3 Ways to Quickly Increase Your Company’s Visibility

It’s May and summer is near. Will clients go on vacation and forget about you until fall? Seize the moment and do at least three things to enhance your company’s awareness with people who need your products or services.

Let’s consider easy solutions you can self-generate with relative speed and low cost: social media and public relations, networking, and volunteering.

Trigger social media and PR activity

Have your company’s social postings lapsed? Planning to start a blog? Wondering if your news is worthy? Draw attention in these ways:

1. Compliment others—clients, prospects, partners, and recommenders—in their social accounts and yours on their news and achievements or your engagement with them.
2. Announce an award you’ve received and show/explain the work that garnered it.
3. Update on LinkedIn your professional portrait, include work samples in your Summary, or add a volunteer role to your Experience. If you don’t have a company LinkedIn page, establish it!
4. Be the first among your followers to offer an opinion on a trending topic—in client industries, your expertise area, or community news.
   
5. Author an article, post it to your platforms, and snag more limelight!
6. Add one new feature or case study to your website. Point social followers to it from all your accounts and through an e-blast.
7. Create a light-hearted, seasonal message to promote in your accounts and email that represents your capabilities.
8. Write a press release to the media about awards, a title or address change, new client relationships, staff hires, or a completed project. Email the same to your client and prospect list.

Tap into networking

The most-overlooked method for cultivating new business is networking. If you establish a routine of staying in touch with influential connections throughout the year, you’ll be amazed at the steady flow of opportunities coming your way!

1. Visit client offices with an unexpected food or beverage treat, or send a special memento after a meeting with them.
2. Invite a desired business contact for coffee, lunch, or cocktails. Mention you’d appreciate specific connections or recommended referrals, and offer them a few in return.
3. Speak up at a professional event where clients and prospects congregate. Ask a smart question of the presenter! Arrive early or stay afterward to make connections. Offer to be the next expert.
4. Send a personal note by snail mail that demonstrates your appreciation of someone’s past business, referrals, or friendship.

Consider volunteering

Closely related to networking is volunteering. While volunteering requires more time in the long run, it can be a solid base upon which you develop visibility and a reputation for leadership, mentorship, business savvy, and giving back to your profession or community. Your involvement is promotable in the aforementioned channels as soon as you dip your toe in a volunteer role. The network you’ll build, even after the first encounter or two with fellow volunteers, could lead directly or by referral to future clients.

While there are many additional ways to gain visibility, most require an investment of time, money, and outside resources. Try the quick steps first!

Heather Olson is a design industry advocate and builder of business relationships for creative entities. A former graphic designer turned marketer, her focus today is to coach peers on increasing their visibility and category leadership. Connect with her at Soladay Olson | Marketing for Creatives: [email protected].