Becoming a recognized expert and attracting a crowd with your Magnetic Media Expert Platform takes time, effort, thought, planning…and generally some type of monetary investment. Just because you can start a free blog, host a free webinar, shoot and edit photos or video with a free app on your smartphone does not mean you should rely on free tools alone to market your business.
I called this post "magical thinking" because finding a responsive audience online doesn't just happen. Too many people are disappointed when their visibility does not skyrocket and their business soar from an occasional blog article, new website design or one video shot on their phone.
Creating a Magnetic Media Expert Platform is not just about using the right tools. You need a strategy for developing and delivering consistent media content to achieve the results you want.
BIGGER IMPACT, BIGGER INCOME
What are some of the moves you can make to stand out and reach more people with your message? Here are some ideas:
- Publish quality content on your own blog, website, social media, etc. regularly.
- Build a strong online presence in as many different media areas as possible. Distribute your content widely in many forms. For example, you could conduct training webinars, host Google Hangouts, run podcasts, do guest articles for authority sites, etc.
- Author a book. Nothing says "expert" in the media like the title "author" in front of your name. You can outsource the writing, proof reading and formatting, then self-publish on many platforms including Amazon CreateSpace, Kindle, Lulu and others.
- Produce multiple videos on your subject. Make the content educational and show your expert knowledge by addressing common problems your target market faces. Include a call-to-action but I do not recommend making these videos into online commercials. You're trying to build an audience of people who want to do business with you or refer business to you. No one sits down willingly to watch commercials! (except during the Super Bowl) People watch online video to be entertained and informed. Again, you can DIY and/ or get expert help. I wrote about my approach to authority positioning with high-low video production recently.
- Write and distribute articles to influential blogs, magazines and authority publications online.
- Write and distribute press releases to highlight your events, developments and achievements.
- Leverage the power of your online presence within your market by strategically connecting, networking and maintaining contact with influencers, market leaders and of course, your customers.
- Speak at industry events and in front of audiences that fit your target market.
I know this is a long list and there are many more ideas! But don't get overwhelmed. You don't have to do all of them or all at once.
Whether you put together the game plan yourself or work with an online media strategist, develop a road map that will help you deliver good consistent content.
Pick a couple tactics and run with them. Then, after 90 days of serious effort, measure your results. Rinse and repeat or if it's not working for you, regroup and try something else!
PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE
None of it happens overnight, but with each article, video, social media mention, etc. you add a visibility "plank" to your media expert platform. Again no magic here, just working a plan to incrementally become better known online over time.
Save time by repurposing the same quality content in various ways. For example, create an article, a video and a podcast that are all slightly different presentations but share the same basic information. This gives people interested in your subject, multimedia choices for how to engage with you and your material.
HIGHER PROFILE FOR HIGHER PROFIT
The higher your profile, the higher your potential profit because online visibility makes you and your expertise seem more valuable than the "invisible" expert. That's why investing time, effort, thought, planning and $$$ to boost your visibility, credibility and authority platform is worth doing.