5 Steps to Build Your Reputation With Publicity – When You’ve Just Begun Your Business

What do you do when you have just started your business and need customers and sales? What if you don’t have customer reviews, testimonials, biz experience or even a bio that shows you’re amazing but you want credibility… and publicity?

Imagine this: You have dozens or hundreds of people discovering you…
Even if you’ve just begun your business.

People who want to buy your products and hire you on the spot.

Here’s how.

Step #1. Shine Online.

3 Steps to build a five-star online reputation infographic.

You want a website that’s crisp, clear and professional.

Where do potential clients, journalists and producers go to check you out to see if they want to do business with you?

Your website.

Your website should show what you do and who you do it for. Also, it needs an obvious call to action. What do you want your potential clients to DO when they visit? Make sure that they have a clear path to engage with you, your products and services. Give visitors a way to opt-in to a special report or a gift of some sort so you can stay connected.

It used to take 7 impressions before someone would buy from you. They had to connect with you in 7 ways to feel comfortable and trust you. In today’s world it now takes 10 touches to get the same results. So you have to be able to contact your future clients so they have a chance to get to know you.

When people complain that publicity doesn’t work what they really mean is that their website doesn’t convert clicks to cash. Publicity will drive people to your website – but then it’s up to your website to keep them interested enough to want to continue to connect with you and eventually buy.

Your website should also should have the look and feel of you. So a person’s instant impression gives them a sense of who you are, what you sell, and what you stand for.

Step #2. Showcase Your Skills.

Content marketing with images.
Photo Credit: carterse

The best place to showcase your skills is in your bio or about page. This is the place to tout your talents. And while you may not have much experience yet you can bridge your past experience to your present profession. For example, one of the participants in my sound bite course wrote a book on the history of adoption that covered many little known facts about how kids that are adopted don’t have the same rights as ordinary US citizens. She’s not an “adoption expert” but her job as a private investigator used the same sleuthing skills to get to the truth that she used to uncover hidden facts about the adoption industry. That superhero skill went into her bio and made the link from her current profession to her new role as author and champion of underprivileged adoptees.

Step #3. Sound Bite What You Do.

Free publicity tips and training.
Photo Credit: Stwef

You want to be able to tell people how you can help them in one simple sentence.

Example: “I teach women how to achieve their ideal weight in 2-4 months with no dieting.”

(From Ann Convery’s course, “You’re So Brilliant, Why Don’t They Buy?”)

Notice that this description has concrete, quantifiable results and a timeframe to get those results. It’s not about you, but about what you do for your clients or customers. Plus, this one simple sentence is intriguing and sets up the conversation so people beg for more.

It leads your potential clients to ask two questions:

1.  How?
2. Can you do this for me?

Which is exactly what you want them to ask to close business on the spot or during a media appearance.

Step #4. Collect Client Raves.

Publicity for start-ups
Photo Credit: marsmet546

You can offer your services for free or a reduced fee in exchange for a review.

According to CompUSA and an iPerceptions study, “63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews.”

One of the best ways to get a rave or review is to ask your client what was most helpful or what stood out – right after a successful consult, while you’re still on the phone or in-person with them. Then you write down exactly what they say and read it back to them for approval. This instantly produces natural sounding testimonials and stops procrastination pronto.

Procrastination happens because it can be hard for your clients to think, write and polish a testimonial for you. Stop Procrastination: Interviewing your customers or clients right after they’ve had a positive experience with you is effective and fast.

Bada Bing, you’re (almost) done.

According to 2012 research study adding a photo for unfamiliar celebrity names (that’s all of us J) increased the likelihood that the subjects would judge the claim to be true. So be sure to get photos of your clients and customers to increase your cred.

Step #5. Get Local Publicity.

Pitch your local press. Find an angle about how you’re helping or standing out in your community. Write up some tips about a topic that you know about but that most people don’t. Write a highly opinionated letter to the editor a publication whose audience you want to reach.

One of the quickest ways to get local publicity?

Photos.

Share a photo with a caption that amuses, shocks, or delights – with a short blurb.

Journalists love photos.

The other great thing about photos is that you are in complete control of your image and how you’re portrayed. Images are the sound bites of our generation and can go viral faster than any other medium.

Think visually.

BONUS!

Here’s another way visuals can help you get instant cred…

Logo-ize.

Once you get a media placement put the TV, radio or print logo on your home page or media page. You’ve seen this dozens of times on famous and up and coming people’s websites:

As seen in…

The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times
Parade
People
Real Simple

As seen on:

Oprah
Good Morning America
CNN
The Today Show

There’s nothing like the visual stamp of approval from a media interview or appearance to make a positive impression. Your visitors will automatically assume that you’re famous (or on your way to fame) if you have recognizable logos emblazoned on your website.

As Jayne Mansfield said, “Publicity can be terrible. But only if you don’t have any.”

So these are the 5 steps to Build Your Reputation With Publicity – When You’ve Just Begun Your Business. They are quick and easy and you can start with one thing today.

I would love to hear from you. Have you gotten local publicity? How did you do it?

I’m also curious: which of these 5 strategies resonated the most? Did one stand out as a gleaming jewel?

Did you like this article? If you did, like it, comment, and share it with your friends.

And remember the words of Harold Thurman Whitman:

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Ready to dive into some more publicity strategies (think heart-felt stories & truth telling without schmaltz) that can start you on your way to the top? Enjoy this FREE training.

Want to see this blog post (with a slightly different twist) as a FREE 10 minute webinar? Hop on over here.

Now that you know a few things about getting publicity, make sure you’re a fabulous public speaker with these 7 inspiring tips.

Check out our PR and Media Training Workshop to Jumpstart your Publicity