How to Become a “Rock Star” in Your Niche, Part 2
By Cindy Cyr

Cindy Cyr here, with four more tips on becoming a “rock star” in your niche …

The other day, I was listening to Dan Kennedy talk about all the things I should be doing to promote my business, like sending out a newsletter (both in the mail and online), writing a book, speaking at events …

I have to admit I felt part guilty and part overwhelmed by all the things I wasn’t doing.

Do you ever feel like that?

But then I realized, while I gear up to take Dan’s advice, there are a lot of other things I am doing that are helping me land new clients.

Today’s tips for marketing your services are not difficult, nor overwhelming. In fact, they are little things you can easily implement in your selling-your-services campaign immediately.

4. Work your craft so people believe you are “naturally talented.” In yesterday’s message, I told you about my aspiring songwriter/singer/ actor son, Dalton. People often comment on how talented he is. While Dalton does have raw talent, what most people don’t see is the amount of time he puts in. He dedicates between two to six hours to his craft every day. He takes voice and guitar lessons, studies, and practices songwriting.

As a freelancer, you should practice writing every day. The more you write, the better you’ll get and the faster you’ll get to the top. Continue taking courses and educating yourself on marketing, writing, and skills specific to your niche. When you do, you’ll discover more people will think and say you are a “natural” or that you have a “gift” for words and marketing. This creates buzz that will get you noticed, and more importantly, hired.

5. Raise the quality bar. Each time I post a video of Dalton, I try to make it different or better than the one before.

If you are writing a blog or other client-attracting media, think about how you can take the value you offer in your content up a notch. For example, maybe you could interview someone in your prospect’s target audience to provide insights into their industry and its trends. Or maybe share test results from tests you run in your own marketing. It doesn’t need to be a big thing – even offering something a bit different than what they saw the time before shows your quality bar rising.

6. Do what other successful people have told you to do. Early on, Dalton was instructed to never wear shorts to a performance. He was told, “Stars don’t wear shorts. They dress in a way that makes people notice he looks different than everyone else.” Living in Florida, there are days where it’s 90-100 degrees and long pants are not comfortable. The thing is, people pick him out of the crowd every time.

As a freelancer, you might consider looking for opportunities to speak to groups. Or write an e-book related to your niche. These ideas may be out of your comfort zone, however, they both are examples of something you’ve most likely heard a successful person tell you to do. Plus, they both give you credibility, attract clients, and position you as an expert …

It might not be “comfortable” to do what someone successful has told you to do, but do it anyway. Chances are that if it’s uncomfortable for you, it’s uncomfortable for others too. That means many won’t do it, so when you do – you’ll stand out among the crowd as the leader in your niche.

7. Put yourself out there every day. I try to make sure I do one marketing task for Dalton every day. Sometimes it’s as simple as telling one new person about him and sharing his YouTube channel. Sometimes it’s big, like a performance. Regardless, something happens every day.

No matter how busy you get, you have to build in time to market yourself. It’s how buzz and the high-paying projects will flow your way.

Make a list of ways you can market yourself and commit to doing one thing each day. Whether it’s engaging in a conversation with a highly targeted prospect on Twitter for five minutes or sending out a direct mail package to promote your services, you’ll soon find more work than you can handle coming your way. The best part? You get to choose the best assignments and charge more when you are in demand.

Do these seven tips consistently, and you’ll find yourself rising to celebrity status in your own niche because the chances are you’ll be one of the few doing them. And if you’ve ever wondered why some people rise to the top while others continue to struggle despite doing these things, check out my article “The 19 Secrets to Selling Your Freelance Services Successfully".

Do you have things you’ve tried which have gotten you “noticed”? Share them with me and The Writer’s Life readers.