I mentioned on Twitter earlier, that I had just been quoted in today’s New York Times. It’s a short piece about a post I wrote here, on the difference between running a business and running a self-employed job.
Anyhow, I soon received an email, asking me what my tips were for gaining that kind of coverage. So, rather than just reply to the guy who sent me the email, I thought I would share my answer here, in case you find it useful.
Here is the 3 step process I suggested to him:
- Make your site easy to find.
- Have something worth saying.
- Say it well.
Make your site easy to find
People need to be able to easily find your site, when they are searching the Internet for the kind of topics you write about. This means embracing SEO (search engine optimization.) Easily, the single most important part of SEO is the number and quality of links pointing to your site. Many people focus too much on stuffing key words into their web pages and blog posts, hoping this will boost their SEO, but neglect to focus on attracting good quality, organic links from great sites. If none of what I just said makes sense to you, get some expert SEO help.
Have something worth saying
Whatever you write about, make it as valuable and interesting as possible. It’s hard to stand out, when you are simply echoing what everyone else in your industry is saying. Here’s a suggestion: If others in your space are all writing about the problems within your industry, start writing about possible answers. Be courageous enough to swim in the opposite direction to the rest of the crowd. Whatever you do, make your message worth saying. If you do, it will also be worth reading and worth sharing!
Say it well
Once your site is easy to find and you have something worth saying, you need to be able to say it well – To communicate your message as effectively as possible. This is something else I work on with my clients, because it is such a key part of being in business today. We live in an age where the typical small business owner is no longer just a passive consumer of information. She is a content creator too! She has her website, emails, social networking updates and (I hope) her blog too. I believe that every small business owner needs to invest in developing their copywriting skills.
The good news is that everything I have mentioned here is a skill you can improve with the right guidance. Anyone can improve their SEO, so they attract lot’s of targeted readers. Anyone can learn how to look at their industry more creatively and then improve their copywriting skills, so people actually want to read what they have to say. It’s why people like me exist!
If you miss out any of those 3 steps, you are placing a very low ceiling on your marketing potential. Very few small businesses focus effectively on more than 1 of those areas, which is GREAT news for you. It means that if you decide to do what’s required to learn all 3 skills, you can achieve amazing results!
Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!
IMPORTANT: If you want to make more sales, boost your profits and grow an amazing business, this will help you!