Early on, when television became popular, we had three channel choices for our Sunday night family viewing.
Today, not only do we have hundreds of cable channels, we also have so many shows to choose from, it’s almost impossible to decide what to watch. With genres of every description, what’s a viewer to do?

With the click of a button, we switch from show to show. It’s a wonder we are able to concentrate on any one show for more than a few minutes.
In 2014, Nielsen reported that on average, US homes receive 189.1 TV channels, but viewers only watch 17.5 of those channels.
Competition for viewers has become so incredibly high, it’s a wonder any of the new shows make it beyond the initial debut.
It’s the same with online products. Back in the day, when many of us started online in the nineties, there were very few so-called experts creating products. Back then, anyone who created an info product was in the minority rather than one among many.

Now, new products are being introduced every day by various levels of experts.

Real Experts

Sadly, it can be difficult to determine who really is a bona-fide expert… until you’ve spent your hard-earned cash. Far too often, someone who claims to be an expert no more than read a book, attended a seminar, bought an info product and repurposed the knowledge by putting their amateur spin on the information. In their mind, this qualified them as expert. Never once were they in the trenches. Nope, they hit a “buy” button, consumed the information, put a spin on it and now they are an “expert.”
Many have never made even $100 online and they claim to show you how to make tons of money.
Buyer beware! Be sure you know if someone has really done what they claim.
On the flip side, there are so many great choices, consumers are tuning out to even the very best products by “real” experts.
This is the sad reality of what is happening. Yet, not all is lost.
For those of us who do have real-life experience in the areas we claim to have expertise, it’s a matter of weathering the storm, being strategic and committing to the long-term.
But I digress…

Competition Explodes

Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge there is more competition today than ever before is living in a dream world. There… I’ve said it. Competition is everywhere.

If you’re using old guidelines for today’s online world, you are getting left behind.
 
“Whether you’re a new company or an established brand, it has long been difficult for small businesses to compete with larger companies. And the advent of the internet and search engine optimization (SEO) has only made the struggle more difficult.”
 
The paragraph above is from an article in Forbes.com that is well worth reading. “Stiff Competition: How To Get Your Small Business Noticed Online”
 
Check out #4 on content creation. Are you putting content up each and every day that is relevant to your market? If not, that would be one of the first areas to focus on.
NOTE: A quick Google search on someone’s name will let you know if they are content experts. Try it. You may be pleasantly surprised or incredibly shocked at what you discover.
 
#5 is all about letting your personality come out. It’s time to let “you” shine.
Avoid trying to be just like every other expert. Be you, quarks and all. For example, my community knows I’m into animal rescue, running and weight training. I incorporate my real life experiences and passions into my messaging. This allows me to attract potential clients and customers who might find this in alignment with their interests….beyond business.
Back to Content
When you create content, make sure it’s high value to the end user. Avoid simply throwing something together, putting it online and expect to stand out from the competition. You have to have a perspective and point of view. You have to put thought into what you’re doing. You have to make it worth the time and effort of the end user. Anything less than that is doing your community a disservice.
Once you create your information, you need to market it.

It’s all about strategy

What I love about the marketing today are the number of choices anyone has to get their message out.

In a recent blog post, I listed a handful of ways you can position your message. Take the media for example.
There are many people who are under the mistaken belief that in order to succeed with media coverage they have to get on the biggest shows available.
This is not at all true. Today there are so many media avenues, virtual anyone can gain inroads to their market through more niched media opportunities.
You can target:

  • Local cable media
  • Podcast shows
  • Online radio
  • Social media platforms
  • Live video
  • Article directories
  • Blogs

The bottom line is this, you have to be willing to consistently get your message out to market. You must develop your own voice and you must create high value content.
It’s never too late to start. Every day we are watching “stars” emerge. If you want to be seen, then be seen. It’s really that simple. Yet, to get the most for your efforts, have a focused approach.
Don’t try to be all things to all people. Develop your perspective and point of view. Select a few locations to be seen. Do something on a consistent basis.
Most of all, put in the time.