{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "To get your name known as a freelancer, pick one thing you want to be known for, then consistently show up in multiple channels talking about that thing.",
  "path": "/articles/get-name-known-freelancer/",
  "publishedAt": "2017-07-13T08:00:04.000Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:jznynyzgerlqmdbbj33o7wfs/site.standard.publication/3mnll3icujb2z",
  "tags": [
    "Marketing and Growth"
  ],
  "textContent": "Let’s say you’re a freelancer — Dana the Developer — and you want to get your name known:\n\nAs a go-to developer or\nAs an expert at solving a particular problem or\nAs a specialist in working with a particular target market\n\nYou want to increase the number of people who know of you, your work, and your reputation.\n\nBut how do you do this? How do you tackle getting your name known in your target market?\n\nA lot of it seems like luck and happenstance. Someone releases a plugin or an open source project. Or their book comes out. Or they’re on a burst of podcasts. And suddenly everyone is talking about them. But you know of people with a half-a-dozen open source projects or a book and no one knows their name.\n\nFrom the outside, it looks so cryptic. What are you supposed to do? And how do you know if it’s working?\n\nBut from the inside, let me tell you that getting your name known in your industry is actually the application of a simple framework.\n\nIf you want to get your name known as a freelancer, you need to do two things:\n\nPick a thing you want to be known for\nGet good at talking with people about the thing\n\nPick a thing you want to be known for\n\nThe common theme between anyone known for a thing is that they’ve picked a thing they want to become known for. This connects to one of my directives, a list of statements to help guide me in my business and life.\n\nDirective #7: You will become known for doing what you do.\n\nPick a thing you want to be known for.\n\nFor my public relations clients, my coaching students who are working with me to promote their work, and the readers of my book Podcast Outreach (http://podcastoutreach.com), I break this down with a series of exercises and worksheets that help them identify what they want to become known for.\n\nIt breaks down to becoming known for:\n\nYour area of expertise or\nSolving a common problem or\nAn opinion contrary to your industry\n\nThen, you do the thing. Often. And you let people know about it.\n\nExamples\n\nJonathan Stark → Hourly Billing Is Nuts (Controversial Opinion)\n\nPhilip Morgan → Positioning is fundamental to getting more leads (Solution to a common problem)\n\nAnd then you get good at telling people about what you do\n\nBecome comfortable about telling people what you do.\n\nPick a way to promote your knowledge and expertise and get your name known.\n\nAn incomplete and growing list of ways to get your name known as a freelancer\n\n(If I’ve left something obvious or esoteric off the list, hit reply and let me know)\n\nGuest on podcasts (http://podcastoutreach.com ← the definitive guide on how to get on podcasts as a guest expert)\nHost a podcast\nWrite a book (/write-your-book/. Distill your best recommendations as a consultant into something that lives online or in print)\nAttend conferences\nLiveblog conferences\nSpeak at conferences\nHost conferences or meet ups\nGuest on webinars\nHost webinars\nWrite regularly (email list, blog, etc.)\n\nAbout the thing you want to be known for.\n\nJust because I know some people reading this will go “I need to do all of that?!” let me be clear: you need to do a few of these.\n\n1: You will slowly become known\n2-3: You will become known at a moderate pace\n4+: You will rapidly become known\n\nIf Dana the Developer writes a monthly blog post answering common questions about hiring a developer or questions that her prospects are asking, Dana will slowly become known as a go-to person.\n\nNow if Dana implements a marketing plan like:\n\nGuest on podcasts 2x/month, talking about solutions to common problems\nHost a podcast 4x/month, talking about his/her area of expertise\nWrite a book every year, sharing his/her views\nWrite a weekly article, publishing it to an email list\n\nDana will rapidly become known.\n\nIf Dana has a specific target market (Ecommerce companies running WooCommerce) and expensive problem (Sell more by developing custom solutions) then Dana can easily target her efforts.\n\nBut even if Dana is in a generalist position as, say, an iOS Developer with no particular target market or expensive problem picked out, then Dana can use these same strategies to become known as a freelancer.\n\nWhen I wanted to become known as the go-to person for Outreach Marketing, I guested on podcasts — over 50 of them — to talk about Outreach Marketing. I write two books on Outreach marketing. I spoke at four conferences on topics about Outreach Marketing.\n\nAnd I become known as the go-to person for my target market — software companies — who were looking to invest in outreach marketing. I built a very successful agency on the back of this two step process to get your nam known as a freelancer:\n\nPick a thing you want to be known for\nGet good at talking with people about the thing",
  "title": "How do you get your name known as a freelancer?"
}