Jeremiah Owyang has written a good post today on how to get noticed.
Getting noticed is a major problem for most bloggers starting out (and most who have been going for years also). Jeremiah’s suggestions are great:
- Have a goal, Develop a unique brand, Get personal, Attend local events, Lead events, Be interesting and Archive your achievements.
He writes great thoughts on each of the above points – well worth the read.
One other thought comes to mind as I read what Jeremiah had to say:
Positioning Yourself is Key
I think a key to getting noticed is to think carefully about how you position yourself.
I remember seeing a study a few years ago that found that in offices, people whose desks were positioned near where there was a lot of passing traffic (water coolers, near elevators etc) were among the most connected and known in the office. Those whose desks were off in corners of the building where few people ever went were often the most socially isolated and invisible in the office.
The take home lesson from this is that if you want to be noticed – you need to position yourself where the people whose attention you want to grab gather.
Gary Vaynerchuk from Wine Library TV is a guy who I think embodies this brilliantly.
I’ve not met him in person or even seen him in action live (this will change soon as he’s keynoting at Blog World Expo – but from watching from a far – Gary has positioned himself very cleverly at tech events and in social networks recently and in doing so he’s been noticed big time.
It might seem odd for a Wine Expert to position himself at Tech Conferences but in doing it he’s got himself (and his book – 101 Wines: Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World (one that I own and recommend – particularly good for those who love wine but who, like me, know nothing about it) blog and company) on the radar of key influencers who have spread the Gary Vaynerchuck virus throughout the world.
The principle of positioning is there for all to see. Gary has decided who he wants to notice him and he’s positioned himself in the paces that they gather en masse (and from what I can see he’s done this prolifically).
This doesn’t mean Gary ignores the little guy – he’s someone who is dedicated to interacting with as many people as possible (see 1st video below) – but he’s also someone who I think has really mastered the art of positioning himself brilliantly also.
Let me leave you with some Gary Vaynerchuk teaching and inspiration via a couple of videos:
First – one on his mission in life, to meet every person on earth:
Here’s another video where Gary talks a little about some of the philosophies that he’s grown his business by – including a little on what I talk about above:
Check out the Gary Vaynerchuk blog for more videos on how Gary goes about his business – and if you’re a wine lover but need some help – check out his book book – 101 Wines: Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World.
Great point Darren – it’s not enough just to write solid, memorable content. That content also needs to accessible to people: bloggers need to get involved in discussions, promote their content, and build their brand more than ever.
Ahhh. The art of positioning. Getting noticed is the number one secret to becoming popular. Whether if it’s in real life or in internet marketing, someone that is noticed is more well-known that someone who barely gets noticed. Jeremiah wrote a very nice post. Thanks for sharing it with us, Darren.
Wow!
Vision, relationships and passion.
A magic combination.
Why do I like to see a guy like this?
Because it fires me up!
Because it reminds me that personal growth, self image and it’s resulting transparency create a worthwhile, and winning, personality to whom the ‘sky’s the limit’
Excellent post! Thanks
AllanJames
(the StartBusinessMentor)
If your desk is off in a corner — or your blog is only getting five hits a day from your own visits — you’ll have to make sure to get out and circulate by visiting other people’s blogs, linking to them, and generally reaching out to form a community.
I was reading a major financial service corporation’s website that mentioned the same thing for its employees — they expect their employees to go out into their communities and make meaningful contact with at least 25 people each day in the local community. The site went on to say that it will take another 7 meaningful contacts with someone on average before that person will make a decision to use their services. It takes time to develop a business (or blogging) relationship.
The same is true with blogging. The first visit to a webpage might not lead to a long-term relationship. But, repeated and meaningful visits and comments could lead to something that is beneficial to both bloggers.
Besides great content, it seems that it takes a certain amount of chutzpah to have a great blog!
Commenting, linking, getting yourself before the public in any way you can, as Gary has.
Pity the poor introverted soul who believes, “If you build it, they will come!”
Great point about positioning! You have an implied second point that comes out – know who the key influencers are. Gary obviously knew who the held the influence for his product.
Thanks so much.
Yeah ..great tips ..gotta master this..a must read for all bloggers..
http://projinfo.org
you have a way of reading my mind with some of your posts… Hitting upon the exact topics that are flowing through my mind mind at different points in time.. lol
that being said…
Like one of the commenter’s above said “pity the poor introverted fool who believes build it and they will come”
It is all about getting noticed by the right people. And as your example with Gary states… the right people don’t have to necessarily be in your niche….
the biggest mistake my magazine made for many years was solely targeting bloggers in our niche to spread the word about us.
I will def be checking out Gary’s blog as well.
thanks again!
Awesome video
So simple yet so many of us forget about the important things in life. I know I have on some occasions.
As for being positioned. An awesome way to be positioned in the online world is to comment and write guest posts on other people’s blogs. The more blogs you are on the more likely your blog is going to get seen and the more connections you will have with people.
Thanks for the post
Not to be picky, but I thought “positioning” as a marketing term was something specific regarding branding. What a brand tries to do is get its name associated with something specific and work from there for market dominance – i.e. Heinz with ketchup, etc.
Why is this an issue for me? Because finding my target audience as a blogger is the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, and I still stink at it. And no, none of the usual suggestions have worked for me: my core audience is a group of very diverse people who read me mainly because they take pity on me.
What I need to see is a discussion of getting the exposure you want here, and clear criteria for distinguishing between types of exposure. Of course all of us are still going to submit to Digg and SU and create Squidoo lenses for a generic audience. The issue is when that’s done, what are we supposed to do?
Pure speculation, I’m not exactly successful: My own thought is “get known for something and be loud about it.” The key is probably the “get known” – one isn’t gonna start out known, but one can start out with what one wants to be known for. I guess a practical implementation of this advice would be for every blogger to pick a best post and try to get everyone else to be aware of it or read it. That kinda pushes you towards certain audiences.
Also – a wine blogger might have to show up at tech conferences. Despite the diversity of people using the Internet, there is still one common bond between them – they use the Internet. Truth be told, in many ways that’s still a specialized audience unto itself.
I recently revamped my whole blog – I changed the site by giving it a bit of a brand – a signature so to speak.
Since I’ve done this I’ve become a lot more popular.
I still have a bit of work to do. But I think branding is a good idea…like Dooce
Yep, reminds me of something Bilbo said in The Fellowship of the Ring, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your front door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
When I started my blog I had no clue where it would take me. So I got swept up. Now the Web is no substitute for actual personal interaction, but going out my virtual front door to interact with the rest of the world has encouraged me to venture out more in the physical one.
At the very least blogging has opened up an avenue to improve my communication skills, which is the first step towards any meaningful social interaction (grunts and waving my hands aside).
Very nice and informative post. Thank you for sharing this with us! Great tips!
Gee I don’t know Darren, I know of a few people in the office who prefer to be located in the corner somewhere where they can blog in peace and not be disturbed by what is happening around them. I may have to email this to them so that at least they will know how to position their blog better. ;)
Great post and comments about what I believe to be one of the most important aspects of marketing yourself as an individual.
My own take on the concept relates more to how you
“position yourself in the minds of your prospect”
This is most successful when successful promoters like Gary V constantly constantly project prominent features of their personality which helps their persona to “stick” and become memorable. Add to this their area of expertise and people like Gary have a unique position in the minds of their prospect and subsequently the targeted market.
In reality, people like Gary V have many facets to their personality, and many skills, but they have chosen a few prominent character traits, a specific area of expertise or part of their lifestyle that they feel will enhance the connection they have with their audience.
This is not to suggest any kind of “fakeness” or manufactured image – the real “x-factor” is when
using your own genuine personality as a “mental anchor” your readers will become hooked on.
My 10cents anyway – fascinating discussion thanks
Cheers
Glen Crosier
Brighton, UK
The thing that Gary mentioned that rang most true with me was to be TRANSPARENT. This is so key because most people can spot a fraud a mile away. The thing that keeps many of us closing ourselves off to people is the idea that they might reject who we are. But the fact of the matter is that everyone will reject who you’re not, so it’s better to just be yourself and let the chips fall where they may.
Thanks for laying out a great post.
Is being high strung also a prerequisite to getting noticed?
Location. Location. Location.
It’s no good to have the best content, the best product or the best service, if no one is around to see it. Great reminder about how Positioning should not be an afterthought– even in the blogosphere.
This is quite interesting. I like it.
http://www.jobisurgent.com
With only three whole days of blogging behind me, I’m in no rush to conquer the world, but it’s great to have this knowledge for the future. Thank you.
Location. Location. Location.
The best stuff in the world will not be available to anyone to enjoy if it it is not discovered, processed, assimilated and shared.
Positioning is the one thing that makes a whole bunch of cool stuff possible.
To me, getting noticed is about leaving natural , interesting, yet stimulating comments on other blogs in order to entice a potential reader to stop on thru and see what you’re all about, right? :-)
http://www.ShawnDrewry.com
Darren, thanks for linking to Jeremiah’s post. It’s been far too long since I’ve visited his site. Gary V is always great to inspire as well.
Great post some great videos too, that guy is seriously talking the truth.
really inspiring! the battle of positioning not merely physically (eyes and brain) since heart, especially on Venus already taken it. So, positioning what I learnt from Indonesian’s marketing icon (Hermawan Kartajaya) is placement in your heart. Thanks.
I’m certainly glad I “found” this site. I’m also impressed with the honest and professional comments from other readers and fellow bloggers and internet marketers. I’m new to all of this. I have the passion and the intention and now I’m finally beginning to understand the importance of just being myself and doing what I do best. The creative aspect comes easily. The marketing aspect not so much!
The challenge is in getting that all-too-elusive list of believers. It may be a slow start, but after reading the information on Problogger, how can I fail!? =)
Enjoyed the post. I find it interesting that he doesn’t go to wine industry events. I stopped going to most of my industry events and my business took off. Renewed perspective maybe.
I would like to see you expand on the “positioning” angle in future posts. I think you are scraping the surface of something huge.
@denrosu
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