Raising your profile is something all business owners want to do. Gaining exposure and media coverage can make a real difference to other people's perceptions of you and how in-demand you are. And I know I’ve personally found that when you put yourself out there, people start approaching you about things, and you can then command a different level of pricing.
Recently, I was chatting with publicity expert Rachel Spencer about raising your profile to help you raise your prices. So if you’re wondering how you can use PR to raise your profile and your prices, read on!
No matter what type of business you have, you need to think about raising your profile and gaining exposure. But when you put yourself out there, you can feel quite vulnerable, especially when you’re putting yourself out there as an expert. It can feel quite scary telling people what you do, as it’s all about you and your personal brand. Imposter syndrome often kicks in as you worry about what people think about you.
But the reality is, if you’re not telling your audience how you can help them, how can you hope to get clients? The more people who know about you and how you can help them, the more likely you are to get referrals and clients. And the more clients you get and the more well known you get, the more in demand you will be, and the more you can increase your prices. People will start coming to you rather than you scrapping around looking for clients.
So the more you raise your profile, the more selective you can be. That’s when you can look at your pricing and be a little more exclusive and increase your prices. It also helps build your confidence, as you’re being asked to talk in Facebook groups or on the radio. And the more confident you are, the easier it will be for you to put your pricing up, as you’ll see yourself as the expert you are.
Start by thinking about the transformation you provide and what your clients want from you. Share your stories and talk about why you’re different. Let your ideal clients know why they should choose you, what it’s like to work with you and how you do things.
Does your existing audience even know what you do or why they should pick you? So many business owners don’t talk enough about what they do and how they help people. But if you want to get yourself exposure, you need to get comfortable with doing this.
Start by putting yourself out there on your social media and your website or podcast. If you have a Youtube, get active on there too, along with Instagram reels. You can then move onto other people’s platforms. Be a guest on their shows and be a guest writer for their website.
Now you can look into mainstream titles, local newspapers and larger publications, where the reach will be magnified so much. Even local magazines and radio shows will have a reach that’s off the scale. The average person you guest for will not have that level of social media followers. That’s why PR works so well.
Create a media wish list and pick three places to be visible - online, local, national. Think about podcasters, blogs and influencers who have an audience and put you in front of the right audience. Try lots of different things. There are loads of additional opportunities.
You need to be brave to put yourself out there. It’s about exposure and reaching people you’d not otherwise reach. People don’t expect smooth, polished or slick corporate-style pieces - you just need to know what you’re talking about so the audience can see the person behind the brand.
It’s up to you what you share. Your family, life, stories etc. When you share your personal story you can still get publicity for your business, as what you do will always be mentioned - and it’s still publicity! Think about something other than this is me, and this is what I do. And don’t just share the good stuff. Share your mistakes, learnings and when things go wrong - as people buy people, not brand names. They’re not expecting (or looking for) perfection!
Be conscious about where you put your time and energy. Pick the right audiences for your business. A podcast that is targeted to your ideal audience would get you more exposure than your local newspaper.
And know that it won’t take much to prepare anything either, as you know your topic. Have a selection of things you can quickly talk or write about. But ensure you’re picking the right audience for your business.
The big titles (such as Telegraph, Daily Mail, Guardian, Forbes, the Mail Online etc.), are prestigious publications. Getting any PR pieces with them will help you with your reputation, credibility and confidence, and you can add that ‘as featured in’ banner on your website.
When choosing your media, think about the community you serve, so you’re picking the right medium to reach them. Sometimes a local newspaper can be better than a big title.
Know that any form of PR is part of the long game. You want to show up for what you do in Google, which means doing the legwork. Creating targeted content, using social media, writing blog content, guest blogging etc., before you can reach for the bigger PR opportunities.
Do what you need to do, to let people know what you do! Just know that it can take years before you’re being tagged and invited to be a guest speaker etc.
Be in demand, and you can charge more and potentially be fully booked as a result. If you think publicity isn’t worth it, think again. It’s not about going viral; it’s about getting in front of more people and raising your profile.
It takes time, effort and thought to get there, but be patient. Know that using any form of PR is going to help you raise your profile and, ultimately, your prices too. Research each opportunity to check they’re a good fit for you. But also, don’t underestimate how well it may work if you go for something a little bit different. It can potentially get you more publicity and sales because it stands out.
Listen more to my podcast with Rachel Spencer on praising your profile and your prices.
Like what you hear? Don’t forget to rate and leave a review to help spread the word!
The Pricing Queen podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative
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