Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with A. Fitzgerald Hardnett. He is a forward-thinking game changer and a sought after strategic marketing consultant for service professionals and brick & mortar small businesses. He believes visibility & lead generation are keys to success. Fitzgerald creates customized programs that deliver breakthroughs in visibility, and position you as the local expert & recognized authority in your field. For more information visit: www.LocalMarketAuthority.com.
SmallBizLady: WHAT DOES VISIBILITY MEAN IN RELATION TO SMALL BUSINESSES?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Visibility pretty much has the same meaning that you would expect in any other situation. It is simply the art of being seen, and recognized. We all have been driving along, and seen road crews wearing those bright green and yellow florescent vests. They wear those in hopes of being noticed before it’s too late. The workers are trying to avoid being hit by traffic. However, as a business you want to be hit by traffic, and you want to be seen, just like the road crews, that is what visibility does for a business it makes consumers pay attention to you!
SmallBizLady: WHY IS VISIBILITY IMPORTANT?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Have you ever been driving your car and all of a sudden you hear a noise but you ignore it. You get out and go on about your business. However, each time you get in your car you hear this noise. 5 days go by and you finally stop and turn your full attention towards this persistent noise to see what it is all about. Well, visibility is like that noise. If you keep doing it long enough people will turn their complete attention towards you to see what you are talking about. The lack of visibility is one of the main causes of small business failure.
SmallBizLady: WHY DOES LACK OF VISIBILITY CONRIBUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS FAILURE?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Let us imagine you are a small business that sells steaks. I mean grass fed, tender juicy steaks. If we did a survey of local people and asked them where the best place for steak is, and they started naming every place other than yours, you have a visibility problem because you are not top of mind. You are invisible during the consumer’s vendor selection process. That lack of visibility will prevent customers from finding you and supporting your business. No customers means an absence of revenue which leads to doors being closed!
SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING MORE VISIBILITY?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Well the first step is treating your business as if it’s your home and you are expecting your mother-in-law to come over. The first thing to do is CLEAN UP!! Yes clean up your internet homes: social media profiles, websites, and landing pages. Make sure they have up to date information, pictures, logos and contact information. You would not invite people over to a junky messy house.
Once you start gaining visibility, people are going to look you up, and based upon what they see, either confirm their decision to do business with you, or brush you off. Make sure your house is in order as a first step!
SmallBizLady: WHERE SHOULD AN ENTREPRENEUR BEGIN?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: What I know to be true is start at home! Make sure your immediate circle of friends and family know what it is that you do. You must invest the time in them. Explain your business so that they can, in turn, express it in a way a 10 year old can understand.
Give your friends and family 5 business cards apiece so when they are out and about and hear of a situation where your skills and ability fit, they can refer you out through the business card. Turn your friends and family into your personal sales force!
SmallBizLady: CAN I JUST BUY MORE ONLINE VISIBILITY?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Yes, you can buy visibility! Companies do every day. They spend money on television ads, print media and the like. The reality is that most small businesses and entrepreneurs don’t have the kind of budget to sustain such a large scale media blitz. Google Ads allows you to position an ad in front of potential buyers targeted by keywords. Another option is to buy Facebook ads and pinpoint a certain geographic region around your business or your desired servicing area. Buying visibility is certainly an option.
What I advocate is preparing for the long haul by creating epic content. You want to infiltrate consumers mind, influence their buying habits towards your product and service. This approach is systematic and an investment of time. There is not a magic bullet to expedite this process.
SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE SOME LOW COST, OR FREE, PRACTICAL WAYS TO GAIN MORE VISIBILITY?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Produce epic content in such a way that your ideal market cannot ignore you. You are the expert in your field; you know the pain points that your audience has. Create content that effectively addresses those points and publish it for them to consume. You can easily produce 30 pieces of content in 5 days!
SmallBizLady: HOW CAN I PRODUCE 30 PIECES OF CONTENT IN 5 DAYS?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Because you know the pain and pleasure points of your market, compile a list of 5 questions that you recommend a potential client ask an expert like yourself to qualify them to render services. Then create your list of top 5 things your clients should do in order to fix. You now have 10 pieces of useful information.
Next, you shoot a quick 5 minute (or less) video that addresses each point. You do 2 of these a day for the next 5 days. You now have 10 videos. However, the goal was 30 pieces of content. Ok, next you extract the audio and have it transcribed for each video. This will yield 3 different types of media x 10 videos = 30 pieces.
Now sprinkle that in the path of your potential clients and your chances of increasing your visibility have just shot up exponentially!
SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF PUBLIC SPEAKING?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Remember this phrase, “The money follows the mic!” Public speaking at niche specific events will put you in a position of authority. You will automatically increase your visibility because of being on stage. You will also inherit credibility because of the trust the participants have in the organization hosting the event. Public speaking allows you to speak 1 to many, instead of the normal 1-1 conversations. Thus amplifying your reach, and increasing visibility
SmallBizLady: WHAT DO I DO IF I CAN’T FIND EVENTS TO SPEAK AT?
Fitzgerald Hardnet: It is never a lack of resources, just a lack of resourcefulness! Create your own stage. This “live streaming era” that we are in gives ANYBODY a platform and a chance to speak when they want, where they want. Facebook Live, Periscope, YouTube Live are just a few of the vehicles that can carry your message. They all provide opportunity for you to get your epic content out to the world.
SmallBizLady: SHOW OFF YOUR BRAIN!
Fitzgerald Hardnett: Leverage your time on social media. Become social and join the conversation! Add meaningful dialogue in the groups that you are a part of, especially industry specific ones. Invest the time to give detailed answers to even the simplest of questions.
Why? Because others will turn up their noses at the inquiry, and say stuff like… “ugh, they should know that”, and think it is beneath them to respond. They totally miss the opportunity to be of service. Yes, there is a good chance the person will never be a client, however they could be.
It is a chance that someone watching will see the care and professionalism that was used in YOUR answer, and seek you out. Or even better, tag you in a conversation, which is an endorsement and referral all in one!
SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE KEY TO INCREASED VISIBILITY?
Fitzgerald Hardnett: If I had to use 1 word, it would be “consistency” Consistency is the key to break through. It’s not what you do one time; it’s what you do ALL the time.
How do you catch butterflies? Some get a giant net and run through the field chasing them down. While others take the time to plant seeds that will be attractive to butterflies. They cultivate the garden and take extra precaution to ensure the garden is just the environment the butterflies need and want.
This is the road less traveled, but it will yield the results that you are seeking! Exchange the word butterflies for your ideal customers and you will have the hidden concept to increased visibility!
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.
Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz
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