I’ve talked about how to make your content as accessible as possible for readers and how to make it easily sharable, but now I’d like to talk about how you find those readers in the first place. I know what you’re thinking, “You mean I can’t just share it on Facebook or Twitter and expect it to be seen by thousands?” The answer is no, not exactly. It takes a little more leg-work if the goal is to get your content into as many hands as possible.
Why Social Media Alone Isn’t the Only Answer
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting down social media as a marketing tool. It’s excellent and if leveraged properly it can be amazing. But it’s not all you need when promoting your business. You may have thousands of followers, but when you post a link, how many of them click it? 10%? 5%? 1%? Of course every click matters, but if you are looking for ways to maximize that exposure, to get your business in the minds of as many people as possible, you may have to put in a little more effort.
How to Find an Audience
Yes, the people who follow you on social media are an audience, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for more. Here are two ideas you might want to consider:
1. Find a Niche Community – What is a niche community? It’s a community dedicated to your particular niche. Are you a florist? Find a flower lovers Facebook group or an online forum. Whatever your business, there are people online who love it and talk about it. Find them. When you do, talk to them. Engage them. Don’t just spam your material and walk away, become a member of the community and be what you are, an expert in the field. Then you won’t have to spam your material, they will come to you.
2. Guest Bloggers – Nothing spices up a blog more than a guest blogger. It helps if this is a recognizable name from your industry, but even if it’s just another shop owner with some good info to share, it will do wonders for your site views. If possible, work out a trade so that you guest on their blog at the same time. That way, you both get more exposure and an opportunity to get more followers.
Extra effort can be difficult to find when you’ve exhausted yourself with the customers you do have, but more customers equals more success and more success will allow you to hire more help! Marketing is worth the time you put into it. Don’t be satisfied with close enough, strive for excellence!
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