MaryEllen Tribby: 5 Steps to Getting Noticed Online (and Selling a Lot More Stuff)

The other day I was sitting at a busy Starbucks store, pounding away on my keyboard. A dad walked in with his little boy in tow. I didn’t notice them at first, but that changed quickly. The little boy started talking… loudly.

Spying the Christmas candy stacked on the table he said, “Daddy, I want some caaanndy”. And I think everyone in the coffee shop looked up at the little boy. It didn’t matter how busy they were or what they were doing at the time. They were instantly paying attention.

Getting noticed online (and selling lots more stuff) is a lot like the little boy in the coffee shop. You have to find a way to cut through the things that your potential customers are absorbed in, and find a way to stand out in the crowd.

So how do you get noticed online? Here are 5 steps to make it happen.

1. Emotionally connect with your customers

When you emotionally connect with your customer, you will absolutely, positively get noticed. People will share your message because they will feel like you are talking directly to them and solving their problems.

They’ll pass it around, and things will start to grow all on their own. It’s like magic.

But the task isn’t always as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of testing, a lot of practice, and a lot of conversations with customers.

Remember that the people clicking on your ads and reading your content are… people.

Taking the time to treat them well and really connect with them is ONLY in your best interest. They will love you for it and you will enjoy your business a whole lot more.

2. Develop trust with your customers

As you start to gain customers/followers/readers, it’s super important that you gain their trust. Always tell your customers the truth. Keep your word. Post to your site regularly or send regular emails. Use services like buySAFE to make sure your customers are comfortable with you.

By developing trust with your customers, they will feel comfortable recommending you to a friend or colleague, and your online presence will grow.

One of the easiest ways to develop trust with your customers and gain a raving fan base that will buy anything you sell them is by asking them what they want next. When you are delivering solid solutions to their problems, they will follow you to the ends of the earth.

3. Use Multiple Channels

A channel is NOT a business. A channel is a means to get your message out. When you rely on a single channel (think SEO, Facebook, AdWords) you risk losing your entire business if the channel shuts down.

Once you’ve mastered AdWords, develop JV Partnerships.

Once you’ve developed JV partnerships, establish a blog.

Once you’ve established a blog, develop a Facebook presence.

Once you’ve established a Facebook presence, develop an email list.

There are many, many channels to get your message out. These are just a few. By strategically testing and rolling out across many channels over time, you place the odds in your favor of having long term success.

(By the way, MaryEllen Tribby has a great book on multichannel marketing titled “Changing The Channel”)

4. Leverage Affiliates

If you have your own product (physical or digital), one of the most powerful things you can do is leverage affiliates to sell for you. You pay folks a commission and they take all the risk of selling your product.

If you have a product that works well, nothing can get you more exposure than affiliates. You can hire an affiliate manager to find and recruit affiliates or you can list your product on sites like CJ.com or ClickBank.com and offer good affiliate resources.

As your affiliate list grows, so will your exposure and income.

5. Have a strong USP

A USP is your Unique Selling Proposition. This is what makes you stand out from the crowd, and it is one of the most important elements of your business.

Perry Marshall (a kick butt marketer) says this about USPs.

“If you have a meaty answer to these questions…

-Why should I read or listen to you?

-Why should I believe what you have to say?

-Why should I do anything about what you’re offering?

-Why should I act now?

-What can you guarantee me that nobody else can?

…You can write your own check.”

And he’s right. If you can answer those questions, you will do very, very well.

If you don’t have a meaty answer to those questions, you will be in big, big trouble in your business because you’ll be fighting against everyone else who is doing exactly what you do the exact same way.

So sit down with a pen and paper, and start mapping out your USP today.

Getting noticed online takes a bit of work. It’s not always easy, but that’s a very good thing. It eliminates a great deal of competition right up front.

As the great inventor and businessman Thomas Edison said,

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”