Let's face it, there are a ton of resources and information available regarding marketing your online business or your brick and mortar business. We hear of ways to gain new clients online through social media ads (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and tons of other ways. When I started out in the digital marketing world, I was completely strapped for cash and paying for ads was simply not feasible. In other words, it can be noisy and distracting with all the advice out there.
I came across an absolute writing and speaking genius by the name of Kimanzi Constable while listening to an episode of The Smart Passive Income Podcast with Pat Flynn. Kimanzi was talking about how he gained a following through guest posting blog posts and the rest is history.
It was a game changer for me. Instantly I was impacted in a very positive way by Kimanzi's story, as I had not felt qualified to write, much less achieve the level of success he had reached. Don't get me wrong, there is a ton of work involved. You have to be willing to accept a bunch of "No's" for a few "Yes's". It's a journey that requires thick skin.
I wrote for several different publications, unpaid, to gain some exposure, and things began taking off for me. I wrote a book in 2015 and was accepted as a contributor for The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project.
Guest posting for other large, or more influential publications is certainly an effective way to get your name out there and gain some additional exposure, it has worked for me and many others. I get the question a lot, however, "How do you land so many clients?" I will share that with you, here.
Social media is riddled with various algorithms, including hashtags, groups, keywords, and a plethora of other information needed to gain success on any social media platform. Some believe Twitter is a rapidly dying platform, although there remains a ton of activity there, I simply have not landed any clients from it.
Facebook Groups are rich with good leads if you are willing to look for them. It may take you some time to develop rapport, which, is where the secret of success comes in. You can have the best deals, the greatest services, the shiniest products, you name it, but if you don't have a relationship with people, or cause them to feel like they "know" you, they will buy from the next person that comes along, and you will be standing there wondering why they didn't choose you.
It's not magical. It's not super secretive. In fact, if you adopted this one principle for the rest of your life, and every area of your life, in a short frame of time, you would have more business than you could handle.
Be a giver.
Don't give your money, your time, your skills with absolutely any expectancy of return. If you do, that's not giving, at all. It is an age-old process that breaks the barriers of cultural structures when we give without cause, without reason, and beyond sanity. Get involved in social media groups and give your advice away. Sure, there will be jerks and haters come along, but, forget them. You do what you do and ignore the noise from the negative corner.
Try these two methods if you are a coach, consultant, or any other high-value service provider. I can tell you, though, before you frolick into any of these, there are rules, guidelines, etc, and many restrict self-promotion except on certain days. Also, if you are selling certain items, there are tons of people in these groups selling the same items, for the same companies, so don't step on each other's toes.
Don't sit around and worry about what your "competition" is doing. In fact, the only competition you have is yourself.
Photo: Pixay/geralt
This article first appeared on AdamDavis.co.