As you may have seen, I'm now a Huffington Post contributor and my first article went live Friday. Wooohoooo! You can read it here: HuffPost
Thank you for the lovely comments from those of you who saw the link on my Facebook page or group.
I'm sure you're aware of the importance of being as visible as possible when you run a business and, along with congratulations, I've had lots of you ask how I made it happen. So here you go...
These are the 5 steps I take to get into well-known magazines/ blogs/ publications:
1) I got clear on my ICA (ideal client avatar)
In a nutshell, my ICA is a woman who wants to get paid to do what she loves. She feels unfulfilled and has had enough of Sunday Blues and dreading Mondays. Her end goal is to go from employee to entrepreneur and run a successful business. I teach her how to set up the essential business structures and to believe in herself so she can confidently get out there, get visible and get clients.
(I help my clients get clients by clarify their ICA so they know exactly who to market to and what language to use so they get more bookings/money.)
2) I got clear on what blogs/magazines my ICA reads
The Huffingon Post was one of them. Even if she isn't a daily reader she, like a lot of people, will have heard of it.
It's been proven that people are more likely to buy from those they know, like and trust (KLT).
Being features in an international publication (or any place that your ICA can be found) gives you instant credibility which means not just the know factor but the trust factor too.
(I teach my clients how to find out exactly where their ICA hangs out so they don't waste time (or money) marketing in the wrong places.)
3) I wrote something I knew would appeal to my ICA and she'd get value from
You need to be providing your potential clients with content that shows you are an expert in your field. The 'trust' part in the KLT factor comes when you demonstrate you know your stuff. The internet is a noisy world full of so-called 'competition'. For this reason, I actually believe in giving away high-quality content that my ICA would otherwise pay for. I know my stuff and I aim to prove it time and time again. You want your ICA to think: "Wow, if this is her FREE stuff then I can't imagine what you get when you pay her."
(I teach my clients how to generate content ideas and give value WITHOUT giving away so much people don't need to hire them!)
4) I remembered that if you don't ask, you don't get
I wanted to be in The Huffington Post as a personal goal as well as getting in front of millions of my ideal clients. It was on my vision board for over a year. This summer I decided to make it happen. So I asked.
When I was a image consultant, I contacted the local newspapers and told them I thought they might like to hear about what I did and share it with their readers, even though I was absolutely terrified.
I actually just found a clipping from one of the papers I was in in 2009. Check it out below...
Ha! Time flies. I haven't changed a bit (wink).
Sometimes you have to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone. Like Jack Canfield said, everything you want is on the other side of fear.
(I help my clients get bucket-loads of confidence and self-belief so they can step out of their comfort zones. I then hold them accountable to keep going for and achieving their goals.)
5) I made it clear what's in it for them
I emailed Arianna Huffington herself. I told her who I am, summed up my story and pitched exactly why I thought her readers would benefit from me being a contributor. Less than 24hrs later I got a personal reply from her! Wow.
I was confident that I could provide great value as a contributor but that's only after doing lots of work on defining my message, realising my value and building my self-belief!
(I help my clients get clear on what they have to offer so they can confidently pitch to newspapers, magazines and large online publications.)
There you have it, that's how I got into The Huffington Post. You can use this formula to get visible on any platform. Give it a go!
Emma xx
P.S. What often stops us taking action is lack of clarity and confidence. Are you ready to get paid (more) and do more of what you love? I can support you to: clarify your ICA; find out where your ICA hangs out; use language that gets your ICA paying; know the value you provide and increase your confidence and self-belief.