How to establish yourself online

Increase your traffic and get more clients

Step One: Who Are You?

Who are you? What do you stand for? What do you stand against?

Tip: When starting out with cold traffic…it’s all about the introduction, never ask for the sale!

Who are you, and why do you do the things you do to help your clients?

1. What do you care about?

2. What is sacred to you in business and life?

3. What inspires you? What would you gladly do for no fee?

4. What drains you emotionally and physically?

5. Who is your dream client?

6. How would you like to spend each and every day?

7. How do you want to live your life?

You can’t contribute to the world until you know who you are and what you stand for.

Be Completely Transparent

Go Deep And Write: A detailed description of who you help

How you can best help your audience

What your unique talents are

Then… create your mission statement

Try this exercise:

Give yourself a three-or-four-word title—even if you never use it in public (Certified Content Marketing Strategist)

Your title has to reflect your main mission or passion

Create your elevator pitch:

I’m a [insert your skill] who [what you do] for [type of business] that [the benefit you deliver]

For example - “I’m a certified content strategist who creates marketing materials that attracts traffic and promotes companies online.”

Step Two:Beef Up Your Branding

You know who you are, and who you want to attract, but does your website reflect that?

Branding

Branding is not just about having a fancy logo; it’s about maintaining consistency with:

Your website

Your profile photos

Your about page

Your products and packages

These are important areas you can quickly fix.

Website Images

Avoid using library images…everyone uses the same photos. Create your own images and stay true to your brand and who you actually are.

Story Telling Images

Create authentic messaging with images that have a human element and can tell a story on their own.

Do Images Reflect Your Message?

Does it reflect your message and attract the right clients?

Does it reflect something you do? Some physical trademark you are known for?

Your Website

Are you using a cutting-edge, responsive theme?

If you are using WordPress as your website content management system, it’s easy to change themes

Ex…

Responsive Site: www.shelleyjacobson.com

Non-Responsive Site: www.killercopy4u.com

Mobile-friendly

Test website in Google Webmaster’s mobile test page: https://www.google.ca/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Make sure site is mobile-friendly according to the new guidelines.

If your site isn’t mobile friendly, your search ranking may suffer and you won’t reach your target market.More than 80% of internet users are searching online with their smartphones.

Unresponsive Problems

Great WordPress Platform

http://rainmakerplatform.com/

WordPress Online Marketing & Sales Platform

Examples of Great Mobile Sites

BuzzFeed.com

Evernote.com

Abc.go.com

Is your site cluttered? Full of distractions?

Don’t focus on more than 3 services on home page

Content should entice people to learn more

The only acceptable alternative to your most important message would be your most compelling call-to-action

Cluttered Example That Is Not Effective:

http://www.killercopy4u.com/

Example Of Cluttered Site:www.killercopy4u.com

Does it contain strong calls to action in the right place?

Marie Forleo creates engaging content and strong calls to action on her home page…she nails it!

Promote website & services

How to promote your website:

Drive Facebook traffic back to your website blog

Drive landing page offers back to website

Tweet and promote blog posts or offers

Cross promote with similar company and get on their list

At end of a presentation, offer product discount to anyone who retweets your last tweet.

Tip: Always have a goal before you create content (attract more traffic, create sign-ups, download pdf with opt-in)

Is Website Maintained?

Is content current?

Has blog been updated?

Do you have updated certifications and testimonials?

Nothing builds status and credibility more than genuine testimonials (word press has a testimonial widget)

Ask satisfied clients to write a testimonial or write it for them

Offer something in return for testimonial

Condense testimonial into a few punchy lines/one paragraph

Client Testimonial Example

Revised Testimonial Example

- Brandy Marie Brown

“Shelley has always reminded me that the sky was not the limit,

it was just the view in her work ethic and disposition.

I welcome the day when we work side by side again.”

Step Two:Raising your Visibility

If you don’t have any celebrities in your niche, you can still connect with them…

Attend their live events and introduce yourself

Share their posts

Like and comment on their posts

Interview them for your podcast or feature article

Attending their live events

Go to their seminars

Ask questions

Get out and socialize during event breaks

Follow up a meeting by sending a note

Include something useful in your note

Keep them in the loop with any success you achieve that directly resulted from their seminar.

Nick Usbourne: AWAI Copywriter of The Year 2014

Endorse Products You Believe In

http://www.nickusborne.com/unstoppable-freelance-writer/

Raise your visibility with BLOGS

Provide an author bio and headshot

Create an author bio, website link and headshot with every article you create.

More ways to raise your visibility

Participate!

Take part in panels and be a presenter

Be a guest blogger

Share and like FB posts from authority figures

Other ways to raise your visibility

Make videos

Make a regular video series

Provide helpful mini-coaching tips to your potential clients

Brand your YouTube channel consistently

Always have a goal and include a strong CTA: Ask people to subscribe

Raise your visibility with interviewsActively seek interviews with authority figures

Podcasters are always looking for entertaining guests

Archive them on your “Guest Speaking” page

Start your own weekly podcast show

Allow other experts to showcase their talents on your site

Invite guest bloggers to write for your website

Other ways to raise your visibility

Network within your circle

It’s all about credibility

People who already know you, are more likely to work with you

Establish credibility

Provide a Press kit and Media Page on your website

Collect materials from your guest appearances, prominent photographs, best quotes and list of magazines or sites you’ve been published in, and lay them out in your “Press/Media” section

Provide a professionally-designed “Media Kit”

It’s an effective way to let the right people know that you’re an expert in your field

Public speaking

If you’re shy, join your local Toastmaster’s club

Join local business organizations or find out which government-sponsored entrepreneurial or employment programs are running in your neighbourhood and volunteer to host a free workshop

Have someone snap a photo of you teaching, and include that in your “Press/Media” section on your website

Step Three:Write a Book

A book adds instant credibility

Writing a book

How long should it be?

As long as it takes to deliver what your title promises

Ways to make the process painless:

Re-purpose blog posts, client handouts; even client notes

Commit yourself to writing 850 words per day

Outsource it

You can also create print and audio versions

If writing really isn’t your thing . . .

Record your book and create an audio book

Hire a transcriptionist to produce a print version

As an author, you can use your book as a legitimate reason for:

Offering yourself as a valuable guest to be interviewed

Offering yourself as a speaker at events

Approaching JV partners

Holding local workshops or book signings

Get someone famous to write the foreword for your book

Research your intended foreword writer

Find out things like:

His/her schedule over the next six months

Whether or not he or she has an assistant or media handler

What his/her passions and interests are

What events were significant in his/her life

Which projects he/she is launching in the next six months

How closely these tie into or complement your projects

Get someone famous to write the foreword for your book

Provide handy prompts

You’ll make it easier to receive an acceptance if you: Include a copy of the book for your expert to

check out

Tell them what to say

Ask them to point out:

Why they think readers should read your book

What benefit doing so will bring them.

If you have previously met the expert, remind them of the connection

If you have not previously met the expert, tell them why you chose them

Get someone famous to write the foreword for your book

Choose a relevant celebrity or expert

The best type of endorser to ask is someone who is an authority in your area: Someone who already has a large following

Choose your foreword writer carefully

Remember that his or her fans and followers may become yours

Are they the right audience for you?

Step Four: learn from the best!

Surround yourself and learn from the best influencers in your industry

Make live events an essential strategy

Plan several for the year

Fit this into your budget and your business plan

Provide live tweets and posts of events with pictures

Get photographed together

If you’re at the same events as your niche heroes, take selfies (Be respectful and ask first!)

Get a friend or fellow attendee—or even hotel or restaurant staff—to snap a photo for you

JV with someone famous in your field

It can be done if you have a product that is useful for their subscribers

Research prospective JV’s and their audience

Give them a big reason to care about your product

Promote your product to their list

Offer a respectable commission

To sum things up

Raising your profile all boils down to three things:

Taking action

Putting yourself out there

Creating your own opportunities

The more action steps you take, the more opportunities will present themselves.

Try to remember…

Take time to build online relationships without being salesy

Know your audience and their pain points

Ensure your branding reflects your tone

Don’t be like everyone else, be yourself…there’s only one “you” in this world