With the start of a new year, we are revamping all that EM/POWEREDbyWMN is & how people are finding us, so that we can continue bringing more eyes on our mission & the women (a.k.a. YOU) behind it. Cue our focus on #VISIBILITY.
With our first EBW Blog post, we're diving into our word of the year & the why & how you should consider it as one of your 2024 words also.
WHY VISIBILITY?
Well, if this one isn't obvious - let's make it obvious. The reason you started a business & you're not stuck in a hobby is because you want to share your work with the world, right?Visibility is all about expanding your reach & amplifying your impact. We're not saying it's all about the numbers, but it makes sense that the more people you can get your work in front of, the more people you have the opportunity to impact.
OUR VISIBILITY STRATEGY
So, with our word of the year in mind, we're increasing our visibility a few different ways. Take a peek below & consider whether any of these strategies would work for your own business!
Podcast Interviews This has been a favorite of ours since the launch of EBW & we're talking both via our own Podcast as well as being a guest on other podcasts! Podcasts are a great way to show up authentically & share your story & expertise with audiences that align with your own. The great part about podcasts is that there's so many of them around so it really isn't difficult landing yourself as a guest & the more podcast appearances you have under your belt, the more you will mostly be seen as an expert in your field. After your interview, your episode usually gets shared on multiple platforms (Instagram, Spotify, YouTube, transcripts get posted on websites, etc.) & stays there to continue being discovered, making it a gift that keeps on giving.
Speaking Gigs This is the next step up from guesting on podcasts & takes a little more preparation & finesse - we're talking panels, conferences & keynotes. Unlike podcasts, which can lean towards being a little more casual & conversational, a speaking gig at a conference for example should demonstrate a very refined talking point to really establish your authority on the subject. It also could mean the absence of an interviewer meaning it's you & you only that's talking for X amount of time, so preparation is key. But if you get it right, find a way to connect with your audience & really hook them into your topic of choice, this could be the start of a beautiful relationship. Most speaking gigs also allow you the opportunity to promote some kind of offer at the end of your talk, allowing you to funnel the audience into the appropriate paths that result in working with or buying from you.
Featured Articles This is a great option for those of you that may not be comfortable speaking in front of an audience just yet or prefer to have time to sit with the story you want to communicate. In 2023, we had interviews featured in VoyageMIA as well as Shoutout Miami, but moving into 2024, we already have a couple articles lined-up with other women-owned publications & this time, they're more topic-focused rather than just a general interview! As I finish typing this, our article in Choices Magazine just went live! We love how this has allowed us to expand the topics of interest we share & the process of proofreading & editing is really setting us up for hopefully a book in the future! ;)
AD Placements While we're a fan of the wealth of FREE press the world has to offer, we can't overlook ads as a visibility strategy. But, of course, since we at EBW, are so keen on collaborations, we're kicking off our strategy by currently working with other women that we can SWAP ads with - yes, ladies, get creative & dive into the world of free press!
Storefront Partnerships This is a partnership we are so excited to be launching this year! Soon, we'll be rolling out EBW decals & flyers to select women-owned storefronts. This will help to identify & celebrate them as women-owned while still helping to bring awareness to the EBW platform & Directory. While the way we are going about storefront partnerships might not be the right fit for every business, there are definitely ways you can adjust it to fit your own industry- maybe looking at it from an event collaboration partnership or even in a sense of increasing your stockists.
Events There is truly nothing that can replace in-person experiences & events. Our Markets have allowed us to demonstrate our commitment to supporting woman-owned businesses & our networking events have offered us an avenue to further foster genuine connections between everyone in our community. Hosting our first event was really what put EM/POWEREDbyWMN on the map as a network & platform to pay attention to & get involved with. When people attend your events, you have the opportunity to make an incredible impression & truly show them who you are, what your energy is like, & what they can receive if they decide to stick around in whatever it is that you offer! You also don't necessarily have to host events for them to make an impact on your business. Be a part of them, show up, introduce yourself, & build your network!
HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR VISIBILITY STRATEGY
Recognize who your audience is Spoiler alert - no, it's not everyone. While our visibility strategy does involve being in a LOT of places, we are still being incredibly mindful of where we are showing up & why. Things like speaking on podcasts, writing articles & hosting events, take a lot of time & energy - so it's important to recognize the potential ROI of each opportunity & ensure that the audience you're putting yourself in front of actually aligns with your goals so you're not leading yourself on a path to inevitable burnout by just going after every single thing. Take a moment to really think about who it is that you serve, what they need, & where they are already hanging out.
Practice your pitch First impressions can make or break your visibility strategy. Trust us when we say the effort you put into the quality & authenticity of your pitch goes a heck of a lot further than email-blasting everyone that has a platform you want to be seen on. Within your pitch, you should really be selling not your product or service, but (1) YOURSELF, (2) what your mission is, & (3) why whoever you're pitching to, should consider you. Work on delivering those things in a concise but still authentic & energetic way so you don't lose the personal human touch. BUT don't let perfection stop you from ever pitching yourself. I promise you, you will get better the more you do it. So, start asking away, then continue to reflect & improve as you progress through your journey. Something you can definitely start doing from the start though is to do your research on the person/brand you're pitching to so you can personalize it. (People can tell when you're sending them a message you've sent to a thousand other people.)
Incorporate a call-to-action You always want to leave the person you're pitching to with a next step - some way to get to know you more if your pitch did its job & triggered a little intrigue. This can be something like "let's hop on a call" or "head to our website to find out more" or "take a look at some of my past talks here". CTAs help you convert & close the deal.
So, now that we've covered all of that - what are some visibility strategies you're hoping to implement in the new year? & what challenges have you been facing up until this point? Leave us your comments or questions & let's dive into more detail!
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