Do you know everyone you should know? (And do they know you?)

“There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.”
– Brendan Behan

Visibility in your target sector is made up of equal parts publicity, networking and a good sound marketing plan. All too often, an aspiring, publicity seeking entrepreneur will rush into their quest for visibility and ubiquity and fall short of their expectations because they failed to survey the sector that they should be targeting, segment and position themselves for that sector and ultimate approach the job of ‘becoming known’ in anything but strategic fashion.  Your goal is to be known by the right people, not just to be known period.

In the Entrepreneur’s QuickStart Guide: 30 Days of DIY Marketing,  we talk about putting together a quick set of targets.  Now is a great time to pull out the targeted list that you made (or to create one…) and look closely at the sectors on your target market list. Do any of the targets overlap?  How could you reach people in each sector?  What publications do they read? What meetings to they attend or what conferences to they go to?

One of the easiest things that entrepreneurs can do to set themselves up for success in their industry is to map out their target audiences and ensure that everyone knows who you are and what you do and how you might be able to help them should a need arise.  This is not a one-time exercise either.  For me, this is a daily question.

***** ACTION SUMMARY  *****

1. Build a quick target sector map and determine, for each sector, the top 5 places that you’d be likely to ‘run into’ your target prospect. We’ll call these ‘target sector hotspots.’

2. Spend a few minutes each day working through the list of target sector ‘hotspots’ by making personal contact, submitting articles to publications or offering your expertise.

***** RESOURCES *****

>> BizTimesMedia of Milwaukee, WI has a small but effective guide to public relations that’s worth a read:
http://www.biztimes.com/biztimes/A-Guide-to-PR.pdf

>> If you’re looking for some solid networking strategies, I recommend the book “The 29% Solution: 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies” by Ivan Misner  and Michelle R. Donovan

Related posts:

1. Social Networking Contact Plan: This Week’s Mindmap
2. NEW e-Book! The Updated MarkeTech Guide to Marketing Technology!

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