You want more visibility on the web so you can attract the right people to your business, right?
No problem. I have conversations about this with online entrepreneurs nearly everyday. It’s not difficult to boost your online visibility… and it takes time and effort.
And that, my friends, is where most people stop. They say they don’t have enough time to do what is required to get their content in front of the right people who will benefit from their work. I hear this from authors, coaches, consultants and small business owners. Hey, I get it.
But, if you want to be found by the right people who want to buy your products and services, you need to be visible and you need (or someone) needs to do the work to make it happen. If you do, you’ll be way ahead of your peers in your industry.
If you want to sell more books, book more clients, build your email list, get more people to attend your events, then you have to do the work. Period.
I was reviewing a presentation I did a few months ago about boosting online visibility. At the end of the three-part program I offered a challenge and laid out the steps to get more visibility for a blog post. I invited the participants to post their blog URL on my Facebook page and LinkedIn group so I could share it and boost its reach even more. And guess what happened?
No one took up the challenge. Why? I suspect most would say they didn’t have time.
It’s one thing to write a blog post, but if no one sees it, shares it or comments, then you’re missing an opportunity to extend your reach, connect with more people in your community and meet new people who may be the perfect client for you.
So, I invite you to take the challenge and see what happens when you actually market your blog posts. Master blogger Derek Halpern of Social Triggers teaches to spend 20% of your time crafting your content and 80% marketing it. I think he’s right.
Your Online Visibility Challenge
I challenge you to follow these steps for your next blog post. Track the tactics you use and note the results: number of shares, number of Likes, number of +1s, number of tweets and retweets, and number of comments. Then, compare that to a blog post for which you did not do any of the above tactics and let me know what you discover.
1. Create Cornerstone Content
If you’re not sure what “cornerstone content” is, here’s a great definition from Copyblogger:
A cornerstone is something that is basic, essential, indispensable, and the chief foundation upon which something is constructed or developed. It’s what people need to know to make use of your website and do business with you.
Keep these points in mind when you create your cornerstone post:
- Use your
primary keywords - Conveys the essence of your brand
- Answers important questions
- Evergreen – stands the test of time
- Highly shareable
- Entertaining AND informative
- Easy to find on your site
2. Create a quote image from your post
Images are noticed and shared more than any other type of content on the web. There are dozens of sites that make is super easy to create an image from a pithy quote or tip from your post. You can read more about quote images here or use the list below to find a site you like.
3. Share the quote image
After you create your beautiful, eye-catching quote image, you need to share it. Post it on Pinterest, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and in any related groups or forums you participate in. Don’t forget to include a link back to your blog post!
4. Use the Share Buttons
Remember to use the share buttons on your post to share the article on your social networks. This starts the process of creating social proof [aka social signals]. When a reader sees the post has been shared, they’re more inclined to click the buttons too. [NOTE: here’s an excellent article by Dustin W. Stout about how social signals can impact your blog.]
5. Get even more Visibility!
You’re invited to post the URL for your blog post on my Facebook page and in my LinkedIn Visibility Boost group. You will get your content in front of members of my communities which will introduce you to even more people and can keep the visibility ball rolling.
Are you in?
And, just in case you’re wondering, I go through these steps for just about every post I publish both here and on The Future of Ink, the site I co-own with Ellen Britt.
If you’re in for the challenge, post your intention in the comments below and when your post is published, go ahead and share it here as well, for even more visibility. 🙂
Need help creating and implementing a do-able plan to get more visibility for your book, product or services? Let’s set up a strategy session and talk about how to make it happen.
Denise, I’m taking you up on your challenge. Thanks for steps on how to increase my visibility. I just love this post. Very useful, essential and easy tips to follow. Your opening statement is KEY though: “It’s not difficult to boost your online visibility… and it takes time and effort….But, if you want to be found by the right people who want to buy your products and services, you need to be visible and you need (or someone) needs to do the work to make it happen.”
Most important points you shared are “Content” and “Use the Share Buttons”. When we talk about visibility first of all we should concentrate on content because content is the key of success and very essential thing in this online business. Then sharing of posts or products on different social media sites is the most effective thing to increase a brand’s visibility. Your discussed points and tips are very effective to increase any website’s visibility.
I would add one thing. Don’t include your pinterest link in the original post on G+. Add it as the first comment. Dustin Stout has done some incredible research on how G+ counts +1s and adding a second link breaks the connection back to your article.
I took your advice with the quote graphic – not from the article, but about the idea behind the article. Given that I’m trying to tie together a rather complex subject, it’s probably the absolute best thing I could’ve done for the series. It’ll get used, along with some infographics, when I create the content silo/content bucket/cornerstone page for the series. (And the current post is probably the one that needs the backup from the big picture view the most.)
I’ll go add my post to your page and group now. Thank you. 🙂
The idea of creating and sharing a quote image from the post is interesting .. I would try this out for sure . It should work , as images are more attractive to the readers than the content 😀 . Anyways, thanks for sharing these tips with us Denise .
-Pramod
You’re welcome, Pramod. Let me know how using an image to promote a post works for you.
Denise, I’m taking you up on your challenge. Thanks for steps on how to increase my visibility.
Excellent, Marcia. Keep me posted on your progress!
Here’s something I’ve wondered on the “cornerstone content” – do you make it a page or a post?
Louise, here’s an excellent guest post by Derek Halpern on Copyblogger about how to create cornerstone pages. In his explanation, it’s about creating a page with links to blog posts on one specific topic:
http://www.copyblogger.com/cornerstone-pages/
Great question!
That’s a fantastic article. Thanks Denise!
I will definitely use all these steps. I know I need to spend more time marketing my posts. However, I can let the quality of the post fall by the wayside.
Quotes on images are really powerful marketing tools. People’s attention span online are usually shorter making a quick, powerful, eye catching post really powerful.
Love the idea of sharing quote images; I need to do more of that. And I’m definitely spending too much time creating content, rather than marketing it. Excellent ideas. 🙂
I just love this post. Very useful, essential and easy tips to follow. Your opening statement is KEY though: “It’s not difficult to boost your online visibility… and it takes time and effort….But, if you want to be found by the right people who want to buy your products and services, you need to be visible and you need (or someone) needs to do the work to make it happen.”
This reiterates what I tell my clients all the time, but I think this is one of the biggest challenges for SMBs. Once they have the “how” as layed out by this post, its the execution that falls short due to lack of time or expertise. And outsourcing isn’t always affordable.
Looking forward to connecting with you on all your social media sites!
Hey Denise,
I’m really learning a lot from you in this post. I love the idea of spending more time promoting your “pillar” content instead of churning out new blog posts every day.
I have a page (not a post) that I use for this purpose and it gets shared a lot on social media. I included a video and a few audio clips from my podcast on the page as well. I do have a graphic there but with your inspiration, I’m going to work on creating a better one!
Thanks Denise. I’ll be sure to stop by your Facebook page and I left the link in CommentLuv also.
Have a great weekend!
Ileane, do you post the audio clips on your social networks as a tease to send folks back to the pillar post?
Ah! Great question.
My strategy is a little unique and I don’t think most people would want to do it this way.
I have my podcast on a separate blog and the individual podcast episodes are included with the show notes as blog posts. So to answer your question – I have an entire blog that is a dedicated “teaser” for my pillar content. Perhaps “appetizer” is a better word to describe it. So far so good because the traffic with the highest conversion rate for email sign-ups comes from that other blog.
I hope that makes sense – some days I wonder. 🙂
Excellent strategy, Ileane! I like it.