Written by: Samantha Hearne, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
There is a lot of conflicting feedback around being visible, being online and being consistent – so let’s start there.
Being visible does not mean you need to be ACTIVELY visible 24/7, it means your brand and content needs to be visible for your audience to benefit.
Being online does not mean you are aimlessly scrolling, losing all your free time to social media or getting lost in the algorithm. When executed with purpose and intention, being online can allow you to build relationships, serve your clients and show up to make an impact.
Being consistent does not mean you have to become a slave to social media or feel tied down by it. It is about creating a strategy and plan that is sustainable for you and one you can stick to. Why? Because trust goes a long way when it comes to your online community, your brand and your business values.
Now that we have acknowledged some of the fears and stigmas around building your online presence, I’d like to provide you with 5 simple but effective steps to elevate your online presence and therefore leverage this presence to grow your audience, your income and your impact online.
I should also state, I do these things DAILY and so do my clients and the compounding effect is incredible. So, this comes from experience, time, client results and many years of putting in the work to build an online presence that has also found the sweet spot between adding value and converting clients (which I know so many of you are craving).
1. Establish your identity in your little corner of the online world (hint – this will not be copying someone else successful and thinking that that is the way forward!)
If you are struggling with feeling like the expert, find your own voice, but more than that, find your own enjoyment with;
What you are sharing
How you are sharing it
The times and ways you spend time online
The energy you are giving
Ultimately – when you hear people say ‘find your voice’ what that really means, is find YOUR WAY. Establishing an online presence that is authentic, original, fresh and captivating will only happen when you find, embrace and embody YOUR WAY of doing that.
For example – do you like videos and teaching on camera? Do you enjoy writing and creating blogs? Do you love interviewing people and want to incorporate collaborations more?
FIND YOUR WAY.
2. Consistency
This does not mean being online 24/7 but it does mean creating a recognisable presence and brand. Create your own themes, topics, content, energy, branding – that your audience will then recognise you for.
To build a powerful presence online will entail people knowing who you are and what you stand for, as well as, how it can help them. So, find a way to build in consistency into your online presence. Why? Because it is FREE. It is a free way to market your brand, your business and your offers and it is a free way to leverage your own profile and impact. Start seeing it this way and fully commit to making this part of your consistent strategy.
3. Become the solution
How do you do this? Well – this is where spending TIME and EFFORT to get to know your audience truly matters. If you don’t know what they want, how can you become their solution?
Ask questions, create polls, do free market research calls, network, shadow others in the industry, listen to your ideal clients concerns, read their questions in FB groups, spend time finding out what is being googled the most – there are SO many ways for you to really start to understand your audience in a deeper way and to then be able to truly help them. If this is social media, KEEP asking questions, even when no-one answers! You must be the instigator in this.
4. Be so innovative they have to pay attention!
If you want to share a training, masterclass, message, top tips – think of ways you can be innovative with this. Go against the grain and just repeating what you are seeing others do in the online space and in your realm. How can you make it original? Fun? Engaging? Still serving them value, being informative and helpful, but just showing up with a little more zest?
It doesn’t have to become complicated, but the more innovative you can make your value lead content, the more people will remember, be intrigued by or just feel a newness around. This can then become part of your content strategy. For me, being original and coming up with new ways of doing things in my own business has always allowed me to spend less time consuming and more time creating, which has become my biggest asset. The more you create, the more you are seen, the more you are valued, the more people come back.
5. Be intentional and know your outcomes.
Growing your online presence is NOT about going viral, gaining 1000000 of followers or just trending. It is also about connecting with YOUR ideal clients and also connecting with people READY to take a next step with you.
So get very clear around WHY you are creating the content you are, who it is for and what your next step/call to action/invitation is for them. When you do that, you start to create a client journey/user experience and this is priceless in the online space. For you, but also hugely for your audience.
If you want more support and trainings on any of these tips, I have FREE trainings on my Instagram account that goes into these areas in a LOT more detail for you. As well as 3 free masterclasses – so I would love to invite you to connect with me on Instagram so we can take this to a whole new level and so I can also support you in the implementation of this, because without action – we have nothing.
See you there! _samanthahearne_
Samantha Hearne, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Samantha is a best selling self-published author, qualified coach and mentor who works with female entrepreneurs to build a business of sustainability, wealth & ease. Samantha runs 2 mastermind programmes, 1:1 mentoring programmes and a self-study business success school. Samantha supports her clients with; organic marketing, building a brand and engaged community, creating consistent sales (usually without launching), increasing profit within their business over time, creating balance, ease & fun, as well as a huge focus on mindset and performance habits for success.
As an ex teacher Samantha prides herself on differentiation, simple teaching strategies and encouraging her clients to reach their fullest potential.
