Article by Wendy McCance

Are you looking to make a career out of writing, blogging or social media?  Have you read article after article, but feel like you are still missing an important component when it comes to getting your name out there?

I have been doing a lot of reading recently.  It doesn’t matter how long you are in business for yourself or how well you are doing.  The key to success in operating your own business is to stay fresh.  Staying on top of the latest trends and expanding your mind makes a big difference.  It is when you get too cocky, when things are flowing and you stop building on what you have that you will eventually stall out.

Take prospecting for example.  Even if you have enough clients to keep you busy, you should still prospect a few times a month.  By reaching out to potential new clients, you achieve two major benefits.  1.  If you lose a current customer, it won’t be as damaging because you have new customers knocking at your door.  2.  You are promoting yourself every time you reach out.  It is a great way to become well-known.

With all of this in mind, I want to give you something to think about.  As you build your business, it is important to come across as knowledgable, stable, experienced and well-known.  It’s a tall order to achieve when you are just building your business.  There are ways to look like a solid company even when you have been in business for a few months.  Keep reading to find out just how to give your business a boost quickly so that you have a good stream of customers knocking at your door.

The secret to early success is learning how to promote yourself.  You don’t need to pay a PR person to get your name out there (at least not in the early stages).  You can do this on your own.  Personally, I think it is important to learn for yourself how to go about promoting yourself.  Becoming good at getting your name out there is really what will give your business that jump-start it needs.

How do you go about getting your name out there so customers will notice and call you?

Here are some secrets of new business success:

Focus on getting your name prominently displayed on the first page of search results.

Google your name.  If you aren’t the primary name that comes up on the first page of results, you have some work to do.  The key is to make it easy for a potential customer to find you easily.  The more often your name shows up on that first page, the more relevant you will appear to the person looking you up.

How do you increase the number of times your name will show up on the first page of search results?

The secret to getting an increase in the amount of times you show up in search results is to add your profile to every social media platform that makes sense.  Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook make sense.  Instagram, StumbleUpon and a mommy blog group might not. Only add a profile where you can actually contribute to that site.

Use directories as another way to promote yourself.  Put an extra emphasis on directories in your local area.  Mantra, Yelp, and CitySearch are places where you can add your profile.

Please note:  Your name will not appear overnight, but within a month, you will see an improvement.  The more you put out there, the more often you will show up in search results.

Write a press release stating that you are in business.

This is another way to get your name out there.  If you aren’t familiar with what a press release is, how to write one, or where to send it, check out the following link.  It is the best site I have found giving you lots of valuable information.  It covers everything press related that you could think of.  PR in Your Pajamas

Offer to write a press release or do an interview.

If you have a blog, you are in luck.  The quickest way to get clips of your work and to get the right type of traffic to your blog is to offer to write a press release or do an interview that you will post on your blog.  Find someone who is an influencer in your field, someone you admire or even promote a new business.

There aren’t too many people who would turn down an opportunity to get more free press.  Make sure that you have connected your blog to several social media platforms so that you can also mention how many other sites (besides your blog) the information will be sent out to.

I hope these secrets have given you some new ways to get your business rolling.  Even if you have been in business for quite some time, the information here can be just as valuable to give you the boost you need.

To hire Wendy McCance to help you with your online image, please go here.

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Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 9 local papers online, including the Oakland Press. The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]

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