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I have some exciting news! I was featured in Business Insider; woohoo! This is a great milestone, and I am so grateful. I want to share with you how I made that possible so you can make it possible as a business owner, entrepreneur, or service provider!
But before we start, allow me to reintroduce myself (as Jay Z once said). My name is Ruth Sherrill, and I am the founder and CEO of Ruth Sherrill Marketing Services.
I believe in helping clients formulate their brands for success and transcending ideas into a noteworthy, profitable, and unique content.
I use my experience as an entrepreneur, my B.S. and M.S. education in strategic communication and marketing, and the skills I learned working with Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and international organizations to start my own marketing company.
I have assisted in developing and implementing marketing strategies for product- and service-based businesses, and I learned one unique thing: there is power in social selling. Establishing your presence online. Creating your brand's authority. Building relationships and trust with your ideal audience.
How I Use Inbound Marketing
To attract my ideal customers, I used something called Inbound Marketing. Inbound Marketing is a business technique that attracts customers by creating valuable content catered to your target audience.
Inbound Marketing is a great tool to grow your business because it has the ability to create meaningful relationships with potential and current customers and clients. Inbound marketing can be applied in three ways.
Attract: You can draw in your target audience with valuable content that will establish you as someone your clients want to engage with.
Delight: You can provide support to empower your customers or clients to find success by using your product or service.
Engage: You can engage the clients by providing solutions and insights that align with the customer's pain points.
To attract people, I posted consistently on social platforms such as my blog, TikTok, IG, and Pinterest. This form of marketing only works if you're putting messages out there where your target audience is looking for information.
Business Insider Process
Now let's get down to the nitty gritty! I want to talk about how I was able to be featured in Business Insider and what I learned in the process.
1. Be Responsive
Business Insider reached out with an inquiry about doing an article. I was very responsive, as I responded within a 24-48 hour window. I thanked them for considering me, told them I was interested, and inquired follow-up questions about the interview. I made sure to share my availability to schedule an appointment quickly, and gain more insight on the perspective of the interview so I had time to prepare when we exchanged calendar information.
2. Share a Unique Perspective
To stand out, I was sure to add a unique perspective. The article was about how I started my small business and what books I would recommend to others looking to go down the same journey.
Katherine Fiorillo, the author of the article, loved my different perspective from the other business owners she interviewed because the books I recommended were not just about "here is how to start a business" I talked about mindset, handling obstacles or setbacks, and increasing productivity. These are all things any entrepreneur WILL face. It is important to prepare yourself as such.
3. Stay in Touch
It's always a great idea to stay in touch. Whether it's for connecting a colleague or tipping a journalist to a great scoop in your niche, staying in touch is a great way to build relationships that add value to your community and network. Create a contact list and circle back every couple of months and say hi. Inquire about any recent work they're doing to show interest in the relationship you are connecting, not just business advantage or gain. Bonus points if you reach out for birthdays or holidays you know they celebrate!
Being featured in Business Insider was a great way to close out this year. I hope you can take the tips I have provided to gain success in your business this year. Share and pin this post with others that will find it helpful! Ruth Sherrill Marketing Services is a marketing agency that specializes in helping business owners create profit and nurture an audience through shareable and informative content. Keep up with us on our socials by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok!