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There are many people I talk to that just want their work to be noticed. I’ve been there, as well. Ten years ago, when I started blogging, I just wanted my work to be noticed, too. I wanted instant recognition, but that didn’t happen.
The problem with this mentality is that there is no such thing as overnight success. Anyone who thinks that they can reach their goal instantly is in for a rude awakening. In my own work, I quickly found out that people weren’t just going to start taking notice without first doing something worth taking notice of. I needed to produce more ideas that mattered, so that’s where I began.
So, if you currently want to get your work noticed, my first question to you would be, “Is your idea and/or product worthy of attention?”
Without a worthy idea or product, you’re just noise in an already noisy world. So, what makes a product worthy? The research of an idea or product, the execution of the product, and the delivery of the product to customers. Without one of these three things, the product will be a flop. The execution of the product is the step where a product’s worthiness is focused on the most.
Too many times products or ideas are released to the general public before they’re executed to the best of a team’s ability, and I will be the first to say when this happens, it is frustrating to say the least. I can remember standing in line for hours to get my hands on the very first iPhone, and the experience with the phone was terrible with reception and functionality. At first I was blinded by the coolness factor of the phone, but the more I used it, the less appealing it was. I thought about trying an Android phone, but the ease of syncing my other Apple products with my iPhone is what kept me buying future iPhones. And people would say to me, “but, it’s Apple,” and my response was, “I need a phone that works.” It wasn’t ready for launch — end of story. Thank goodness the iPhone got better with time, and I now love my iPhone 6+.
The only thing that saved the first iPhone was the marketing around the new gadget, which brings me to my next point.
Second, if you want to get your work noticed, have you considered your packaging?
There is so much that goes into the marketing of a product, but I really want to focus on the packaging. If you are a writer, then the book cover is a very important focus of yours. If you are an entrepreneur and have a new product, the way your product is packaged tells your customer how detail oriented you are. If you are offering a service, then the time you put into preparation and the expertise you offer is your packaging. You communicate a vast amount of information by the design of your company logo, the building you work in, and even by the way you talk to clients on the phone. All of these attributes are part of the package your business offers. The way that a product or service is packaged tells the customer a story before they even experience what you and your business have to offer.
Third, if you want to get your work noticed, have you taken the time to build relationships?
If you’ve followed my work, then you know that I place a huge importance on people, and for good reason. I love people. I have learned to never take relationships for granted, as people are the reason that I have the opportunity to do what I do in the first place.
If you have a business of any kind, then I would ask you to at least consider the benefits of creating relationships with your clients. The main reason that this is important is that companies can only become real to customers when they speak to them on a personal basis. Until then, a company is just a logo. Putting a face with a voice who cares about an individual builds trust, and shows that a brand cares.
Fourth, if you want to get your work noticed, have you pinpointed your audience?
If you offer any product or service, you must know who your target audience is. If you know this, then the process of developing your product is much easier. If you know the answer to the question, “Who will buy this?”, then you have created less headaches, and more precision with your product. Knowing this lets you develop a product specifically for that group of people, and gives you insight as to how it best fits into their lives. You can even focus your research to what that group of people needs, which will only make your work better in the end. Without knowing this, your guess is as good as mine to making your work a success.
Fifth, if you want to get your work noticed, have you considered your voice?
I’m not necessarily talking about the octave of your voice, but I am talking about your writing voice, especially if you market yourself online. I write as I would talk to you over coffee, so I work hard to make sure that my sincerity comes through my writing voice. It would be a shame if I wrote like Shakespeare wrote, because I’m not Shakespeare. If I did this, there would definitely be a disconnect from my work if you ever met me in person. In the 1500’s and 1600’s, Shakespeare’s voice made sense, but not in 2015.
I know that Shakespeare is an extremely different comparison to myself, but I think you get the point. As you write, we want to know you, not someone else. Make sure you convey the message you want and need to communicate in your own voice, and people will take notice of your work. Your voice and your work matter.
If there’s any message I want to convey through this podcast episode, it’s that focused work produced over time is the only thing that will bring great results. If your work isn’t being noticed yet, know that you must keep putting the work in. Don’t quit right before success comes. Perseverance with your best work is the only way to make your work even better.
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