Stop Wasting Time on Visibility That Doesn’t Work—Here’s What to Do Instead

Visibility isn't actually about being everywhere. It's about being in the right places, and it's not about the size of your audience, but the depth of your relationships.

This is the Entrepreneur School podcast where we believe you can run a thriving business and still make your family a priority. This show is all about supporting you, the emerging or early stage Entrepreneur on your journey from solopreneur to CEO while wearing all of the other hats in your life. My name is Kelly Sinclair, and I'm a brand and marketing strategist who started a business with two kids under three. I'm a corporate PR girl turned entrepreneur after I learned the hard way that life is too short to waste doing things that burn you out on this show, you'll hear inspiring stories from other business owners on their journey and learn strategies to help you grow a profitable business while making it all fit into the life that you want. Welcome to entrepreneur school.

Let me ask you a question. When it comes to getting visible, are you chasing numbers, or are you chasing impact? I have been having some really interesting conversations with people lately about, Well honestly, for market research purposes, for my program, Rand visibility accelerator. And when we were talking about kind of what else is out there regarding visibility and how other programs are supporting for visibility, what came up is that most of them are kind of membership style programs where you get a curated list of opportunities, or maybe not even curated, but a very long list of opportunities where you can apply for speaking or podcast guesting or bundles or what have you. And while it's great to have a shortcut to finding these places where you can be featured and potentially build your audience, if you don't know how to evaluate what opportunities are actually going to be best for you, then you might be left frustrated that Your results are not lining up with your efforts, quality visibility is what gets you in front of the right people, and not just more people. So in this episode, I want to have a conversation about this, like, why are we so obsessed with audience size? Don't worry, it's totally normal. But then we're going to talk about why quality Trumps quantity and how to evaluate what makes quality visibility strategy. And then I also want to share a bit about my secret sauce for mixing in a variety of visibility and how not everything actually needs to be focused on getting clients like there are other goals that you might have that are just as valuable, and we're going to talk about what those are. So first things first, let's talk about why we tend to think that big numbers are important. There's a lot of reasons, and I've just picked like three of them. The first one is the funnel mentality. Right? What we have been told is that visibility is all about filling the top of your funnel. The more people you get into your ecosystem, the more sales you can make. It's a numbers game. If 1% of your people, of your audience, convert, then you need 10,000 followers, 10,000 people in your email list, whatever it is, in order to get 100 clients right. While that feels true. It does because math is logical and it makes sense at the surface. And also this idea that like social proof, big numbers make you look credible, it can still be misleading, because if your audience isn't aligned, it doesn't matter how big your funnel is, most of those leads will not convert. Bigger numbers often mean less engagement, because you're attracting people who don't genuinely resonate with your message. So this has definitely happened to me. I have built my email list in bundles with lots of people, hundreds of people, going through my funnel, and zero sales like, literally, over 1000 people went through my funnel and had zero sales. So I mean, there's lots of questions about, are your emails bad, or is your offer about? Like, lots of factors here. Do you have a good email funnel? But at the very first point that we can, like, go back and fix this is ensuring that the audience is actually aligned. So that's one part. One of the other reasons that we kind of lean into this big numbers are important is like the email list obsession, right? You have been told that your email list is your most valuable asset. You need 1000s of subscribers in order to make real money, and the bigger your list, the bigger your revenue potential, right? Again, feels very true, because email marketing stats are often about like a two to 5% conversion rate, and so therefore larger lists seem to offer more opportunities for sales. But again, an email list is only as valuable as the quality of its subscribers. Like, how engaged are your people? Do they actually open your emails? Are they clicking on things? What are they doing in there? Low engagement rates and big lists really hurt deliverability. Make your emails less effective and really nurturing a smaller, highly engaged list is far more profitable and sustainable. I will tell you, I just removed almost 500 subscribers a few weeks ago, and my open rate went up over 10% so proof that it's not about the numbers, engagement can increase when there's less people. The other one I wanted to kind of debunk here is this whole like opportunities are everywhere, and that the more you put yourself out there, the more opportunities you'll attract. Right? Quantity, quantity, quantity. Just do more. Just do more. Just do more. Visibility programs often are promising big results if you simply show up in NASS places, right? So you're got that like everywhere. Because on paper, it makes sense, the more places that you're visible, the more people will see you and saying yes to everything can feel proactive and productive like we I think I was talking to somebody recently who was like, I want to pitch myself for three to five podcasts every week. I'm like, Okay, that's a lot. Like, it's a lot to be putting out there. And like, if that's your only measure of productivity and progress in the visibility arena, then that is what we need to shift here, because without a clear strategy, saying yes to every opportunity can actually dilute your messaging and your brand. Many opportunities attract audiences that aren't aligned with your goals, which is a waste of time and energy. So being everywhere doesn't guarantee success guarantees exhaustion, right? So let's talk about why small numbers can make a big impact. Sometimes it's not the big things that create amazing opportunities for you, like I have, if I reflect back on my most recent activities around visibility and what I'm doing to put myself out there big podcast, like top 1% podcast that I've been on, have resulted in far less, like leads and engagement into my world than things like going to in person events. When I attend an in person event, I make connections, and most recently, I was just like, in the audience of an event, not even speaking on it, and I ended up, like, within 24 hours, getting a new one on one client, like a, like, a big contract client that I wasn't even planning for at all, but just kind of came out of that, that that ability to connect, to be in person, to like, break down all those barriers, like the conversations you can have with an individual face to face or directly, even if it's doesn't have to be in real life, but that certainly does help. Sometimes it just moves you through that trust process way faster, right?

So that wasn't about like being on stage in front of 1000 people and making $10,000 it was about meeting one person in a room of 30 like, also, I love that, because it's seems much more doable, right? It's less intimidating. So it's so important that we focus on this depth over breadth, building deeper connections with fewer people. So instead of asking yourself like, how many followers can I get, or ask yourself, How can I create raving fans who trust me enough to invest like, what are the relationships that I need to build with that in mind, right? So if bigger isn't always better, then why do we fall for this mindset? And, more importantly, what happens when it doesn't work, right? There is this huge disconnect between your effort and your results. You sign up for multiple speaking events so say you're like, Yes, I'm going to do a visibility challenge. I'm putting myself out there for like, a month or two months, or whatever your time frame is, like, please make it at least two to three months, because that's how long it takes for like, these things to start, like, growing roots. You're doing summits, you're doing bundles. It sounds exciting. You're imagining all of these new email subscribers pouring. In and turning into potential clients. But the reality turns out, you spent all this time preparing your content, creating your offers, figuring out your email automations and how to like, create special coupon codes for your digital offers, and seriously, it's hours of time. Sometimes you promote the event, you do your emails, you show up on social media, and you might get hundreds of new email subscribers, but then then they turn into crickets, and there's that emotional burnout. This like performative visibility. When you are showing up everywhere, it feels like you're doing visibility right, but without clear results, it's becoming discouraging. The work that you've put in being visible starts to feel like like a performance rather than having purpose, and that can lead to burnout you're constantly creating without seeing ROI. That is a total recipe for fizzling out your motivation. And then there's that misaligned subscribers, right, who don't convert. So you've added 500 new email subscribers from a bundle, yay. But what happens when none of them convert? Like, what's going on many of these subscribers, like, just remember yourself the first time you ever discovered a bundle, and you're like, oh my gosh, there's so many great resources in here. And I'm going to go and, like, subscribe to all of them, and then promptly forget that any of them exist. Lose your password, lose your login, forget who that person is who's showing up in your inbox every day, and you don't even use it right like they they go to the digital graveyard, as they say, and that's not it's not because they don't see value in their services. It's just like overwhelmed by way of of having subscribed to too many things, and they're likely not your ideal client, so they might not even open your future emails. And then these events, the one thing that they're lacking sometimes is relationship building, right? Because summits and bundles, they focus on volume, but they don't foster those deep connections that you need, and without that meaningful interaction or engagement during an event, attendees don't necessarily feel personally connected to you or your message, so you have to work harder to stand out. And this lack of relationship, it makes it harder to nurture subscribers into clients, and they kind of basically joined like in a transactional way, and so there's less opportunity for that transformation. And another reason that it can feel frustrating for many of your visibilities opportunities is that it kind of ends when the event ends. There's no follow up plan. You're kind of left wondering, what's next? How do I turn this into something more? How do I stand out in people's very busy inboxes after an event like this, if you don't have a clear nurture plan and your own audience is in the line, then these leads are just going to fizzle out really quickly, because visibility isn't about the event itself, really. It's about what happens after. So without an intentional plan, that momentum can fade really quickly, so frustrating, right? And it's not just the lack of the results, like, it's not just the oh, I put myself out there and then it and the time, not to mention the time that you actually have to wait, essentially, to evaluate whether somebody is going to move into a buying position, because that customer journey is taking longer, that buyer journey is taking longer and longer, as people are faced with so many options to consider when they're thinking about what to do next, what to invest in next. On their journey, you are left feeling like you're doing everything right, but it's not working, and you're starting to doubt your message and your audience and even yourself, right? It feels like this treadmill you're constantly running. You're not getting anywhere. Okay, so let's talk about how to shift this and how to focus on aligned visibility. We're talking about focusing on quality over quantity. So number one, ask yourself the right questions before committing to something. Who is the audience? That's the number one thing that you need to care about, the audience for the opportunity in your audience must be aligned. How aligned are they with my ideal client, and what outcome do I want for this? So are we talking about an opportunity that's going to put you in front of clients, or is it an opportunity that's going to connect you with partners, or is it something that you can then leverage further as an authority? Authority builder. So your energy and your visibility is not just about like getting in front of a room full of your ideal clients. Hey, I want you to hear that. You also need to mix in visibility strategies that connect you with partners who may then do that. We've talked about collaborations on this podcasts many, many times, because relationship building is huge for trust. When somebody else can introduce you to their audience, you're going to come in in a place of more respect and authority and trust than breaking through the noise in the situation like in a bundle, etc. So choose opportunities that prioritize that connection. Sometimes you might want to make sure you're also including some smaller, intimate events that allow you to connect more with the attendees, opportunities where you can interact doing live Q and A sessions, in person, events, of course, help build trust faster than one way visibility like, you know, the pre recorded events or the just digital product bundles, make sure that you have a clear plan to nurture your subscribers. What's the journey once they join your list and create that email sequence that introduces them to you your story and shares value and builds trust, because visibility doesn't end when people come into your funnel like you still need to stay top of mind with them. It's like a person that you met one time on the street, but now you know you get their phone number, and now you actually have to keep texting them to build a relationship. Maybe you go for coffee, that kind of thing, right? Then I want you to also start redefining those success metrics. We're not just tracking the numbers of subscribers and attendees. We're looking for impact. So these things are also valuable. Did you meet one key person who could lead to a collaboration? Did you get valuable insights that can help refine your messaging? Did you convert one subscriber into a high value client? And now I want to give you a little bit of a framework for evaluating the visibility opportunities so that you have some thoughts before you just say yes, and we're just trying to fill up a calendar of promotional opportunities. So first off, know your audience, right? Who are you trying to reach? What platforms or events are they engaging with? Make sure that you are aligning those things.

And again, is the audience your clients, or is the audience partners or potential sponsors, or who are you trying to reach? You always have multiple audiences for your business. It's not just about the end consumer, the person that you're ultimately selling to to support, but the other ways that you can reach that person. So consider your goals, right? Are you aiming to generate leads or build authority or form partnerships? Anytime I'm doing a strategy, when I build a custom visibility strategy or a launch plan for someone, there's always layers. There's like the end person who we're trying to get to, and then there's like these sub categories of audience that can help us to get there. This is where the partnerships, the collaborations, the events, sponsorships, etc, they all come into the fold. Media, of course, also kind of fits in there, right? So sometimes, like getting on a podcast, might be more about you building a relationship with a podcast host than even their audience. So think about that also. When you're evaluating your visibility opportunities, assess the format and the fit, does this allow you to showcase your strengths? So if you like speaking, or you like writing, or you are introverted or extroverted. These are all parts of it. Like, when you are able to step into your strengths more your energy is going to be at that really aligned vibration where you're really becoming a magnetic client attractor, or just person attractor. Like I know that I am so extroverted that when I go into an event space, like people are drawn to me, like I'm open to having conversations, and I just love it. It's one of my favorite ways to make connections, and I know that that's in huge alignment with my energy and the and my strengths, right? And also speaking. That's why I'm here doing this podcast episode 101 oh my gosh. Can't believe it, right? Like, it's about finding things that feel like a fit. And I don't want to say that in terms of giving you an excuse of, like, well, I'm introverted and I don't like speaking. I don't like doing this. Well, sometimes. You have to get a little bit uncomfortable, but ultimately, like knowing that how to align and maximize and leverage your skill set and your strengths as well. And then the last piece around evaluating the opportunities is leveraging your existing relationships. So how can collaborations or introductions help you to land opportunities that are already vetted and aligned. So who do you know? Then trust and know is a name that you want to be associated with and all of that kind of stuff. So here's the mindset shift for you to leave this episode with, visibility isn't actually about being everywhere. It's about being in the right places. And it's not about the size of your audience, but the depth of your relationships. So intentional visibility will lead to that long term success, while the scattered efforts that maybe you're doing right now are creating unnecessary frustration. So next time you're considering a visibility opportunity, remember that it's not about being everywhere, getting in front of everyone. It's about showing up in the right places, connecting with the right people, and focusing on what aligns with your goals. So I'd love for you to take a moment this week to evaluate your visibility strategy. Ask yourself if you have one, and ask yourself if you're chasing numbers or chasing impact, and what is one step that you can take to make your visibility efforts more intentional right now? And if you're feeling overwhelmed trying to figure this out on your own. That is exactly why I have created the brand visibility accelerator and how it can help you. It's not just another program with a list of opportunities for you to chase or forms for you to fill out. It is a personalized system to help you evaluate what is truly aligned create the clear strategy. In fact, I will make it for you, because I will see the things that you do not see, in terms of the opportunities for you to reach more of the right people who are going to get you in front of the right people. And that helps you to focus on the visibility that's going to bring you real results and not just numbers. So you're going to learn how to mix in a variety of approaches, build that visibility habit and grow sustainability without relying on social media, of course, with doing activities that actually align with your strengths, your goals and your desired outcomes for Your business. So brand visibility accelerator is a live program. We have regular group calls so you're never left figuring things out on your own. And if you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start showing up with purpose, I would love to help you make it happen. Our Founding Member cohort is kicking off in January, and the special pricing will disappear soon, so make sure that you check it out, along with my other Black Friday week deals that are related to visibility, of course, because that is what I am all about. You can find those over at ks co.ca forward slash Black Friday. So ksco.ca forward slash Black Friday. And those deals are running from November 25 until the end of Day on December the first, which is Cyber Monday. So I'm giving you all week to go through, scope them out, reach out. Ask any questions about what might serve you best, depending on where you are, what kind of business you have all of that, I'm definitely in my inbox on Instagram, if you want to send me a DM and ask me any questions about that. So remember, visibility is about impact, not overwhelm you. Just you have everything you need. You really do. You just need to start showing up intentionally, and I am here to help you with that, so I will see you back here next week for another episode of entrepreneur school. Bye for now.

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