Vibrant Nation

Become a household name: 8 ways to build visibility for yourself and your business

Barbara Winter is the author of Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways For Creating Work That You Love and Jumpstart Your Entrepreneurial Spirit! Via her website and newsletter, Barbara shares information and inspiration with other entrepreneurs. Here are her top eight tips to build brand recognition for business.
How do you become a household name? The simple answer: by relentlessly getting your message out, by generating publicity for yourself, and by finding new ways to package information. This can be a time-consuming activity, but having a monthly goal can keep you moving forward. Here are some basic activities to include.
  1. Find a role model.
    Several are even better. They don't have to be experts in your field, but they do have to be experts that you admire. Analyze how they've built their careers. It's fascinating to see how others have done it — and it makes the process seem less daunting.

  2. Have a current photograph taken — one you really like.
    People will remember you more easily if they have a face to connect with a name. When you have a picture you like, put it on your brochure, offer it to publications that are printing your articles, use it on flyers for seminars and events, and post it on your web site.

  3. Compile a media mailing list.
    Keep adding to it as you find new sources that might be appropriate for you. Include local and national newspapers and magazines, names of reporters who write about your field, and radio and television interview programs that use experts as guests.

  4. Speak up.
    Don't overlook the publicity value of writing letters to the editor. If a magazine or newspaper does an article that covers your area of expertise, respond. Keep in mind that most people write letters only when they're angry. You can use this same simple tool to praise or add another insight to an article. Make sure you also incorporate your qualifications for speaking up (e.g., "As a longtime resident of this community," "As someone who has studied tai chi for two decades," etc.).

  5. Network.
    Let your peers and fellow professionals know you're available to give talks, to participate in panel discussions and so forth.

  6. Stay light.
    Keep a playful attitude about publicity — especially if you find yourself misquoted, relegated to the back page or mercilessly edited.

  7. Recycle.
    Find ways to reuse your material. Turn a magazine article into a talk, submit a tip sheet to different markets, record a workshop and sell it as a CD set.

  8. Read Marcia Yudin's 6 Steps to Free Publicity.
    This book will give you the nuts-and-bolts information you need, along with firing up your enthusiasm and giving you new ideas for broadening your visibility.

responses (3)

Carol Orsborn - VN Strategist said to Barbara Winter
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Great advice!  I must say these are confounding times, however.  While it used to be harder to get exposure (before the Internet), you could trust that more people would actually read what has been said by/about you.  Now, with the Democratization of the information flow, you can Tweet, blog, Facebook and email away--get Op-ed placements, etc. etc.--and not be sure if anybody's actually paying attention.  In any case, given that we can't turn the clock back, even if we wanted to, yours is a great checklist for moving forward into the brave new world of marketing communications!

Barbara Winter said to Carol Orsborn - VN Strategist
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You're absolutely right. These are confounding times. I think the only way to deal with it all is to have lots of different tools and be willing to use them.

 

Barbara Winter

The Glam Gals said to Barbara Winter
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These are such great tips, especially the one about having a good headshot. Your headshot needs to be done by a professional and you should take great care in what you choose to wear. The color, style and tone of your appearence should be in harmony with the branding of your company.

For more info on this go to: www.tvimagelive.com

Cheers,

The Glam Gals

JoJami and Deborah

Pure and Natural