Brandmerry Blog Archives
How to Create a Visibility Plan for Your Online Business
Creating a visibility plan that gets you seen, heard, and paid is so incredibly important for your online business. Yet, so many entrepreneurs get stuck when they enter the visibility or marketing phase.
And, as I shared in this post we know that without marketing, your business is not going to reach its full potential.
We see this when entrepreneurs build websites and receive no traffic.
Create an offer and make no sales.
Work for years, but never see the growth they deserve.
All of these elements, and more require marketing (aka getting visible)!
I’ve been marketing online and teaching my clients sustainable marketing for over 8 years now, and one of the things I specialize in is a multi-channel marketing approach, centered around repurposing, and search engine optimization.
As a Brand Strategist, my goal is to help you create a visibility plan that gets your brand noticed and paid online. If you're looking to establish your presence online without solely relying on social media, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps to create a visibility plan that can drive leads and sales for your business.
This visibility plan is focused on big-picture, long-term success. Think of it as a roadmap. Don’t try to tackle all of this at once, rather start with part one for 30 days and after the first month add on the next part. Continue doing this until you have all the pieces working together.
This blog post is also featured on my YouTube channel. To watch the full video head here.
Visibility Plan Foundation: Understanding Your Audience
The foundation of an effective visibility plan lies in understanding what your audience truly needs from you.
It's important to create a variety of content tailored to different stages of the customer journey—from those just identifying their problems to those ready to make a purchase. I dive deeper into the Customer Buying Journey in this post here.
Educational content, despite what others might be saying online, is a powerful way to build trust and position yourself as an expert. It’s fundamental when thinking of the Client Buying Journey and supporting your clients at various stages. Educational content also builds authority, making you a trusted solution for your ideal customer.
Two tools I highly recommend for content research are Answer the Public and Ubersuggest. These tools help you discover what your audience is searching for, providing a wealth of content ideas based on actual search data. They are also incredibly useful when optimizing for SEO something we’ll talk about a little later.
Creating a 90-Day Content Plan
Now that you have a list of content ideas, it's time to organize them into a 90-day content plan.
Remember, we’re no longer focused on coming up with a new topic every single day, since we’re no longer focused on just social media, so there are only 12 topics for you to plan out.
Choose 12 topics to focus on, considering any seasonal things, trends, or upcoming launches. This focused approach allows you to deliver quality content consistently without overwhelming yourself with having to create new content every single day.
Want to learn my entire content planning process, including content research? Check out the 90-Day Content Blueprint here.
Visibility Plan Part One: Choosing Your Core Content
Decide on your core content format: a podcast or a video. Both have their advantages, but ultimately, choose the format that aligns with your strengths and preferences.
Remember, you only need to produce one piece of core content each week. But, you’ll want to focus on long-form content here because it will make repurposing your content to multiple platforms easier.
If you choose to start with a podcast, consider adding a video element after 30 days. Recording a video version of your podcast can greatly expand your reach, especially if you utilize platforms like YouTube, which functions as a search engine. It will also give you additional video content to repurpose.
If you have the capacity to start with video content, you can choose to create pre-recorded content for YouTube. This again, can later be repurposed to a podcast by stripping the audio.
For our purposes today, we’re going to use a weekly podcast as our core content.
Visibility Plan Part Two: Video Content
After you get into the habit of creating and distributing your weekly podcast content, it’s time to add in the video element.
A great tool to distribute your podcast content (audio only) is Libsyn. Libsyn allows you to easily push it out to the top podcasting platforms each week.
Now, the goal is to add the video element which we will distribute on YouTube. YouTube is a search engine so not only is your content discoverable by new people, but it will also continue performing for years to come.
To easily edit your video content, I suggest a tool called Descript. This video was edited in Descript!
Visibility Plan Part Three: Blogging and SEO
Your core content should also be repurposed and featured on your website as blog posts.
Now that you have an audio recording you can easily turn that into a blog post thanks to AI tools like Descript. The best part is that it’s taking your original content and turning it into a blog post, which is such an authentic way to use these amazing tools.
Simply add your recording to Descript and ask their AI tool to give you a blog post. Within minutes, you’ll have content that you can minimally edit and add to your website.
At this stage, you want to be sure and optimize your blog for search engines to attract organic traffic. By optimizing your content, you’re improving your odds of being discovered on another platform. Google is an amazing resource for driving organic, free traffic to your website.
Fun fact: This blog post was originally published in 2018, and started ranking higher in 2024. So we updated it with fresh content which Google loves!
Learn more about SEO research and optimizing your account in SEO Bootcamp. Details can be found here.
Visibility Plan Part Four: Leveraging Pinterest
Pinterest can be a game-changer for driving traffic to your website. It operates like a search engine, providing evergreen content that continues to attract visitors long after it's posted.
You already have everything you need to start showing up on Pinterest and driving traffic to your blog post, and even to your YouTube videos if you choose.
Pinterest relies heavily on keyword research, optimization like your blog, and visually appealing graphics. Use Canva to create visually appealing pins and schedule them directly on the Pinterest platform.
I continuously get traffic from Pinterest years after my original content is created and added to the platform. So, even if I’m not creating anything new I know I’m still getting my brand seen.
I’ve been on Pinterest for eight years now and help my clients create stellar Pinterest strategies as well. I’ve bundled up everything I teach inside my course Pinterest Mastery. Learn more here.
Visibility Plan Part Five: Utilizing Short-Form Video
Short-form videos are incredibly effective for building trust and reaching new audiences. You can use these types of videos to enhance your content on Pinterest, and YouTube Shorts. So even if you don’t want to show up on social media, you can still elevate your marketing strategy.
However, they also make amazing pieces of content for social media where you’re creating more of a profile of your work. Tools like Opus Clip Pro can help you create multiple short clips from your longer videos efficiently.
All you have to do is add your YouTube link or upload a video and let AI work its magic.
Visibility Plan Part Six: Social Media Marketing
Remember what I said earlier about using social media to nurture your existing audience? This is where your core content makes that 100x easier.
Simply take your blog post or transcript and pop it into an AI tool like ChatGPT. Ask ChatGPT to help you write a few social media posts from this content, ask it to create a carousel, or give you Reel ideas. Within minutes, which includes a little tweaking cause ChatGPT loves to take liberties, you’ll have social media ideas.
Pair these ideas with your short-form videos and consistency on social media becomes a breeze!
Visibility Plan Part Seven: Nurturing Your Email List
As we’re building our brand awareness, we can’t forget to show up for the people who have said yes to hearing from us. Your email list is a valuable resource and we want to be sure to share our core content with them every week.
This can be an excellent way to nurture your audience, showcase authority, and support them through the Customer Buying Journey. Simply sending a weekly newsletter with a link to your core content works like a charm.
If you need a little support in growing your email list via a freebie and funnel, then check out Funnel in a Weekend where I show you how to do it all in just 3 days.
Visibility Plan Part Eight: Incorporating Public Relations (PR)
Once you've established a strong base of content, it's time to explore PR opportunities.
With a background in PR, I can tell you this is the secret weapon that not enough entrepreneurs are utilizing. A robust portfolio of blog posts, videos, and podcasts will make it easier to pitch yourself for interviews and collaborations, expanding your reach even further.
When you’re featured on someone else’s channel you’re reaching a new audience every single time. Not to mention the credibility of being invited into someone’s business is huge, and can lead to much higher conversion rates for you.
Inside my membership at Brandmerry Academy, I teach my clients how to approach PR Marketing, along with all the other stages of the visibility plan mentioned above. Learn more about the Academy at brandmerry.com/academy.
CONCLUSION
Creating a visibility plan may seem overwhelming at first, but by breaking it down into manageable phases, you can build a multifaceted approach to get your brand noticed.
Whether you focus on SEO, Pinterest, or expanding into video content, each step brings you closer to a comprehensive and sustainable visibility plan.
The goal here is to feature your content on platforms that work for you, for years to come and utilize tools and strategy to make sure you’re not spending all of your time creating content.
Take it one step at a time and watch how your results improve!
Ready to take your visibility and marketing plan to the next level? Tired of relying on social media and intrigued, but slightly overwhelmed, with SEO, Pinterest, YouTube, Blogging, List Building, and more?
Brandmerry Academy was made just for you! My signature membership will give you access to all of my top courses to help you build a brand and get it seen and paid consistently.
Get more details at brandmerry.com/academy
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Meet Michelle
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.
Grow Your List Using FACEBOOK Lives + YOUR Free Offer
GROW YOUR LIST USING FACEBOOK LIVES + YOUR FREE OFFER
Facebook Lives (well any live video really) have transformed my business and since we are all about visibility here at Brandmerry I want to give you the tools you need to feel confident in sharing your freebie via live videos.
FB lives are two-fold: an excellent way to grow your online visibility and build trust with your audience PLUS grow your list of community.
Today, I'm sharing with you 4 simple ways to start using your Facebook lives to their full advantage to grow your list!
1. CREATE A FREEBIE SPECIFIC VIDEO
An amazing tool to grow your visibility and get the message out about your free offer. Create a FB live where you introduce yourself and then talk up your free offer. Be sure to share the title, some super descriptive bullets or talking about about the benefits of the free offer (exactly what they will learn), why you created and how they can access it.
Once your video is created share it out like crazy, pin the post in your private community and your business page AND if you have a little extra cash you can boost your video so more people see it (be sure to create a custom audience and don't just throw money at it).
2. INTRODUCE YOUR FREE OFFER
You are already going live, and if you aren't you should be, so why not share your free offer with EVERY SINGLE video. I always encourage my clients to pitch with every video, and this doesn't have to be just paid offers it also includes your free workbooks, trainings, challenges and more. There are two places to share your free offer:
Beginning: After your introduction at the beginning of your video share your free offer and how they can get there hands on it (i.e. give them a specific link).
End: Once your video ends remind them of the free offer, talk a little more about the benefits of your offer and how they can get their hands on it.
3. UPDATE THE DESCRIPTION
If you are not doing this you are missing out on a golden opportunity! The #1 thing I recommend ALL my clients do is go back to update the description of their live video to give tons of value and information that entices your audience to watch the video. Remember, your video doesn't matter if no one is watching it.
After your video is complete be sure to give the title of your free offer, your descriptive bullets and the link to access it. Accessibility is super important so make it easy for people to click, give their information and go.
4. BONUS TIP: PIN YOUR LINK IN THE COMMENTS
Another great FB live addition is the option to pin a specific comment or link to the top of your video. With most videos, unless changed, you will see the comments in realtime, so when you pin the comment you guarantee that no matter when someone starts or stops watching the replay they will have access to the link.
Want a little more information on creating free offers (aka lead magnets)? Check out my blog on Four Steps to Create Your Next Free Offer here ↠
Michelle Knight is a Branding and Business coach for female entrepreneurs who are struggling to gain visibility and traction to take their business to the next level. She works with her clients to dive deep into their story so they can create a brand and message that positions them as an expert and allows them to create their desired income to free up time in their schedule for what matters most. Learn more >>
What is Personal Branding and Why is Personal Branding Important?
There's a lot of buzz around personal branding, but what does it really mean and why is personal branding important? Click to learn more about personal branding, plus the 4 pieces needed for a strong personal brand.
What is Branding and
Why is Branding Important
for Female Entrepreneurs?
**The post was updated on October 2019
I absolutely love personal branding, but as much as I LOVE it, it didn't come easy to me early on in my business.
In fact, the very first website I made took almost five months to make and the end result was NOTHING like what I imagined. Sure I had done it myself, but I got so wrapped up in what everyone else was doing and what their brands looked like that I lost myself in the process.
When I became a personal branding coach and consultant female entrepreneurs I knew I wanted to share my discoveries and knowledge around branding with as many women as possible.
Why is Personal Branding Important?
Because when you start thinking about branding as so much more than just aesthetic, you are able to create a truly authentic personal brand that stands out in your industry.
And, yes when I say personal branding, I mean you!
In fact, no matter what you sell online you need to be focused on the person behind the business. It is the personal connection that attracts your dream clients and keeps them engaged.
4 Pieces for your Personal Brand
This 7-minute video will give you a look inside personal branding and the 4 pieces needed for a strong personal brand online.
When you take the time to lay the foundational pieces of your personal brand, you create a brand that is so on-point to who you are and your purpose and clearly connects with your audience.
This is how you create a brand that attracts fans, not just followers.
Leave your biggest takeaway from today’s video below.
P.S. If you’re ready to create a strong personal brand on social media, then be sure to check out my FREE masterclass where I’m sharing my Build a Better Brand Method. You’ll learn the exact framework I teach my clients to create a brand that stands out on social media, attracts their dream clients and creates a revenue-generating business. Sign up here!
The Power of Personal Branding: 7 Tips to Elevate Your Brand with a Professional Photo Shoot
Personal Branding Photography is one of the greatest assets to building an online brand. Learn the 7 tips for a successful photoshoot and my personal branding photography checklist.
**This content was updated in June 2024
I absolutely adore brand photography.
If I were to credit two key pieces to my business growth, it would be:
Quality Content
Personal, Authentic Brand Photos
In today's market, building a strong personal brand is more important than ever. As an entrepreneur, having a professional image can make a huge impact on how your brand is perceived in the world. You've heard it before, but the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" holds true when it comes to personal branding. The images you use to market your brand are key in your non-verbal communication strategy. That's why a professional photo shoot can be a game-changer in elevating your brand.
By investing in a professional photo shoot, you not only get high-quality images but also the opportunity to convey your personality and unique selling points in an effective non-verbal way.
Remember, your photos will be the authentic representation of your brand and are just so fun to have on hand when creating your social media posts, updating your website, running ads, creating YouTube thumbnails and so much more.
On a deeper level, brand photos allow you to capture the attention of your audience through the emotions you evoke in your photos. More on emotional branding here.
To make sure you feel prepared for your brand photoshoot, I’ve included my top seven tips to have a successful personal branding photoshoot and start standing out online:
Your Brand Board
Clear on Your Top Descriptive Words
Inspiration Ready
Choosing Your Photographer
Choosing Your Location
Exude Confidence
Candid, Baby!
Importance of Personal Branding
In the market today, personal branding is what sets you apart from the competition. There are a lot of people doing and offering something similar to what you do, so how does someone know you're the brand to work with? Your personal brand.
It allows you to establish your unique identity, build trust with your audience, lead with authenticity, and create a lasting impression. Personal branding goes beyond your products or services; it is about showcasing who you are as a person and what you stand for. Your personal brand defines your values, expertise, and overall image in the eyes of your target audience.
A well-crafted personal brand can help you attract the right opportunities, build a loyal following, and position yourself as an authority in your industry. It allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level and build meaningful relationships that can lead to long-term success. Want to go deeper into building your personal brand and revenue-generating business? Watch my free, on-demand class here.
7 Tips to Prepare for Your Personal Brand Photo Shoot
Prefer to watch your content?
Check out this recent YouTube video I made talking about my recent professional photo shoot and my top tips.
Alright, sticking around? On to the steps.
1. Have a Completed Brand Board Before Your Photo Shoot
You don't want to go into your photoshoot without having a clear picture of your brand, otherwise, you will just be paying more money for another shoot in a few months.
I ALWAYS have my clients create an inspiration board for their brand. I highly recommend you start with Pinterest or Google to collect photos that mirror your branding and pull from those to create a finalized inspiration board. This isn’t just about your brand colors and fonts, it’s a representation of your overall brand feel. A photographer is going to love to have this on hand when choosing locations, outfits, poses, and more.
2. Be Clear on Your Top Descriptive Words for Your Brand
For me, my top three emotional words for my brand are adventure, freedom, and warmth.
Think of your top three words, which should be evident in your inspiration board. You want those top three words to come through in everything you do during your shoot.
Pick outfits that exude your three words, select a location that matches your three words, outfits that match your three words, a photographer that…well you get the idea.
Here are a few photos from my shoots, over the years, so you can see for yourself how my three words come to life in my personal brand photo shoot.
3. Pull Inspiration Online for Your Photo Shoot
You will tell by the end of this blog that I absolutely love Pinterest, it is such a great resource for business owners. I recommend you turn to Pinterest again for inspiration for your personal branding photography.
Use the search bar to find photos that match your brand and style - choose photos that resonate with you personally and that you think will trigger an emotion in your audience.
Some of my favorite search words are family photos, branded photoshoots, lifestyle sessions, or free people (this is clearly very specific to my brand).
Below is a copy of the board I used before my first shoot. You will send this to your photographer before the shoot so they can get an idea of exactly what you are looking for and can come prepared. Trust me they will love you!
4. Research Your Professional Personal Brand Photographer
It is so important to find a photographer that matches your style. This is why I recommend you find your photographer AFTER becoming clear on the pieces above.
When choosing a photographer, look at their past work and make sure their style of photography, lighting, and editing matches your brand.
Be sure to ask for reviews and perhaps a consultation, if you've never worked with them before. Remember this is an investment so do your homework and make sure you feel they will be able to capture and bring your vision to life.
I like to look for documentary photographers because their style matches my vibe, however, you might choose to search for brand photographers, or family photographers in your area.
5. Pick a Location That Resonates With You and Your Clients
Your inspiration for this will come from your brand board, but be sure to choose a location that is totally in line with your style.
For me, my first location was a no-brainer, as I'm constantly drawn to the woods and nothing says adventure and freedom, like very large trees! Over the years, as my brand has evolved, I’ve chosen various locations, but have always had an outdoor element because it’s a big part of my brand.
I want my photos to match my lifestyle photos on social media, so think about where you enjoy spending your time and where your personal photos might be from. For me, this is outside so it just makes sense.
Research different locations near you, or perhaps you make a small trip to a city nearby - your photographer should also be able to suggest some locations.
A few of my favorites include a coffee shop, home office, garden, high-rise building, Airbnb rental, park, woods, the beach, or your favorite store (if I was a food blogger I would 100% be in Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods).
6. Get In the Zone - Exude Brand Confidence in Photos
Mentally prepare yourself for the photoshoot. You need to be as relaxed as possible, and taking some time leading up to the shoot is so essential.
Have your wardrobe, makeup, and hair details flushed out at least a week before the shoot is scheduled to take place.
Now spend the next week focusing on your inner beauty and brand coming out. You want to seem natural, approachable, confident, and on top of your sh*t with your photos, so spend some time getting into that mindset, so your photos showcase your most authentic self.
One thing I always do is include my family in the experience. We always make it a fun event, kicking it off with music to get in the vibe. My most recent shoot, which took place in our new home, started with coffee, music, and conversations. There’s something really magical about letting your guard down and just being your most authentic self.
7. Brand Photo Shoot Tip: Candid Photos Are the Way to Go
Yes, I encourage you to go into your shoot with poses in mind, but true masterpieces come from candid moments. This is why all of the above is so important.
Having all of your pieces in place before the shoot, allows you to JUST HAVE FUN with it.
I highly recommend bringing a spouse, your kids, or friends to make you laugh and chat with you during the shoot. The results from these moments are priceless. My husband always makes me laugh and some of my favorite photos have been a result of those moments.
CONCLUSION
All in all, you want your brand photo shoot to be an authentic representation of you. All the groundwork you will complete prior to the shoot will allow you to show up and have fun.
After your photo shoot is complete, I recommend updating your photos on your website, adding your photos to Canva so you can easily incorporate them into your weekly graphics, updating promotional materials, and more.
If you want to learn some additional tricks and tips on executing your brand photo shoot, check out this video here.
P.S. In the process of launching or refreshing your brand? My 45-minute on-demand class will take the mystery out of the entire process by giving you my signature Build a Better Brand Method. This class has helped thousands of entrepreneurs gain brand clarity and confidence and you can sign up to watch it here.
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
Meet Michelle
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.