The 4 P’s of Marketing Yourself: Place, Part 2
By Catherine Lang-Cline
There are many ways that people can advertise their services. Think about product placement in movies, commercials and magazines. The company needs to be very strategic to make sure their product is seen. Sometimes it needs to be seen in seconds and sometimes it needs to be seen in the time it takes for the consumer to flip the page. Yet products get found and purchased all of the time without having to advertise everywhere. You can do the same with some focus on where you need to be. I get told all of the time that “I see you everywhere.” In fact, I am not everywhere. I am just very strategic in where I need to be seen.
Creating your strategy for marketing yourself can be as easy as the 4 P’s; Product, Place, Promotion, and Price. Here we are going to talk about Place and how you can get connected to the right people in the right place. These are some ideas as to how you can be seen:
Show Up
Think about where your customer might be and focus on being there, too. Are there events or groups that draw the crowd that you wish to meet. Attend those events, shake hands, collect cards, and then follow up with the people that you met. People like working with people that have similar interests as them. Events that I attend or that my company sponsors are the ones where I want to build relationships with the attendees.
Provide Insight & Establish Expertise
Publish articles on LinkedIn that people can like and share. Speak to things that you are an expert on. If you get people to pass this around in your network they will see you more and more as the best in what you do. It was awkward for me at first, but I was rather surprised all of the knowledge I had gained over my years as a business owner and how what I’ve learned can help others just by writing it down.
Be Vocal About What You Want
Tell everyone you know what you are looking for. If you are looking to sell something or to find work, make sure that everyone in your network knows. What this does is expand your scope. You now have other people helping you and when they reach out to the people they know in their network, those potential clients are getting a testimonial about you. Nothing works better than to have someone else refer you. Think about how it works when you read testimonials on websites, about how it sways your opinion. Or when a friend refers you to a great restaurant they just ate it. This is an opportunity to get a 5-star rating from a friend or relative!
Save Time By Being Decisive
Narrow down who you want to work with and focus on those companies. Rather than spend a lot of time or money blanketing your message everywhere, take the time to decide who you want to work with. If there is a company you have always wanted to work with or for, start connecting with the people that work there. Maybe you know someone there or you met them at an event? Do the research to determine what needs they have, how you can contribute and help problem-solve for their company and talk to people with that in mind. Once you have gotten as far as you can with the narrow search, expand it just a little and approach those companies. Then the next tier, then the next. The idea is not to take too much on at once.
Clean It Up
Finally, get your social media presence together. Professional photo on LinkedIn, update all of the information and make sure that it is consistent. If necessary, clean up your Facebook— people will check you out, make sure that you have it covered.
Don’t ignore the idea of casting a wide net. Opportunity can occur everywhere. Some people might say that it is all about being “in the right place at the right time.” What I am saying is that the right place to be is in relationships in your industry and your community. That way when the need arises, when opportunity knocks, they already know who you are.
