Sales Driven Marketing Hub

Getting yourself noticed in a crowded online space can be difficult, especially if that space is the digital marketing industry.

Once you stop to think about it, it makes sense that this industry has a much more crowded online space than others. That’s because digital marketers know the importance of creating valuable content, engaging in online conversations, and developing an online audience. 

But therein lies the inherent difficulty in, and seemingly contradictory nature of, garnering online visibility in an industry that lives online. Which prompted one Inbound.org member to ask, “Do you feel pressure to stay visible in our noisy industry?” Not surprisingly, the resounding answer was “yes.”

To help make your own business’s online identity more visible, here are some tips on how to boost online visibility from internet marketing experts who have to do so in one of the noisiest industries online.

1. Start Strong, then Ease Off

When you’re first starting to promote your business online, it’s important to go big. Create a schedule and make sure you stick to it. Some things you might want to consider doing include:

• Publish blog posts at least once a week.
• Create accounts on and post to various social media sites (even if you find out some aren’t as effective as others, you’ll still have claimed your business’s name on those sites).
• Post to forums.
• Join online communities and groups for your industry, and engage in meaningful conversations.

When you’re just getting started out online, doing these things with a high frequency (although not too much that you’re deemed spammy) is important. That’s because no one (or very few people) knows who you are and you’re just starting to build an online audience. 

Just because you start out with this type of posting intensity doesn’t mean you have to maintain it forever. As your organization starts to get into its online groove, you’ll learn what social media sites are your sweet spot, which forums, groups or communities have the highest level of engagement, and how often you need to contribute to stay top of mind. 

As Inbound.org member Joel Klettke put it “I think there's a ‘proving yourself’ phase where frequency is really important - but after that...relax.”

2. Do It Your Way 

Yes, there is merit to being on the big social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and the like. However, you shouldn’t limit yourself to only doing what everyone else is doing.

For example, is there a certain website or forum that people in your industry flock to? If so, it’s pertinent that you have a presence there. As Inbound.org member Brandon Seymour observed, “I think ultimately the people that are feeling the pressure of the industry are the ones that are following the herd, rather than carving their own path.”

3. Don’t Get Discouraged

Building an online identity and audience takes time; so don’t get discouraged when it doesn’t happen quickly (because it won’t). Your mindset is key here: If you go in having lofty goals or unrealistic expectations, you’re guaranteeing disappointment.

Instead, be realistic. If you’re building an online identity from scratch, you’ll have to go in knowing you’re in it for the long game. As member Dustin J. Verburg has observed, “When you're working for brands who are starting from scratch in digital marketing, or trying to build a startup, there is no instant gratification. There is no ‘build it and they will come’ unless you get lucky or there's a big name attached.”

At the end of the day, boosting online visibility takes time and patience. But just because it doesn’t happen quickly doesn’t mean it’s impossible. If you stay true to your organization’s core values and provide value, your online audience will come to you.