Publicity is essential in business, yet many women entrepreneurs are unsure about how to generate a buzz and grow their revenue. I’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions that women business owners have posed to me in the past several months. The list includes both social and traditional media.
FAQ #1: Should I use social media to promote my business every day? Yes, you can develop a loyal following and connect with movers and shakers without having to run Facebook ads, spend gobs of money (or time) and be a tech genius. To get publicity and maximize PR on social media, you can:
· Comment on an influencer’s blog post or LinkedIn group (something meaningful that indicates you have read and understand the conversation.)
· Pose a question in a Facebook group, or on Reddit, Quora, or LinkedIn.
· Find a Twitter chat that your ideal audience frequents and participate. Better yet, contact the organizer of the chat and ask if you can be a guest expert.
· Use Facebook Live or Periscope to offer a “Tip of the Week.”
· Include a link to your blog in your email signature.
FAQ #2: What’s the best way to start a blog post or article? State the problem concisely and move into response mode by offering tips and a list of easy-to-read (and understand) solutions. Another effective opener is to provide a powerful—and current—statistic that makes your point. Be sure to link or cite the source of your data.
[RELATED: Generate compelling content in your own business with a free cheat sheet: “4 Ways for Entrepreneurs to Create Content.”]
FAQ #3: How can I make money off of my blog? Women entrepreneurs can monetize their blogs with inbound marketing and automation campaigns, getting advertisers and liberally posting banner ads, create an online course or webinar or use lead magnets within your posts.
FAQ #4: Can I automate my content to save time? Definitely! Hootsuite and Buffer are easy to use and allow content producers to schedule posts and tweets in advance. You can also cross-promote your content on various channels. One thing to keep in mind, especially if you use Twitter. News typically breaks first on Twitter, and if there’s a breaking story that has the microblogging platform abuzz, it’s quickly obvious which messages are in automation mode. Plan to put your tweets on hold or reschedule them when there is breaking news.
FAQ #5: Is it OK to share the same post more than once? Absolutely, as long as it’s relevant. My advice is to freshen up the tweet or headline, but, yes, I encourage you to post the same piece of content multiple times. The secret is to plan the posts over a few days and different time periods. Remember, not everyone is on social media at the same time. Also, be cognizant of time zones.
FAQ #6: How long should my blog post be? Here’s my theory: Don’t worry about word count, just make every word count. Longer doesn’t mean better or smarter, it just means longer. Share valuable and concise information and make your point.
If you want to gain influence and build your audience, I’ve created a free cheat sheet for you. Download it now: “My Proven 8 Step Process to Being a Guest Blogger.” Get it now!
