Ep. 017: Let's Get Visible! 8 Ways to Get Noticed
People can't buy what they don't know exists! Part of running a successful, profitable business is focusing on a visibility strategy. This is your plan of the various ways you're going to get visible so that people can learn about you and what you offer.
One thing people often get wrong though is trying to be visible in too many places all at once when they are starting out. Pick one or two things and practice it consistently for awhile to see the results. Then you can start adding in new visibility avenues.
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Erika Tebbens: If you find that in your business, you are really struggling to get enough people to notice that you even exist to know how you can even help them, before you even begin to think about having those sales conversations with them, then this is the episode for you.
Because I'm going to be sharing with you eight pretty simple ways that you can get noticed. And if you've been following me for a bit, you know that I love to talk about a sales funnel in the realm of know, like, and trust.
So at the very top is know. So getting people to know that you exist because people can't buy what they don't know exists. Right? So that is the visibility piece. And you should really, you should always kind of keep in the back of your mind, uh, ideas and, uh, action plan for ways to get visible. So this is something that I coach my clients on.
We actually make a visibility plan for them. If visibility is something that they struggle with. If they, uh, really are needing to get in front of more people, I helped them with that. And you're going to learn a few ways here today as well. I will say that once you start using these, you're going to have the opportunity to have more sales conversations.
So if sales conversations are something that kind of a wig you out and feel a little bit icky, or you're just not sure how to do them effectively, I have a free tool just for you. So that is my no sleaze sales method. I love this. It's what I use. It's what I teach. I have been selling like this for eons and it really works.
You'll feel good about it. The other person you're talking to will feel good about it and I'm giving it to you for free. So before I dive in to the, uh, all the good content in today's episode, I just want to let you know that you can get that over at bit.ly/nosleazeselling. So, um, either, you know, pause right now and go there or make sure you head on over there, right when the episode is over.
But again, it's bit.ly/nosleazeselling all one word, it's going to come right to your inbox and you can read over it in about 10 minutes, and then you will be able to sell like a rockstar in no time, I guarantee. Uh, and you know, of course, if you ever need any help or guidance or whatever, always just, you know, just reach out.
I'm here. I'm here for you girl. Uh, so let's, let's dive in. So eight ways to get noticed.
First up, attend networking events near you. So research, networking events in your area, depending on where you live, there might be a ton to choose from. There might be fewer. I don't live in a huge metropolitan area, but even still we have a few. We have some actual networking events put on by different organizations.
We have some more informal, uh, meetups. But we do have several and I will say they do all meet at different times. So some are during the day, some are in the evening, some are early morning. So wherever you are, look into any local networking events, and then you're going to want to see if they are the right fit for you.
Now it's not to say that you can't go out and actually attend some and then see how you like them and then decide from there. But there is a little bit of work you can do at the outset. So for instance, we have one near me that I really love. Uh, it caters just to women. It happens once a month in the evening.
So for me, it's my target demographic is there. Uh, I love the fact that it's not super early in the morning. Like a lot of the, uh, chamber events end up being, um, or some of the like BNIs and stuff like that. I feel like they all tend to be really early and I'm not a morning person. So I love that it's at night.
I love that it's once a month, so it's low, it's a lower commitment and it's just a really fun laid back event. So a lot of times people bristle at the thought of networking events, because they can be terrible. They can be really awful and not fun, but I have been able to do some trial and error and some research to find a few networking events in my area that I love.
So that's a great way just to get in front of, you know, even local people and make connections. And I've actually made a lot of friends through those events. I've gotten referrals. I've gotten clients. It's fantastic. Then you can also look for local organizations that might fit the bill for what you do as well.
So this might be, if you have an organization near you, that really focuses on the niche that you're in. So maybe it's something that is just for creatives or, uh, just for photographers or, you know, like, I, it could be a lot of different things. And again, those more niche ones might be in a much more heavily populated cities, but I, and you know, and those are just good ways to, um, I would say to kind of, if it's a niche one, you're not necessarily going to get direct business from the other people in it's like, let's say if it was photographers, um, I mean, you, you might, but it can also just be a good way to find out about other, um, good info, good training.
You can kind of talk shop with people and stuff like that. But another good way is there are a lot more formal organizations in areas like chamber of commerce and a different business associations that you can join. Usually the fee for the year is not too, too much, at least not in my area, but those are really great ways to, again, just like networking events, get in front of more people.
Now, if you look into it, like a lot of times you can go, you can go as a guest and you can kind of feel it out first. If it's gonna work for you or not before you invest the money in the annual fee. So look into a few, try them out and then see if they're going to be the right fit for you. All right. Next step.
Find a places where you can speak on what you do, where you can actually educate people and then lead them to what you do. So these could be things like, uh, libraries. A lot of times libraries need free, uh, content that they can put out free events and, um, and speaker series and things like that. So check out your local libraries, um, look into different events that are also, uh, focused on the people who you serve as well.
Think about if there are groups in your area that also serve your ideal client and other things like that. So maybe what you do is cater to moms of young kids. So again, I'll just use the photographer example. I have a really good friend who teaches moms, how to use either their smartphones or DSLR cameras on how to take better pictures of their kids, just in the day-to-day.
And so she teaches a course and all she has all of these great resources. So, if she went around to let's say local, like mops groups. So like moms of preschoolers, um, or just different groups that cater to moms of children. So those are the people that she wants to target. She could do a free or low cost workshop for them where she actually gives them a few tips and a few pointers on how to do this.
And then she can funnel them to a larger program that she has. So if they want to do more of a deep dive, uh, they can, they can do that, but she's got to get in front of them first. There could be different events. So maybe there is, you know, maybe you do yoga. You're a yoga instructor. Maybe there's an event near you that caters to people in the wellness industry.
So one of my clients actually puts on this, these huge, um, health and wellness expos. So maybe you can ask, you know, get connected with the organizer and see about doing a class or doing a talk or something like that. Again, it just gets you in front of people. And then of course, libraries.
Another client of mine. She is an expert, a Disney travel planner for families. And so she does lots and lots of talks at all the libraries in our areas because libraries cater to families. And that is who her ideal client is as well. And she has a talk that she gives, where she gives them an overview of how they can plan their trip to Disney.
And then at the end, she lets them know the ways that if they need further help, that they can work with her. I have done, um, I've actually spoken at, uh, the same networking event that I was mentioning earlier. So there's actually three of them in our region. And I have been able to speak at all three and it was great.
And I did, I did the same talk because again, they're different locations, so they have different people attending them. And it was fantastic because it got me in front of a lot of different people that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. And it also, I was able to give them value just like I'm giving you, uh, some free value on this podcast, and it gave them a taste of what it would be like to work with me. So if you're speaking to somebody, they can kind of clearly, uh, figure out right away if you are going to be a good fit for them or not. We just kind of can easily pick up on the vibes of other people and we can figure out if we like their approach and we like what they're saying and, and all of that stuff.
And so it's a really, really easy way for people to warm up to you or conversely, um, decide that they are not, you are not the person for them, uh, in a really simple short amount of time. You can also be a guest on podcasts.
So I could probably do a whole separate episode on, uh, pitching to podcasts. But the, in a nutshell version is look at podcasts that match the level kind of, of where you are at. So if there is a, you know, if there's somebody who has hundreds of thousands or millions of downloads every single month and you are getting started or newer in your business, it might not be a right fit. Now it's not to say that you can't pitch to them. But just, you know, be mindful of that a little bit, that, uh, they might not be, they might not have as much incentive to have you on because at the end of the day, you know, they're, they're hoping that you, uh, you know, you would each kind of cross promote each other.
And if you have a really small audience and they have a really huge audience, then it, it kind of just doesn't, it doesn't fully match up if that makes sense. So, I would say that look for podcasts that are a little bit more, um, reaching out to people who are your ideal clients and are at kind of a matched level for where you are.
And then look on their website, see if they have an actual podcast submission page, um, look over it, you know. Then, if they do, then obviously be mindful of whatever it says on there. If they say, you know, we're not accepting any more pitches this year or whatever, obviously be cognizant of that, but then also reach out.
And my suggestion is, is let them know a little bit about you, let them know who you serve, how you help them, um, how you can help their audience, what value you're going to bring to their audience. And then also put in a few things that you are qualified to talk about and then let them know, you know, you're look forward to hearing from them.
If it's the kind of thing where you are just spamming a bunch of podcasts with the same, the same email, it's just as bad as like a regular sleazy selling tactic. So you want to make it personalized. You want to make sure that you're actually aware of the podcast.
Because I was pitched recently and the person that wanted to speak, it was so far off base of what I talk about, who listens to the podcast, everything like it was just, um, it, it made zero sense that I would have this person on. And so keep that in mind too. Right? You want to make it something that is valuable for their people and maybe something they've never touched on.
So if you look back through their episodes and the same thing that you want to talk about has already been covered, you don't want to pitch for that, that thing. But be a guest on podcasts. That's a really great way to get out in front of a lot of people. Um, you can be a guest in different Facebook groups as well.
So this is going to follow kind of the same format as with the podcast, but a lot of times different Facebook groups will allow in guest experts so that they can provide additional valuable content to their members as well. I have also, um, spoken on, in several Facebook groups and I, or even on Facebook pages, like if you go live on a page.
So again, you know, kind of match, and when I say match like audience to audience, I don't mean identically. Because sometimes, it makes sense where, uh, you end up being able to be on a podcast that has a larger reach than what you currently get. But I just mean, you know, be, be really, really, really mindful. Like if the podcast host is bringing on people who are industry leaders, you know, they're making, you know, they're like seven figure people in that industry experts like all of that. If, if they're doing that consistently and it's only that level of, of person and you're in your first six months, it's, it's not that you can't pitch them. It's just, uh, especially if, if what you do is really unique and highly valuable, it's just that you are a little bit more likely to not get approved.
If that makes sense. Uh, be helpful in Facebook groups, but don't be spammy. So if you are in groups where your ideal client also is, be helpful, when people ask for advice, if you know the answer, if you can help, if you can be supportive, uh, be helpful. If you had, let's say an aha moment of something and you want to share it so that you can be sincerely helpful, go ahead and do that if you're allowed to, but don't be spammy because it is really, really, really obvious and gross when people are just constantly posting in someone else's Facebook group as a way to get visibility for them, or if they are trying to like poach clients from the group, um, for their own business or, just, you know, constantly like pitching what they have. It's it's just, it's not good. So don't do that. But be honestly helpful in, in groups like you, like you would, if it was like, you know, an in-person networking event or something.
Ask for connections, ask for referrals, reach out and use the connections with people that you already have to see if you can make a future connections with people. So let's say again, you are a, we'll go back to photographer. Let's say you are a wedding photographer. If you finish, you know, for every wedding that you finish, a lot of times people getting married are of an age where they also have, uh, friends and other people in their lives who are planning weddings.
So see if they have any referrals for you. Maybe people who just got engaged or are in the early stages of booking out things and they don't have a photographer yet. See if they are comfortable with, you know, if they had a good time using you with making a connection to other people. I have been able to, uh, get a lot of really great connections in my own business, simply from, um, again, things like Facebook groups, like I already mentioned, um, utilizing other entrepreneurs that I'm friends with to connect me with different people and even different like service providers that I've used myself, all of that.
So definitely don't forget about your connections and then be consistent and engaging on social media. So a really great way for people to kind of get to know you and get to know your vibe and what you're all about and how you can help them is by obviously having a social media presence, but being consistent and being consistent doesn't mean you have to live on social media, but it means that you can't just do one post here and then wait three weeks and then do another post and then wait two weeks and then do another post.
And it doesn't mean you can do what's called post and ghost, which is like, you just schedule all your content and then you never actually hang out on there. By being engaging by, uh, engaging on other people's accounts, by commenting, by, uh, like sending DMs, by replying to stories, things like that, you are engaging. When I say sending DMs, I don't mean again, gross spammy DMS.
I just mean like actually engaging with people. Again, like you would at an in-person networking event, because I cannot tell you the amount of connections that I have made, uh, simply by being, uh, an outgoing, authentic, real human on social media, as opposed to just, um, again, being too strategic and then, uh, getting everything scheduled and letting it like post on its own and then never showing up on there.
So those are my eight basic tips. Now I will say if you have any physical products or like maker fairs or expos or anything like that near you, definitely look into them. Now, summer bet going to be better than other summer, more worth your time or your entrance fee, if there is one than others, but that is also a really, really great way to get out into the community.
Another thing I actually just was talking to a woman I know about this. So she is a maker. She has an Etsy shop. She, um, does a few maker fairs, uh, each year. And she also lives in an area where they have this really cool business that it teaches classes to people. So there's like, Uh, hand lettering, pierogi making, those, those are both taught by my friend and former client, uh, Anna who's @owlpostlettering on Instagram. So she's taught like hand lettering and pierogi making, and then other people teach, um, like modern macrame or just, you know, like all sorts of stuff, uh, woodblock, uh, cutting and printing and really cool things.
And so this woman, when I was speaking to her, she actually used to work at this place. And I was like, why don't you go back? Why don't you teach a class there on, you know, so people can kind of make their own version of the things that you make and sell. Because even though she would be teaching them how to make the thing that she also sells, it puts her in front of more people. It gives her visibility. So now those people know that she exists. So in the future, they might not want to buy all the supplies and do all the work of having to make that same thing, but they might commission her to do a custom one. They might buy some that she already has.
They would know she exists so they can recommend her shop to their friends. And actually interestingly, a friend and client of mine, Jillian, she years ago, so she, um, makes and sells herbal skincare. And one of her first products was lip balm. And a few years ago, she taught an in-person workshop about how to make your own lip balm.
So people got to leave with the lip balm. It was really fun. People loved it. And I was just talking to her recently and she was like, "Yeah, it's kind of hilarious because those people who came to that event, they still come to me and they'll buy lip balm from me." Because again, they don't want to have to buy all the supplies and everything.
Like, it was fun to have the experience, but it doesn't mean you're going to actually miss out on future business. So just think about that. Think of, look into maker fairs again, if you have local partners, partly why I said, you know, if there's local organizations or, or anything that cater to people in your same industry, that is a really great way to kind of get the inside scoop on different events. And also if they're worth applying to, um, or paying for or not. And same thing, you know, again, I'm just going to keep using this photography example. A lot of communities will have these bridal expos and I've known photographers who go and they, they set up everything at these expos. And that is a great way.
You know, if you are connected with other people locally, who are in a similar industry or have connections to that expo, then you can find out. Is it really worth it? Is it worth spending a day or two days at this event? Did you actually get any business from it or whatever? Um, but anytime you're getting in front of people, I know that we have a lot of tech that makes it, uh, visibility very easy, but it's also very noisy. So anytime that you can get directly in front of other people, that is a great way for people to know that you exist so then they can interact with you. And to prove what I am saying, I will just wrap this up with this very recent example.
So there is a maker space that is near me, that is super cool. And I recently gave a presentation there. I did a two hour workshop. It was very low cost for any of their makers that wanted to come. So I had seven people come. It was fantastic. I loved it to bits. I love teaching. It's one of my most favorite things. And then I had a, I did a webinar.
So another, another way that you can get visible. I didn't, I didn't mention it because I feel like it kind of deserves a, a little bit of a larger conversation around it, but that's doing like online trainings and webinars. Um, that could be a, that'll be a future episode. Cause I feel like that kind of gets into like ads and followup sequences and stuff like that.
But so every now and then I do this free online webinar that leads people into my Sell It, Sister course. So I had taught this woman in person, and then I let her know, "Hey, next week I'm doing this free training that is going to dive a little bit more into what I'm talking about tonight." So she asked if I could get her signed up for that.
So I did. So she watched the training and then she purchased the course. So, uh, from my end, I mean, I get to help her now, which makes me really, really excited. Um, but I also may, I also got money from her twice. Like I also made two sales. I made the initial small sale.=, Uh, where that was her first exposure to me, uh, of teaching her for two hours.
And then, because she liked that because she knew I existed and liked what I had to say and, and my whole, you know, energy and all of that, then she wanted to watch my free training, which then leads people into my course. And so as I'm taking her on that customer journey, then she bought the course. So now she gets more of my help for her business, but I also was able to get in front of her and then convert her to a higher paying program.
Which, you know, and I don't want this to sound like, "Oh God, I just got more money from her. Whew." Um, but I mean, that's the reality of it. We are not running charities, we're running businesses. And so this is how, you know, getting that, that initial visibility, it, this is how it converts. This is how the process actually works.
And I've done, uh, free trainings and stuff that, you know, for people's groups and everything that then they convert. And now this woman might, you know, she might take the course and that might be awesome. And, and that might be where our relationship stops or maybe at a future date. She'll, you know, we'll work together one-on-one, we'll work together in my group, but this is how you get that forward momentum. So a little bit of visibility on the front end. Nurturing them with some really high quality value, building that trust, can often then turn into not just one sales conversion, but multiple sales conversions, and even at a incremental price increases as well.
So that is how this all shakes out. So I hope this was really helpful. I would love to know if you have already done any of these eight things, or if you now feel inspired to try one of them. So I'm always over on Instagram @erikatebbensconsulting. If you're not already following me, be sure you are.
And I would love it because I love to make personal connections with the people who listened to this podcast. If you can just take a screenshot of this episode or just post something in your stories and tag me and let me know either what you've already tried, that you love and you're going to keep doing or something that you now want to try out, so that I can see what you're going to do and all the ways that you are going to continue to increase visibility, and get more eyeballs on what you do. Thank you so much for listening and as always, happy selling.
