Visibility That Matters: Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace.

I often speak to business owners who, despite trying to do “all the right things”, feel lost and invisible. So many of us struggle with marketing, feeling like our social media feeds are unloved, our networking events - despite feeling fun in the moment - aren’t building any traction, and the contact form on our website is only attracting bots.

In the current climate, where many businesses are worried about their future and everyday costs, many business owners I talk to, are questioning time and money spent on marketing that doesn’t seem to be generating results.

Of course, reviewing the return you’re making on any investment is critical; however, there is a real risk in reducing your visibility if we don’t properly invest in our marketing. How often have you heard about the failure of a local business and thought ‘Oh, I haven’t seen them for a while’? It’s so important to remain at the front of your clients' minds; being invisible often means being forgotten.

Get More Clients Through Visibility

While visibility is key, it’s important to remember it isn’t just about being seen - it’s about being remembered!

Of course it’s important to turn up in the places your clients will see you, but if they forget you a week later, you’ve lost an opportunity. Yes, the social media posts, networking events, and business website are important, but they’ll only help you get business if the people who see them are engaged and remember you.

I know that for some people, the idea of being more visible can be overwhelming. You’re already running a business with everything that entails; how could you possibly do any more? The key, though, is how confident you are that the content you are creating is working. Are the people who need you, seeing you and recognising what you offer?

Being more visible isn’t about doing more or being louder; it’s about being strategic and making sure your content is working for you to gain more clients.

In this post, I’ll help you develop that strategy. We’ll explore your options for visibility and identify practical approaches that are achievable and aligned with your goals and brand. Let’s create a plan that doesn’t scare you or have you working on marketing five days a week.

How to Be Seen By Your Ideal Clients

As I mentioned earlier, visibility is not just about being seen, but also about being remembered. You won’t be surprised to hear that I think brand photography can provide a real boost for this. I wrote this article about how brand photography helps you stay ‘top of mind’ - remembered even when you’re not in the room.

To me, visibility is a wonderful blend of art (creativity) and science (strategy). I love the focus and purpose that a good strategy gives us, and - while creativity is incredibly important to me - I also love the way a plan can make the job of ‘doing your marketing’ much easier.

Something I explored in my previous post about creating your marketing plan.

What we’re aiming for in all our marketing is to be seen and remembered, something that you’ll only achieve through consistency and creating content that stands out as yours. Brand photography is key for business visibility, giving you images that you’re happy to use, which reflect you and your values, and that build recognition and trust with those who see them.

Creating A Small Business Visibility Strategy That Works

Consistency isn’t just about how often you show up; it’s also about how you show up.

This is one of the reasons why brand photos are crucial, providing a consistent style and look that gets you noticed and remembered.

As a small business owner, you need to decide which channels are best for your marketing and how you will use them. In this post, I look at the kind of content that will support your visibility.

When you’ve identified the right platforms for your brand, we want to make sure the way you present yourself is consistent in all these spaces. It’s important that you and your brand are recognisable from Instagram to LinkedIn, and from the networking room to your website. All your channels should work together to give your audience a clear and consistent picture of you.

While you may be interacting with different people on each platform, there is likely to be some overlap, and each appearance you make helps build your visibility. What we’re looking for then, is a strategy that takes account of all your channels and is easy to manage - is that possible?

1 Social Media

How do you feel about social media?

When I first started my business, over 26 years ago, social media marketing didn’t exist. The way we now use these platforms is incredible, and many of us have developed a love/hate relationship with them.

A public platform which enables us to be seen by our audience in a comfortable space, daily, is amazing. The pressure that this puts on us can be hard. A plan can help you take control without feeling overwhelmed.

Think about which are the right platforms for your brand. Are your people hanging out on LinkedIn, TikTok or YouTube? Perhaps all three. What are they looking for there - education, entertainment, help?

So, focus on the platforms that will work best for your brand, determining how often you want to post and the type of content you want to create. Creating content which can be reused will make life easier for you - perhaps you can edit your longer YouTube videos into short form for TikTok and LinkedIn.

We’re talking about visibility, and your visuals are key on social media. It’s important to make sure you present an image that your audience will want to engage with, and your brand photos will play a crucial role here.

Remember as well, engagement is key. Not only the likes and comments you get from other people, but how you respond to others on your social media feed. The most effective way to grow your audience on any platform is to engage in conversations and share your knowledge and expertise. By interacting with other people’s posts, you’ll increase your own network, so include time for engagement in your visibility plan.

2. Your Website

If you think about it, your website is your digital home ground. And for those of us who don’t have a physical space, it’s the closest we’ll get to a shop front. This is why your website should form the foundation of your online visibility.

The question is then, how do you feel when you visit someone’s website and can’t see any sign of their presence, any photos of themselves?

Of course, I encourage people to build a portfolio of professional brand photos for just this reason. Photographs show people who you really are, and help you build trust and connection. I encourage all my clients to make sure their website really celebrates the people in their business.

While your website is your home, designed to reflect you and your brand, including photographs of you and the people you want to work with, it’s not stuck in time. Regularly updating your website with new (SEO focused) content is essential to ensuring its visibility and making sure you are seen as the expert you are.

3. Business Networking

Business networking is all about going into other spaces to meet people who might help your business grow, whether that’s clients or collaborators.

Networking can happen in person, within structured groups where you’ll meet and talk, as well as one-to-one, or online, in virtual rooms and communities. When you find the right group, networking provides amazing opportunities to grow your visibility, creating a room full of allies and cheerleaders who will push you forward even when you’re not there.

Showing up in person will make a much stronger impression on those in your network than just seeing your name on a screen. The ideal situation, though, is building those in-person connections and having an online presence—through your website and social media—that supports it, helping to build trust and boost your visibility when people follow up outside of any meeting. You can see why an overall strategy is so important; this all works together!

4. Publishing and PR

What about books? Magazines? Newspapers?

Appearing in magazines, newspapers, or on broadcast media is a great way to boost your visibility and credibility. As small business owners, we can really benefit from being seen in campaigns that raise our profile in the right areas.

To do this well, PR support can be incredibly helpful, as these experts will have contacts and strategies that can help you be seen, and they’ll be used to identifying opportunities for press coverage that you might overlook on your own.

For small businesses, it’s important to focus on press and publications that will reach your audience, whether that’s a local geographical area, an industry, or a niche demographic.

To widen your reach through publications, consider topics you can talk about that will support your brand, thinking about questions you can answer, or celebrations you can share. When you’ve picked the right outlet and identified a story or insight to share, brand photos will be key to tying this into your other marketing efforts.

Many people still consider a book the ultimate form of credibility-boosting content. If this is something you’re interested in, there are many opportunities–from being part of a collaboration to writing your own business bestseller–and there are many experts out there who can help you follow this path.

I had an amazing opportunity to boost my visibility when I teamed up with a group of other brand photographers and we produced a fantastic bestselling book called ’Be Brand Rich’, aimed at business owners, sharing our stories with advice, tips and hacks, we even tipped Steven Bartlett off the Amazon top spot!

5. Speaking Up

Another great way to increase your reach and visibility is through speaking. Whether that’s appearing in a Facebook group or podcast, presenting at a networking or conference event, you could even plan your own TED talk. These are excellent ways to show everyone your expertise while expanding your reach to a new audience.

While speaking isn’t the right choice for everyone, if it’s something you are interested in–and will provide opportunities to reach your audience–there are many coaches and groups available to support you.

I’d suggest starting small and friendly. Doing a talk in a Facebook group with a shared audience, speaking at a local networking group, or appearing on a relevant podcast are all great first steps to establishing yourself as a speaker.

Helping You Get More Clients Through Visibility

I know that putting yourself out into the world can feel hard; that’s why the most effective plan for visibility will be aligned with your personality and values. Don’t focus your strategy on speaking if you're nervous about talking in public, but if you enjoy doing video, make that your activity.

Earlier this year, I wrote an article about content creation; why not take a look at 'How to Capture the Right Attention with Great Visual Content'?

Always consider how much time you can give to your marketing and plan in advance; that way, you’ll make the best use of that time. As I mentioned earlier, we want to create content that can be reused. A talk at your networking event can be recorded as a podcast and written up as a blog; you can then create social media posts to reflect the learning, and you’ve really made the most of your effort.

Your brand visibility tips:

1. Make your plan achievable and aligned to your personality.

2. Be consistent, regularly showing up for your audience and creating content that will be recognisable.

3. Be realistic. If you create a plan you can’t manage, you’ll end up feeling a failure.

   
   

From September I'm trying something that is a little new to me, in my journey with visibility.

I shall be hosting a series of short interviews with some incredible female entrepreneurs, we'll be chatting about how visibility has shaped their journey, the lessons they’ve learned, and the courage it takes to step into the spotlight. Why not join me - keep an eye on my instagram feed to find out more.

Instagram

Visibility is something that needs to be maintained—a journey rather than a destination. If you’d like some help to discuss how I can support you on that journey, I’d love to talk.

Lets Chat

Don’t forget to download my fabulous free guide, it outlines six simple ways to boost your visibility and get more clients.