Building a Brand? Here’s How to Get Cited in Hundreds of Publications Across the US and Around the World, Secure Tens of Thousands of Real Followers and Do It All on a Zero Budget

The answer?  A website.  WordPress.  LinkedIn.  Help A Reporter Out.  Twitter.  HootSuite.  YouTube.  BlogTalkRadio.  Put them all together, mix thoroughly and – voilà – fame!

Of course the secret, like in any recipe, is knowing how much of each ingredient to use, and how to combine them.

Let me begin by establishing my credentials:  First, I have been cited in over 600 articles, appearing in 400 publications, across the US and in 23 foreign countries.  Second, I have tens of thousands of real followers.  I have never signed a single person up to receive any of my publications.  Anyone who follows me does so of their own volition.  And I certainly have never paid for a list of followers.  No, my tens of thousands of followers are all real.  Third, with the exception of my website (which I would have to have regardless of any marketing campaign), I have never paid a penny for any of the marketing/promotional websites/platforms I have used.

Now to the matter at hand:

As noted, I have a website.  Having a website is the minimal cost of doing business in today’s world.  You have to have a website and a professional e-mail address if you want to be taken seriously.  You need the site to be able to show people your expertise.  Being “the best kept secret” is not a formula for business success.  There is no room for modesty in business promotions.

I have a blog.  It’s a simple WordPress production.  I write all the articles myself.  And, as of this moment, the 3,529 subscribers have all signed up on their own.  Every article I write arrives directly into their e-mail Inbox.  I don’t SPAM.  They signed up to receive the articles.  They can unsubscribe whenever they want.  Fact is, every month I gain a few more readers.

Of course, if you don’t have a website, you can let the world know about yourself by making your LinkedIn profile multimedia, as I have done.  If I wanted to, I could add links to all of the articles in which I have been quoted.  There’s no limit to what you can include on a LinkedIn profile.  But sometimes focusing more on your activities (updates, photos and posts) than on your profile content can lead to better results.

But one word of warning:  You never want to sound obnoxious.  If you get up and say that you are the best at what you do, you will come across as foolish and lose any credibility that you may have.  Saying you are an authority in your field is not much better.  Showing it, however, is a different matter.  I could say that I am a recognized authority on executive recruiting or career counseling, and sometimes I do, but I prefer to show it.  I do so by publishing links to hundreds of articles on employment-related topics in which I am quoted.  I have those links because I know how to use the website Help A Reporter Out.

My industry is not visual so I do not need to use social media cites that feature photographs.  I use LinkedIn (which does allow for the uploading of photographs).   I’m also not a big fan of Twitter, although I have over 3,300 followers.  But Twitter is a great site, along with HootSuite, to use as a tool to “broadcast” accomplishments to numerous social media platforms simultaneously.

And then there is YouTube, which you can use to upload tutorials, and BlogTalkRadio, which allows you not only to possibly be a guest expert on countless podcasts, but to host your own show, further raising your profile as an expert in your field.

Bottom line:  When you are a recognized expert customers, clients and potential employers will come to you – which is a lot better than having to go to them!

Of course, what is missing from this article are the details.  Not to worry; if you are in New York City on Friday, June 17, at 10:00 AM, join me at the Science, Industry and Business Library, 188 Madison Avenue, to learn my secrets.  There is no charge for the event which, by the way, is purely educational.  You will not have to sit through any sales pitches.  Registration is requested.  (This presentation is part of MarketingWeekNYC, sponsored by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.)

Not in New York City on the 17^th?  No matter.  I will be uploading a video of the PowerPoint presentation to my YouTube page and will let my followers know when it is available.  So become a follower!

Advertisement

Starting a Business? In NYC on May 12? Want to Learn What to Do and What Not to Do?

“By entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.”  That is the tag line for the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s first annual Entrepreneurship Boot Camp, which is taking place on May 12.

Organized by the Entrepreneurs Network, which I co-chair, the day-long event will cover all aspects of setting up a business, from the writing of a business plan to an exit strategy.  Additional topics include choosing a business structure; obtaining funding; building a board of advisors; sales; and marketing,

All instructors are entrepreneurs who will be sharing their successes and failures with attendees.  Actionable information will be provided, not theory.

While the fee is $75.00, on  a first-come first-served basis, we are pleased to offer a 100% discount to the next 20 persons to register.  To take advantage of the discount, register as a Non-Member and enter promo code bootcamp2016.  If all the places are taken, you can receive a $25 discount by entering promo code MCCbootcamp.  (The codes are not case sensitive.)

I hope to see you at Camp!