Just catching up on my comments – now that I’ve cleaned up my inbox

You asked:

I guess the question that I’ve had come up from small biz clients, Margie, is this:

“So, I’ve published, I’ve been quoted, but I’ve not been able to prove an increase in sales to any of it.”

I had a successful small biz owner turn me down for helping her guest post and publish with almost exactly that sentiment. And in response I can honestly say that I have received new business inquiries from such efforts, but most of the time I have not. Do I do it only for the direct sale, no. Do I expect such efforts to help me succeed (which does equal new revenue and sales, for sure!), yes I do.

As Don noted — it is a lot of research and work. The question is how to make it lead to sales or enough of a brand impact that you see more web traffic or community participation or new subscribers. How do you prove or demonstrate these sorts of things for clients now?

My answer:

Publicity and P.R. can lead to short-term and long-term sales. For instance, a guest post that I write for Small Business Trends or being quoted as a P.R. expert in the media can lead to someone going to my Website and purchasing a DIY PR product – an immediate sale.

In the long-term, someone might read about me, and decide to sign up for my newsletter, or follow me on Twitter. Eventually that person might buy something from me.

Finally, the credibility gained from exposure on reputable blogs and Websites, as well as the media, can be useful in many ways, and can ultimately lead to sales, writing and speaking gigs.

Does that answer your question?