. Blogging, Blogtalkradio and Being in community – all with providing value – are at the top of this list.
2. Sally held nothing back. She gave top tips about how to use a current event to tie in your press release to, as she said, “have the media clamoring to interview you!” Example after example of how to easily and practically write yours, every idea could lead to a press release. A fun way to build sustainability too.
3. And thank you Drew. I most remember his sense of humor about – cocktails! Specifically, a creative circle cocktail hour. It’s around those cocktails that you can converse for clarity about you and your unique distinctiveness. I’m just glad, since I’m not a big drinker, he said it could also be a creative circle food hour. This discussion turned out to be a perfect beginning to his walking us step-by-step to the PR process.
Wow. So many creative and enjoyable ways to get on a person’s radar screen! Not as different as I thought either. Just an easier way to think about that online presence for visibility.
Still not sure where to go for publicity? You now have three people who you can put on your own radar screen – before it becomes too crowded for you.
PS – PR is one of the key factors in my business plan. How about you?
Pat, Thanks for the tips on building visibility and getting publicity. When I look back at my strategic plan, I don’t really address this in these terms. Sure, I say build awareness but I honestly do not have a strategic plan for getting publicity. I especially love Sally’s tip to “have the media clamoring to interview you!” Your article came at a great time!