I’m talking in this new series about visibility – what it is, why it’s important and how to do it in a way that feels comfortable and even fun.
In this episode I talk about why service business owners need to get visible, and why we really don’t want to. I also share my top tips for visibility in business, including some of the strategies I use myself.
What does it mean to be visible in our business ?
I talk about visibility to mean using images your face, as well as your opinions and views in your marketing. This might be on your website, on your social media channels and content, on any downloads or emails you send and relevant marketing literature.
It may also mean speaking at events or going to networking events.
Why do we resist visibility?
Apart from the fact that generally no one likes photos of themselves, we are often conscious of getting older, greyer and heavier. But also, many of us are keen to have clients work with us because of our expertise, rather than what we look like. We worry that we will look pushy or that others will say “who does she think she is?”
But why is it important that we show our face when we promote our business?
Try this experiment on social media – try sharing a post that includes a photo of yourself, compared to one that doesn’t. You’ll see so much more engagement on the photo of you. Algorithms and actual humans like to see people they know in their social media feed. It’s part of the process of building trust in your business, starting with getting to know you and like you.
What are my tips for visibility?
- Really get in touch with your purpose. What are you doing this for, what is your mission and personal values?
- Get great professional photos – it’s so much easier to share images of yourself!
- It may help to schedule social posts, so you can post and forget, so you create some distance between you and the image of yourself.
- You might want to find ways to share the limelight – go to networking with a business buddy, guest on podcasts or do joint live posts.
- Concentrate on your message and focus on being really helpful, rather than trying to sell.
- And find the format that works for you – whether it’s blogging, social media posting or networking. Find the place that you are comfortable and show up consistently.
I have a free download to help you be the face of your business. Download it here for the 5 steps you need to go from hating it to loving it.
Show resources
I mentioned a few previous episodes of the podcast, here are the links:
Fifi Mason on personal branding
Ginny Carter on writing a book
Joanna Rawbone on what is introversion anyway
Emily Moya on brand photography
You can go to the Marketing for Introverts Bookshop to see the full list of books recommended on the podcast
And just for fun – what’s your marketing personality? Find out here
