Proactive public relations and strategic social media can help you increase visibility, which will help attract more ideal clients.
Many entrepreneurs want to increase visibility because they struggle with being found online by their ideal clients. Fear is often the leading culprit holding people back from being forward-facing in their business. However, being visible, which is very specific to individuals, can make a significant difference in the level and rate at which you attract your soulmate clients. Think of it like a magnet. Your energy is going to attract the energy of the person who needs your help. But only if you are visible for them to find you.
Entrepreneurs often attract people that are not a good fit, not their soulmate clients. Because they want to achieve success, they take on clients even though they are not ideal. The result is that they become frustrated. This happens because people aren’t visible in a way that attracts their soulmate clients.
Think of it like a magnet. Your energy attracts someone with a need, the other side of the magnet. When you are present as your authentic self and are visible to your potential clients, you will attract them.
Parasocial relationships
It is a scientific fact that when we show up with our face, we are able to build trust with the customers we want to work with. Parasocial relationships are when a person, a media user, engages with a media persona. This can happen with influencers, media personnel, celebrities, and even entrepreneurs. Learn more about how visibility influences parasocial relationships here.
When we show our face online and explain what we do and talk about the problem we solve, our ideal customers who have the need we can solve, begin to trust us. An instant connection can be formed. Similarly, you can think of this as a trust-building exercise.
Instead of shying away from your story share your failures to increase visibility
Most female entrepreneurs shy away from sharing their failures. However, like Kendra Scott telling her story of the failed hat boutique, and then making jewelry in her spare bedroom, she has authentically connected with her clients. Failures are part of the journey and the story that can connect you with your ideal clients. Sharing the big picture, and the story of a very personal event builds trust. It helps people get to know you, like you, and trust you. Therefore, showing up on camera and being visible builds the final step of trust. People buy people not products and services.
Strategies to increase visibility
Proactive public relations (PR) is you going out and seeking PR opportunities instead of depending on opportunities coming to you, for example, HARO (help a reporter out). Using HARO is more of a reactive PR strategy.
When it comes to proactive PR, it is about pitching yourself to the dream media outlets and sharing your authentic story. It also comes down to remembering that it’s not about you. Yes, you should be true to yourself and tell your authentic story, but it isn’t about you, it is about what the media outlets can gain by having you on their show or in their publication. What can you offer the media outlet that will bring their audiences in and cause them to appreciate the media outlet more?
Media outlets want to gain and retain audiences. Anytime media outlets can respond to the cravings of their audiences, they are happy. When you provide them with exactly what their audience will learn from you, and you provide the answer that the media outlet wants to provide for their audience they will want to interview you.
How can your story serve someone else? The answer is how you will build that connection with a media outlet.
How do you get media outlets to respond to you so that you can increase visibility?
First, you need to follow up at least three times. Allie suggests following up once a week. For example, international women’s day is in March so in February Allie and her team began to reach out to local media outlets and say that Allie works with women and helps them become more visible and would like to be interviewed for international women’s day. They started pitching in early February so therefore they had three weeks to follow up.
Keep in mind that you want your topic to be timely. If something is happening on a national level, you can reach out to local media outlets and say that you know this is happening on a national level, but you are an expert and can speak to it on a local level. Once that story is old news, the media outlets will no longer be interested in it, therefore you must be timely with your pitches.
The relations part of public relations comes into play when you follow reports and media personnel on social media. When they post about things that connect with you, comment and engage with them. If they are posting about their dog and you love dogs, have conversations with them about dogs. This strategy is not only important for building a relationship but so that when your name pops up in their email with your pitch, they recognize your name. It will stand out.
You have two fields to grab the attention of the person you are pitching to.
There are two opportunities to grab someone’s attention when pitching by email. The first is the subject line and the second is your name. Thus the importance of engaging and building relationships so that your name is recognizable.
Learn who is writing about the topics you want to be featured on and follow them. In addition, comment on their content to build name recognition.
How to find media personnel and reporters to be featured to increase visibility with your ideal clients
You can find this via Google, going back to the publication time and time again. There are contributors who write for multiple media outlets. You can also search for them on social media and Twitter.
Learn more from the interviews with Michelle Glogovac in Episode 53 and Episode 122.
Social media ties in here because it provides an opportunity to connect with others, build relationships, and build the know love and trust factor. PR is the same. The more you engage, the more recognizable and memorable you are. If you are able to step in and fill a void for information, they will remember you and come back to you. Relationship building is what really launches people.
Strategic Social Media to increase visibility and attract soulmate clients
Content pillars are the basis of any social media strategy. The idea of branding comes down to the rule of seven. People really do have to hear a message 7 times to remember it or take action on it. Therefore the idea of keeping your content pillars very simple, even down to the services your offer or testimonials from your clients, and repeating that same topic every month helps you get your social media planning down to minimal time. Having a social media strategy helps you explain who you are, what you do, and how you help them.
Robyn gave a shout-out to Allison Scholes and Instagram Coach and content creator and how she helped her create her content pillars. Learn more about Instagram from Allison in Episode 132.
When you plan ahead, you not only save yourself time and energy, but you also help your clients more and provide more value for them.
Have an opinion and take a stand to increase visibility now and in the future
When you have an opinion and take a stand, you get more attention on social media, and your visibility increases and grows. If you are willing to take a stand, you are saying things that others wish they had the strength to say or you are saying something that catches the attention of the opposing party and now they have something to talk about. If you are struggling to come up with content ideas or be visible, try taking a stand on a topic you are an expert in. This really opens up visibility opportunities in the future.
It really comes down to being authentic and not worrying about offending others by sharing your beliefs and perspectives. Really own that version of you. The best way to do this is to adhere to your values. For more on pitching to the media and living by your values as your build, your personal brand listen to Episode 89 with Yvette Walker.
When you own your values, are confident in them, and stand for who you are, everything becomes easy at that point. Nothing becomes a question, it’s just who you are and how you feel.
About Allie Martin
Allie Hembree Martin is a visibility expert and owner of Fame and Fortune. She works with female entrepreneurs to elevate their brands and gain credibility and cash through proactive public relations and strategic social media. Allie formerly worked in public relations for Amazon, Alltech, Kendra Scott, and the International Spa Association. She also produces and hosts the podcast, Selfish, a show dedicated to self-care and following your dreams. Allie lives in Shelbyville, Kentucky with her husband Brandon.
Website for Allie Hembree Martin
Learn more about incorporating PR and social media into your brand marketing strategy by downloading the Purpose to Results™ Method eBook.
