Some of these have been said already, but I think there are a number of ways to stand out as a (to this point) not well known professional. This is basically the strategy I put together and followed to get well known as an SEO and now a growth marketer:
1) Teach others. Start by blogging your experiences and showing them what you are learning and how you are doing it. Don't be afraid to admit your mistakes.
2) Give others tools to succeed. When I was blogging at least twice a week on my personal site, I often would create tools in Google Sheets or elsewhere then give them away for free on my site. People love free things. Do you have an email template that converts incredibly well? Share it.
3) Build friendships online. One of the best ways I've had opportunities open up for me is by engaging with the broader digital marketing community online. This really took off once I started blogging a lot, and then by going to conferences and connecting with others (and writing lengthy recaps which I became known for), then I started getting more followers and making more friends. Many of my best friends now I met through the Internet, specifically Twitter.
4) Speak. Whether you are terrified of speaking or love doing it, this is a great way to build your name as an expert. When you speak at conferences (though you should start at meetups in your area if possible), people then often write about it and mention you online, which keeps that flywheel going. But make sure you have an online presence where they can find you (and subscribe to your email list!)
5) Find distribution channels. There are the usual ones of Twitter/Facebook/etc, but platforms like Medium are also amazing for building your brand and reputation. Medium basically has a built-in RSS feed that emails all of your followers when you've published a post. If a post of yours is popular enough (which you can also help along by emailing your friends and asking them to share it), you may have a publication reach out to you asking to republish it. This is a mega win!
These are hopefully 5 actionable tips for you. Good luck!
We have worked with some clients who were looking for some opportunities in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia, and had to develop a position and reputation for their products and services.
The email marketing campaigns were very specific and focused. We combined email and social media marketing, worked on providing contents in the SM, and then used other marketing tools to be in front of their market pretty much 24/7. It took about 6 months and a lot of posting of industry content. In the end they achieved their goal.
Email marketing can be challenging. It is all about content and timing. I recently search the words "Social Media Marketing" and there were almost 900,000,000 results in Google. It is all about ranking and content. You need to be able to connect.
Start with social media and then move to email marketing. The contact data has to be very good to avoid a visit to the spam folders of the recipients.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
You should start providing value to your immediate network and share your knowledge to start establishing your "brand".
Here are a few practical ways to do so:
1) Set up a Clarity.fm account in your areas of strength.
2) Write key ideas and lessons you've seen are needed by your potential customers, and publish them as a blog post within your Linked In profile.
3) Attend key conferences in the area of email marketing, and engage and connect with other experts in your field. There is always something new you can learn, and you'll potentially discover opportunities to add value for others.
4) Publish your own blog under your own domain. This is a long play, and is definitely valuable when you go interview for a job, or when you're trying to land a speaking gig.
5) Write an eBook on your favorite email marketing related topic, and offer it over your LinkedIn profile or personal blog.
6) Reach out to your local business development office -- many times they are in need of local experts and can offer you first-step opportunities to start getting your name out as an expert.
If you think about it some more, you can probably come up with other ways. There isn't a silver bullet or easy way up -- most of the times, you're going to have to hustle and make long term investments one step at a time.
Best of luck!
Speak at events. Publish on the web. Start an email list to help people learn your techniques. Publish ebooks and give them away. Teach online courses. That'll keep you busy! Try Quora.com And become an expert on Clarity.fm
First, and foremost, if you're including the word "expert" in your own bio (i.e. self named), stop. It's a big turn off. If you have a quote from a client that calls you an expert, that's fine.
Second, get referrals. Word of mouth is key.
Third, publish case studies and reports as part of your client profile. You don't have to include hard numbers. You can publish percentage increases of opens, clicks, conversions, etc.
Get out there and be visible! Put your knowledge out there, share value and position yourself as an expert. Keep building up your email list & keep learning your craft. Market yourself on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram wherever your target audience is hanging out!
I would add video marketing. Videos are quick to record (don't need to be professional as long as the content is great) and once upload will get you visibility (literally) for the years to come. And of course, proof of results you achieved either for yourself or clients
The Secret Way to Stand Out From the Crowd.
One way to stand out in a world where everybody is doing content marketing is to create better content than everyone else.
The Skyscraper technique being an example of that. You see what everyone else is doing. Then you raise the bar.
Another way is to write articles with specific data or research that other people don't have.
It's harder to stand out, but you can do it
Some outstanding examples of remarkable content over shallow ones (i.e., 7 Tips on How to Be More Successful, or similar lists posts) are the ones from Ramit Sethi, Ryan Holiday and James Altucher.
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