How to Increase Online Visibility
Get Paid to Write Online is a blog I read regularly. Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer with significant experience and her blog is packed with useful information.
Today’s post, 10 Ways to Raise Your Online Writing Profile is another one of those posts that gets the brain thinking. Guest writer Andy Walton shares his suggestions for increasing online visibility.
Reviewing his suggestions, I’m pleased to say that I’ve been able to do a few. I started A Page of My Own for the purpose of promoting my budding freelance writing career. There will eventually be a resume page with basic information and links to articles I’ve written. I own my domain so there’s no concern about losing the name if I transition to a self-promoted website.
I have a second blog in which I post, anonymously, every day. It has a very different feel and is not particularly ‘professional’ but does have material I can access or direct clients to, if appropriate. My readers there will eventually be directed to this blog and while many of them may not become regular readers, I will have expanded my circle .
I hadn’t considered his idea of a signature for my emails, mostly because I don’t have much direct client contact at this point in the game. But, I’ll play with it. Having my own web address means I could print business cards and provide a way for people to get in touch with me.
I already do follow his suggestion of joining forums, and reading blogs. In both I try to participate with comments, which of course allows me to leave blog address and bring possible clients to this blog. But, I only comment if it seems appropriate.
Self -promotion is the name of the game here, not easy in a world of internet connections where the personal is somewhat removed. I’m pretty outgoing and am comfortable with face to face contact, and consider that skill a strength for me. In this internet world I will need to strengthen other assets to compensate for my lack of tech savvy and newness to the field.
The potential for self-promotion is vast, much of it free if you’re willing to put in the time and the effort. What other suggestions do you have for promoting your business, whatever it is, online?
Thanks so much for linking to Andy’s guest post. I especially like your analysis of how his suggestions work in your own writing. Of all his suggestions, forums are the one I find hardest to implement. I think you have to find the places that you are most comfortable in and build from there.
Sharon,
Really you’re the one I want to thank.. your advice has been invaluable. I just posted my second article on Suite101 today, an idea I got from you!
As for forums, I too find them challenging as I’m not the ‘chatty’ type but since I have a goal in mind, I’m looking around and checking a few out!
Hey Walker, great post.
Self promotion is a tricky task, and it’s very important to be using the right platform for your personal web page in order to increase visibility online. I’d like to recommend LookupPage (www.lookuppage.com), a simple-to-use branding tool on which you create your own web page, for business or personal objectives. It’s highly visible on Google’s 1st page search (95% of the time!), and shows up on all search engines.
Cheers,
Udi Drezner