Recently I’ve managed to talk to a number of business owners and it would seem that each of them have a common situation – they do not know how to get themselves noticed by the consumers. The common solutions discussed often revolves around advertising, advertorials, and social media in general.

Bear in mind that these are business owners that have been in business for years and yet in the quest of finding (effective) ways to get themselves noticed. Sometimes, getting noticed isn’t even about being unconventional – it’s just about getting yourself seen or heard.

#1: Focus on a Niche

A: What do you do?
B: I provide IT solutions and services
A: Oh, what kind of solutions do you offer?
B: We specialize in every aspect of IT. We are a one-stop solutions centre.

Does the conversation above sound familiar? The lack of a focus often confuse customers on what are you offering in the first place and it puts you in a situation where you cannot afford to spend time highlighting your brand strengths. It’s always easier being a big fish in a small pond and eventually hop into another pond – not otherwise.

#2: Get Involved in Contests

Interesting contests has it’s way among consumers. You can either create one yourself or even sponsor one if that’s too much of a hassle. Social media tools such as Facebook allows contests to be set up rather easily and has the potential to rally up huge responses when done properly. Putting up your products / services as prizes will draw attention to your brand, too! Click here to learn how to setup a Facebook contest the right way.

#3: Get Involved in Events

Participating in events often draw attention to a brand – especially huge ones. Hosting your own event can bring about many advantages since you’re the highlight but it can take up a lot of resources including time and money. Alternatively, you can choose to hop upon events that has similar interests as your brand.

For example, an IT company may participate in a Technology Expo or even to become a sponsor to gain additional millage from the event. Try to explore various opportunities to see how you can tie up closely with the event (e.g. workshops, seminars, etc) to take full advantage of the expected crowd – it’s the least you can do.

#4: Write a Book

If you have interesting thoughts, experiences or techniques to share, this is for you! Most authors do not write to make millions out of it but to receive the exposure and credibility to their brand. With the help of technology, authors are also moving towards producing e-books due to the low production cost involved as compared to a physical book. In fact, this is something I would want to do, too!

To start it off, you may also want to consider starting your own blog as a stepping stone before publishing your own book! Starting up a blog brings great value to your brand especially in this digital age.

#5: Share

Givers gain! Give publicity to others. Take up the opportunity and initiative to spread the good word about other companies, partners and affiliates. Take an additional step by getting close to industry influencers and help them solve their problems by sharing your contacts with them. Many will repay you by sharing YOU with their contacts and to put you in front of their customers as well.

Is That All?

There are tons of other ways to get yourself noticed and the above is just the tip of the iceberg! In a nutshell, to get noticed is all about you being able to look out for opportunities to shine and not so much of the right technique or the right avenue. The more you’re out there grabbing those opportunities, the more you’ll be noticed.