How to get more visibility for your small business
When we think about Public Relations, we might often think of media, right?
We think about being featured in the paper, on TV and the like!
BUT PR is more than just media! It is about getting visibility for you and your business on various online (and offline) channels.
Getting THIS type of visibility allows you and your small business to be seen in different communities and audiences in a broader demographic!
From podcast guests to Instagram lives, we’re here to give you ALL the information you need to know about PR and visibility for you and your small business!
PODCASTS ON THIS TOPIC
What is visibility?
As business owners and content creators, visibility is a very important thing to have. Why? Because it helps to keep your brand relevant, trust-worthy, and thriving!
Visibility is also a fast-tracked way to connect with your target audience and your potential audience. While gaining visibility, you are showing up on other people’s social media channels where they have already built the know, like, and trust with their audience, and this, in turn, says to their audience that the person you are collaborating with already trusts you.
So, automatically, that audience has faith in your business.
Visibility works three ways:
Owned and borrowed channels - social media, blog, podcast, email. The places where you control the messages (your content marketing)
Earned channels - (others tell others you are good) places like other podcasts, media, other social media channels, other blogs
Paid channels - we are talking advertising!
But for this blog, we will focus on earned channels!
What is Public Relations in the small business world?
Public relations is all about communication between any particular business and the people (your) or other businesses that have any interest in the business. This can include consumers (or target audience), competitors, shareholders, and so on.
Public relations is so important in business to make sure that effective communication and transparency are always a priority, because without followers, consumers, or healthy industry connections, your business cannot thrive!
Unlike a lot of opinions, public relations isn't solely about media (especially mainstream media). It isn't solely about being featured or even talked about in mainstream media, in the small business world, it is about visibility and can help your business so much with content marketing, SEO, and the like by helping you be seen by Google and creating content online for you and your brand.
Who doesn't want that for their business?!
Types of visibility for small business
Overall, there are 4 types of visibility for small businesses. All are equally important in creating that trust and communication we all want as brand owners!
Number 1: Brand collaborations - This can include things like giveaways, showing up on Instagram Live together, masterclasses, and influencer marketing. We have a podcast all about this here: https://www.contentqueenmariah.com/podcast/189 but we also have an article all about User Generated Content if you want to learn more!
Number 2: Podcasts - Being a podcast guest is a great way to connect and gain visibility, however, you have to be specific in the podcasts you show up on. They have to align!
Number 3: Media - While media isn't the sole reason for public relations or visibility in general, having exposure on TV, Radio, print, and magazines is awesome! If you can get it, use it!
Number 4: Guest posts - blogging, social posts, collaborations, the works! All of these are amazing for transparency!
How to get started on visibility in your business
There are a few things we recommend thinking about before going out and trying to get featured on other businesses' social media platforms. You have to first know what your purpose is and where you want this to lead your business!
Here are some other things to make sure you have sorted:
Know the objective (the goal) of your PR/visibility endeavours. Write them down and make sure you refer back to them.
Know the audience and what platforms they are on, or where they “hang out”.
Know what you want to be known for. This is important so you represent your business how you like, you can do an exercise where you write this down, for this, you can click here and use our FREE Content Queen content strategy template or click here to use our storytelling guide!
Think about where you want to be: look at the channels based on your goals and find the most suitable ones.
Make a list of people and channels you would want to collaborate with, connect with or show up with. This helps to act as a checklist and inspiration.
Engage with them! DM, like, and comment, don’t be afraid to interact!
Hold yourself accountable! For example, put down in your calendar you want to spend 30 minutes a day working on your visibility - this will ensure you are slowly working towards those goals.
For example, if you have a goal to be on 12 podcasts in the next year, find double (if not triple) the amount of potential podcasts. Connect, reach out and get your name out there.
How to maximise your visibility
Say for example you get a feature on a podcast. That is awesome, yay. But you want to maximise this content on your own marketing channels!
Let's MAXIMISE the content from x1 podcast episode and create a strategy for you!
Here is what you do...
1. Reach out to the host and ask "how can I provide more value?". They might have more collaboration ideas!
2. Create a plan once the episode is live.. you could:
- Turn it into a blog
- Take soundbites and create Reels
- Share it with your email list
3. Share any content the host posts online
4. Put the episode on your website (have a "featured" page)
5. Comment on all the content created by the host and add more value
6. Share your guest episodes as part of your email nurture sequences!
Here is a graphic to remind you everything you can do. Get visibility in other places? Same goes!
Final thoughts
Want to build trust and connection with not only your target audience but a wider demographic? Visibility is what you need!
But before jumping straight into messaging your list of potential collaborations, make sure to set out your goals, plan and have a content marketing strategy in place before you build. If you need a place to start all of this, download our free content strategy template here!
And, if you still aren't quite sure where this journey should begin for you and what content channels to show up on, make sure to check out the Content Queen Content Quiz here to point you in the right direction.