Ask any entrepreneur who runs an online business what their biggest struggle is, and chances are they’ll say “ traffic”. Traffic is what people online call visitors to their website.
- You need traffic to build an email list.
- You need traffic to make sales.
- You need traffic to fill your coaching programs.
So the big question is, where do you get all that traffic from?
Sure, you could buy ads, but if you aren’t careful, you might just fill your list with less-than-ideal audience members, and that will do nothing for your sales. You could focus your time and energy on search engine optimisation, but unless you have years to build your business (and who does?) then SEO should not be your top choice, but something that runs in the background.
Great news! There are plenty of ways to get seen
Getting seen involves an audience. If you don't have one of your own, you can always borrow someone else's audience. Please note, in borrowing an audience someone is doing you a favour. You do not have the right to this audience, you have to prove upfront the value that you're bringing. When you do this you'll make friends with your peers and in time you'll share your audience with them.
Be a Guest
Everyone needs content. It’s the one thing that remains consistent among all content creators—there is never enough. That’s where you can help.
By guest posting on your colleagues' blogs, you can “borrow” some of their traffic.
You can’t simply regurgitate an old blog post, give it a new headline and send it out in a dozen directions though. To get the best results, you’ll want to:
- Create custom content designed with your host’s unique audience in mind
- Provide value with actionable ideas and strategies not found everywhere else
- Infuse the content with your personality so those new to you will become curious about you
- Offer a compelling reason to click through to your website or blog for more information
As you can see these 4 elements take thought and consideration. It's this effort that gets you seen, it's this dynamic energy that makes you stand out from the crowd. If you don't include the 4 elements, then you won't get the great results that you need to grow your business.
Partner Up
No list? Here’s a quick way to “borrow” someone else’s list to kickstart your own: Schedule a free event with a partner.
Here’s how it works.
- You (as the one with the small list) create a compelling, free training which leads naturally to a low-cost, no-brainer product.
- Install an affiliate tracking system such as ThriveCart.
- Offer your best affiliates a higher percentage of profits in exchange for co-hosting your webinar and bringing their traffic along for the ride.
This is a win/win for both of you, as you gain the traffic, while your affiliate gets a bigger payday. Just be sure you have the proper systems in place so that your new list members can benefit from all that you have to offer.
In the past, I've seen people offer this with no affiliate system and wonder why they get rejected. Your potential partner needs wooing, and they to know you are professional and that they will be compensated as agreed. Having tracking links means you can track the traffic from their sources and know who your best partners are.
If someone doesn't require an affiliate link, you need to look deeper and establish why.
Get Interviewed
Want to really show off your expert status and bring traffic back to your site, too? The easiest way is to get on the interview circuit. Just like authors with new books and actors with new movies, coaches and service providers can get in front of new audiences simply by answering questions about what they know.
Of course, you’re probably not going to appear on the mainstream media or Oprah (although that’s not impossible) if your story isn't topical, but you'll find that interviews lead to opportunities!
Look for interview and speaking opportunities on:
- Podcasts
- Other blogs
- YouTube
- Clubhouse and Facebook Live
- Local events
- Industry conferences
- Telesummits
Start by reaching out to your friends and colleagues, as they're most likely to say yes. Then work up towards the podcast and blog hosts you most admire. If you have an email list mention to your subscribers you're looking for opportunities.
Even if you don’t yet have a list of your own, it’s easy (and fun) to kickstart your audience growth simply by making yourself available for these and other opportunities. Each guest post, podcast interview and webinar is another chance to get in front of a whole new market, so take advantage of it!
Look out for Get Seen, Get Traffic Part II, III and IIII
