Contributed Collaborative Post
Starting a business is exciting, stressful, and a little bit like jumping into a pool you’re hoping is full of water. Sure, there’s the fun aspects that everyone wants like that thrill of getting a boost in your followers daily, launch parties, and those first few orders, but it can sometimes take a while to just even get there.
Well, the truth is, being the new business owner on the block is a bit like showing up to a party late and hoping someone notices. You know what you’re capable of. You know your stuff. But from the outside? You’re still that brand people scroll past without a second thought.
If you want people to take you seriously, you’ve got to look like you belong. Bluntly put it; you need authority, and no, not the puffed-up kind that comes from buzzwords and boring bios, but the kind that makes people think, “This person knows what they’re doing.” And no, you don’t need decades of experience or a blue checkmark to make it happen.
Just Look Legit from the Start
Should be obvious enough, right? Well, people judge your entire business in about three seconds. So, that means if your logo looks like clip art, your Instagram feed is all over the place, and your contact page still says “coming soon,” you’ve already lost them.
But this doesn’t mean you need to spend thousands on branding. But everything you put out into the world needs to look like you meant it. Overall, a bit of consistency goes a long way. Even if you’re still figuring it all out behind the scenes, the outside needs to feel steady and intentional. That’s what builds trust.
Borrow Some Street Cred
Well, here’s a little secret: most of the business owners who look wildly successful online didn’t get there by chance. Nope, this has nothing to do with luck either (even if it seems like it). Actually, they got featured. They got linked to. They showed up in places that already had trust and borrowed some of that glow. Now, sure, you can technically pitch, such as HARO, or even reach out to podcasts, or even write a whole bunch of pieces yourself to get into trade journals.
Technically, those do work, but it’s a lot of work, and there’s no real guarantee you’ll even get accepted/ not ignored, right? Yeah, there’s always that risk, but you can go for outsourced digital PR instead. Honestly, it’s a smart way to get high-quality backlinks and have your name show up in places that make you look like a total pro (seriously, you save so much time and your dignity by going this route).
Ditch the Corporate Voice
There’s something about starting a business that makes people suddenly talk like a walking brochure. If your site or socials sound like they were written by a committee of beige-flavoured business consultants, it’s time to hit delete. People just can’t connect like that, really.
Own Your Corner of the Market
You know what screams “I’m new and unsure”? Well, trying to do everything for everyone. Don’t do that. Instead, you need to pick your lane. But better yet, pick a specific stretch of road and build your brand there first.
This is a contributed collaborative post
