Today’s blog is a guest post from one of my favorite small business experts – Maria Ross of Red Slice!

Maria Ross is a brand strategist, speaker and author who believes cash flow and creativity are not mutually exclusive. She is the creator of Red Slice, a brand consultancy for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses and author of Branding Basics for Small Business: How to Create an Irresistible Brand on Any Budget, (2^nd Edition) and a mini-eBook series, The Juicy Guides for Entrepreneurs, as well as her powerful personal memoir, Rebooting My Brain. Maria is a dynamic keynote speaker on both business and inspirational topics and has shared her insights in numerous media outlets, including MSNBC, ABC News, Forbes.com, and Entrepreneur Magazine. She currently writes for Entrepreneur.com Maria lives with her husband, preschool son and frisky Black Lab in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at www.red-slice.com

Picture this:

• You walk into a crowded networking event and as soon as you pin on your nametag, a smiling woman makes a beeline for you. “I thought I recognized you! I’ve been reading your blog and forwarding your articles to my clients for years!”
• You pop into Pinterest to check your analytics. You discover that while you’ve been drinking your coffee on the patio and walking the dog, 247 people have pinned your most recent blog post.
• You sit down for lunch with a potential client. As you wait for the entrees, he tells you “I’ve heard your name everywhere and I keep seeing your articles pop up in my LinkedIn feed. So I thought it was time to meet you and figure out how we could work together.”

Sounds amazing, right? Right.

Gaining visibility for your brand and your work isn’t nearly as complicated as you might think. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on advertising or learn to use a new social media platform.

You just need to take a few surprisingly easy steps on a consistent basis.

1. Pitch yourself as a podcast guest

What if you could get your ideas and expertise in front of thousands of potential customers for zero dollars and about 60 minutes of effort?
Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It’s not. This is exactly what happens when you’re a guest on a podcast!
How do you go about securing podcast spots? Start with some simple googling for podcasts in your niche: The Best Health And Fitness Podcasts, The 11 Best Self Improvement Podcasts To Supercharge Your Growth, 10 Podcasts That Will Make You Smarter With Your Money. You can also check out different categories on iTunes and Stitcher.

I also like to keep a running spreadsheet of the podcasts that interview my friends. You’ll often see your friends mention their guest spots on social media, so when you see that, take note!Pop that information into you spreadsheet and do a bit of research to determine if you’d be a good fit for that podcast. Of course, it’s much easier to get a guest spot if you can get an introduction from a friend and former guest. Here’s a helpful link for how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest.

2. Post articles beyond your blog

Your blog is fantastic! And if you’ve been writing blog posts with SEO-friendly titles and updating it regularly, you’ve probably found some devoted readers.
But the internet is filled with potential customers who’ve never encountered you and your work. Increase your visibility by repurposing and reformatting your content and getting it in front of new people.

Publish your archived blog posts on Linkedin or Medium. Turn your best content into a podcast or create a series of Instagram Stories.

Pitch a contributed article to an online site in your niche; they’re always looking for good free content.

And while Elizabeth kindly approached me to write this guest blog here on her site, you can also pitch yourself to trusted colleagues to do the same thing. It’s more visibility for you and it gives them ready-made valuable content for their audience. Win Win.

Any of these are a great way for people to discover you and then go back to your site to check you out–and join your email list.

3. Go ‘live’ on a consistent basis

Eeeep! I know live video can feel a little nerve-wracking. What if the dog barks? What if this is the moment your UPS package finally arrives and you need to sign for it?
I get it. And so do your viewers! At this point, we’ve all seen enough live video to know that stuff happens. Honestly, a little bit of ‘real life’ humanizes you and makes you more relatable to your viewers.

Not only does live video increase your visibility literally (because we can see your sweet face and hear your wonderful voice) it increases your brand’s visibility on social media.

The Facebook algorithm favors live video and if you have a big Instagram following, you can go live there, too. I even know people who film a Facebook Live from their computer and an Instagram Live from their phone simultaneously.

Struggling for live video ideas?

• Create a live video version of one of your most popular blog posts or offer a “Tip of the Week” to showcase your expertise or something interesting related to your field.
• Do a video that ties together something topical + timely and your area of expertise, like relating your work to a new study, news headline or relevant event. If you can tie your work into trending pop culture, such as new movies, music or celebrity happenings, try that to keep things entertaining.

If you’re a health coach and it’s summer, do a live video about healthy recipes that everyone at the neighborhood BBQ will love. If you’re an accountant and it’s April, do a live video about tax deductions people forget about. You get the idea!

• Ask your followers what they’d like to learn about. But rather than asking an open-ended question, give them 3-5 options and let them vote. Otherwise you run the risk of having them all request a live video topic you’re not particularly interested in.
• If you’re a brick and mortar business, give your viewers a behind-the-scenes tour. Show them the kitchen where you make your salads or the workshop where your products are assembled.

For even more tips on how to boost your visibility and create an irresistible brand, please sign up for your free brand guide, 7 Surprising Ways to Boost Your Visibility. And if you’re ready to end your marketing overwhelm and make all the right marketing moves that will get you more visibility, clients and sales, check out MOMENTUM Pro. This is my self-study digital version of my popular live coaching program, self-guided and stress-free just for you. Each lesson gives you one actionable step to take to do everything from grow your email list to write great sales page copy to network more effectively. Enjoy this special offer: $100 off the regular price.   Click here to learn more and see how it’s helped other savvy entrepreneurs supercharge their businesses!