7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.

com

“7 Secrets to Instant Stardom

In Your Niche!”

By Cindy Earl
ClaimYourSpotlight.com

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

WARNING: This eBook is for your personal use only. You may
NOT Give Away, Share Or Resell This Intellectual Property In Any
Way.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2012 Cynthia Earl, LLC. All rights are reserved. You may not
distribute this manual in any way. You may not sell it, or reprint any part of it
without written consent from the author, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review.

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche!

When I started in the marketing consulting business over 10 years ago, nobody
knew me. I mean it. Nobody!!! I came from a completely different industry
(college and university administration) and I knew nothing about starting a
business or how to get the word out.

I want from nowhere 10 years ago to today being a sought-after speaker, coach,
trainer and go-to-person in my niche, while still spending time with my kids every
day after school and vacationing every summer at the beach or the lake while my
business runs itself5and I obtain the majority of my clients and customers online
without having to leave my house.

I’m not sharing this to impress you, but to let you know YOU can do it to. I
reached celebrity status in my niche in a short amount of time by learning and
implementing a few spotlight grabbing techniques and you can do it too!

These techniques work in ANY business or industry, but you must put them into
action. So, get ready to tap into your inner celebrity and walk the red carpet to
business success5

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

1. Discover Your Unique Brilliance and Leverage it to Make Money!

I have always believed that every person is born with a unique brilliance. A God-
given gift that is unique to only you. Some people (like actress Meryl Streep or
musician Sheryl Crow, for example) know it at an early age and for others it takes
a lifetime to discover. It really is one’s life quest – to find your unique brilliance
and share it with the world.

If you haven’t yet discovered your unique brilliance, don’t worry. It is deep within
you, you only need to find the best way to tap into it. I also call it your “Inner
Celebrity” because I believe we can all be a star in our own right. Discovering this
essence is the really the first key to a successful, happy, fulfilled business and
life.

Each one of us is unique. Look at yourself and identify how you differ from
others. What special about you and your products or services that make you
stand out from the crowd? Then come up with fresh, innovative ways to tell the
world about you.

Over the years, I’ve tried many ways to discover this brilliance within myself. I’ve
read tons of self-help books, attended countless seminars, and literally have
spent thousands of dollars on my quest. Maybe you can relate? As a result of all
my years of study, I’ve discovered several of the best ways to help you tap into
and uncover your “Inner Celebrity.” I’d like to share one technique with you here,
called mind-mapping.

I love mind-mapping! It’s the best way to organize ideas. You can do this
exercise on paper by drawing a circle in the middle of a piece of paper and

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

labeling in the center of the circle “What I Know.” Each thought you have on this
topic is written as a “spoke” that comes from the center circle, like this:

You can also use mind-mapping software called Mindjet – which allows you to do
this exercise neatly on your computer. I have used both methods and both work
the same way, but Mindjet has a fee.

Once you have your center circle, begin to think about everything you know. And
I mean EVERYTHING! Don’t censor yourself, just do a complete brain dump of
everything that comes to mind.

Once you have everything dumped, and written down on paper, take a look at
your list and choose the top two or three that you are most passionate about.
Take those ideas and break them down even further by creating separate mind
maps for each. You will now have three mind maps – each of these could be a
business!

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

2. Create a Buzz-Worthy, Client-Attractive & “Sticky” Blogsite

Having a pretty website just isn’t enough anymore. Attention spans are shorter
than ever you have only a few quick seconds to grab your prospect’s attention
and get them to engage with you. After all, the purpose of your website is to start
a conversation with your prospects – it’s not a sales tool or a brochure for your
business. We often hear this referred to as “stickiness.” How “sticky” is your
website? Here are 3 quick tips5

• Add an opt-in box – I cannot tell you how sad it makes me to see a
fabulous looking website with no ability for prospects to opt-in. The opt-in
box is a simple way for you to collect the names of visitors to your site. A
robust email list of prospects is one of the most valuable marketing tools in
your business. As I mentioned earlier, a website is nothing more than a
conversation starter. But if you don’t have a way of capturing who is
visiting your site, then you have no way to continue the conversation with
a potential new client. I’d be willing to bet you are loosing a lot of business
this way. How do you get people to give you their web address willingly?
Good question5that leads into my next tip.

• Add an irresistible free offer “ethical bribe” - In order to get folks to

give you their email address, you must provide something of high-
perceived value in return. What I mean by that is you must have an offer
(usually a free offer) so compelling that your prospects are jumping out of
their chairs to give you their email address. Best of all, it doesn’t have to
cost you anything. Some examples of irresistible offers include: a free
audio download of an interview with you, a special report, a research or
white paper on a topic related to your industry or a free CD that ships right
to their door (this may cost you a few dollars, but I’ve heard the results are
incredible).

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• Add Video - For all you camera shy people out there (including myself,
until recently!) it’s time to step away from behind your computer and get
on video. My good friend Lou Bortone, the Online Video Guy, says that
video converts website visitors better than any other technique. Any more,
people EXPECT to see video on your website and it makes your website
extra “sticky” because they stay on your site longer than if you only had
text. I just put up my first video on my home page last week, and I can see
the benefits already. Video is here to stay, so it’s time to embrace it and
use it as a powerful promotional tool for your business. After all, you are
your brand.

3. Grow Your List to Boost Traffic

Your business is nothing without a client/prospect email list so you can keep in
touch with them over time to share your celebrity expertise and showcase your
products and services.

As mentioned earlier, the most important part of building your list is to collect
sign-ups for your free offer with a simple opt-in form on your website or blog
(please visit my website for an example). Make it easy for your prospects to get
on your list. Most email marketing services offer an opt-in script (HTML code)
that you can easily add to your website or blog.

There are many other ways to grow your list. Here are my top three suggestions:

• JV and Affiliate Partners: When you are promoting a specific event or

product launch, one of the best ways to build your list is to utilize your
connections and develop partnerships with others who share the same
target market. You can then tap into their lists, as they recommend your
product or service to their email subscribers. Of course, this works best if
your partners have large email lists, but don’t discount those with smaller

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lists. It’s more about the quality of the subscribers than the size of the list
(i.e. do they fit your target market profile?).

• Host a Tele-Summit: A tele-summit is a virtual event that showcases

several speakers in one big teleconference. This can be done during one
day or spread out over several days. Your tele-summit can be free or paid,
but should be a low-barrier to enter. You can record the sessions and then
sell them as a separate product later. It helps to get your speakers to send
the announcement out to their lists to promote the event. You can
increase your email subscribers significantly using this method, especially
if your speakers have big lists already. For an example, check out
www.socialmediaexaminer.com who host regular summits such as the
Facebook marketing summit, blog summit, etc.

• Social Media: You probably already know the power of social media to
grow your following and your list. You can add an opt-in form for your
email list directly into your Facebook page or provide links back to your
website or blog with each post (using a link tracker like Bit.ly to track your
success). We’ll talk about this in the next tip5

4. Become a Social Media Celebrity

A couple of statistics are keys to understanding why online social media

marketing is critical for your business:

• 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations

• Only 14% trust ads

• There are over 1 billion users on Facebook and Twitter – you can be
pretty sure YOUR ideal clients are there!

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Social media is the new “word of mouth” marketing. If you establish yourself in
the right social media and you have a strategy for generating positive reviews
and ratings, you can dominate your market.

Your presence in social media, like your own Facebook business page,
establishes your business as a social authority. It engages your prospects and
customers on their “turf,” instead of having to drive them to your website to
establish a relationship. You can communicate with them regularly and offer
deals and specials as part of your ongoing conversation. It personalizes your
business and makes it more likeable and trustworthy over time. We all do
business with those we know, like and trust.

Social media marketing, if done correctly, drives more traffic to your website or
blog. You need to go out and engage with your prospects and customers on their
turf. Not only is it important to be present in the key locations online, you also
have to monitor your reputation in the ratings, comments and reviews you
receive from clients and customers.

The first step for most businesses is to get out there and get found and that
begins with getting listed in the major search engines, online directories and
populating social network profiles. It’s not just about search rankings anymore;
it’s about results (your bottom line), your reputation, and your relationships.

If you are just getting started in the social media jungle, you’ll want to grab a copy
of my Social Media Marketing Home Study System and check out sites like
SocialMediaExaminer.com and Mashable.com for the latest industry info, tips
and strategies for online and social media marketing and set up accounts on the
big four: Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Linked In. With over to 1 billion users
on these sites combined, chances are you will find your target audience. Engage

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

them in relevant conversations and establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Client attraction is sure to follow!

5. Create and Launch Your Own Celebrity Info Products

After your free offer, there are many types of information products and services
you can add to your marketing funnel. The great thing about creating information
products is that you create the product once and sell it over and over again.
Information products leverage your time and bring in residual and passive
income so you don’t just have to rely on the one-to-one client service model.
Here are some specific examples:

• Books: Remember all those articles you wrote? Combine a few of your
articles and you have an instant book or e-book. Books are the ultimate
credibility builders. Today, you can self-publish books very inexpensively
and on demand.

• E-Books: Turn your book content easily and quickly into an e-book and
market it either before or after you publish a printed book. E-books are
simply a downloadable PDF file of your book.

• Audio Books: You or someone else can be recorded reading your book
aloud. Then sell the recording as an audio product that can be
downloaded and listened to at any time.

• Workbooks: A stand alone product to serve as training tools or to

accompany a book. It is a great way to repurpose your internal forms and
documents into a useful workbook.

• CDs or DVDs: Can be used either as products you sell, as marketing

tools, or both. The content can also be delivered in electronic format with
MP3 and Flash files.

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

• Audio Programs: An audio series is more than one CD, and usually
packaged together or delivered as MP3 files.

• Home Study Programs: Developed as “a complete system in-a-box.”

These usually include multiple media formats (book, workbook, CD and
DVD). Because they are marketed as a system, they sell for more than a
book or individual product.

• Tele-seminars: Provide training and classes conducted with groups via

telephone bridge lines.

• Webinars: Seminars conducted with groups via the internet, providing a

mix of video, audio, and email communication. New technology has made
it easy for anyone to produce their own webinar. Check out services like
Go To Meeting and WebEx, which charge monthly for the use of their
online meeting services.

• Coaching Programs: Single or multi-session programs delivered on an

individual or group basis.

• Licensing: A very lucrative way for you to sell your expertise is to grant
the right for your content, services, or products to be used by others. This
can be under your name or their name, while you maintain legal
ownership and a high-degree of control over the content.

• Certification Programs: Facilitation and certification programs train

others to sell your process or system to many other practitioners. I know
some programs that charge $5,000 - $10,000 or more for individual
certifications.

• Membership Web Site Programs and Continuity Programs: A great

way to create residual and recurring income is to target a lucrative niche of
people with a common interest. Sell a subscription membership program

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to them that provides exclusive access to a Web site where they can get
high-perceived value information about their passion.

6. Leverage the Media with Power PR

Learning to leverage the media with public relations (PR) is the celebrity secret to
getting noticed. One of the most effective yet highly underutilized PR tactics is
online press releases. Online PR is extremely powerful for increasing SEO and
web traffic. Most marketers are missing easy publicity opportunities that can
improve their site's search engine rankings significantly while increasing media
exposure and credibility.

For example, one of my clients sent out her first online press release to increase
the number of sign-ups for a free webinar she was presenting. Within just a few
days of distributing the press release through PRWeb.com, her registrations
increased by nearly 50%, and the press release received over 6,200 reads (or
hits) online via Google, Yahoo and other search and news websites. No other
traffic building technique can produce the same highly targeted traffic so quickly
for pennies per click.

Online press releases are an easy-to-implement tactic you’ll want to consider

adding to your marketing strategy for several key reasons:

• Online press releases increase SEO traffic to your website quickly (usually
within 24-48 hours).
• Online PR is a credibility booster – increases the “know, like and trust
factor.”
• Online press releases are a low-cost, underestimated marketing tactic that
few small business owners utilize.
• Online PR can often convert better than paid search (SEO).*

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

• Online press releases are permanently indexed by search engines and

deliver web traffic indefinitely for months and even years.

So, what’s the difference between online PR and offline PR? Basically,
online PR involves activities geared toward reaching media, online communities,
and audiences that exist only on the Internet. This includes online press release
submission, SEO, blogs, video, social networks and other online channels. The
most accessible, affordable and user friendly tactic for small business owners to
implement is online press releases.

When a business has news, online press releases are the fastest and easiest
way for the media to find them. Tools include online press release submission
sites like PRWeb.com and PRNewswire.com. These sites take your press
release and place your news directly on leading sites like Yahoo! News, Google
News, Ask.com and other sites. These reach hundreds of thousands of news
subscribers and media publications, including bloggers, journalists and
consumers. Online press releases increase traffic to your website almost
instantly and increase your search engine rankings. For small business owners,
PRWeb.com is by far the most feature rich yet affordable service.

The most important online PR resource is a well-written targeted press release.

To optimize your press release for online distribution you must use keywords for
your business and sprinkle them throughout the body of the press release. Then
when someone does a search on your business or topic, your press release
shows up prominently in the search engines. Keywords should be used in the
headline, subtitle and body of the release. Developing relationships with online
publication editors and bloggers is also very useful.

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

If you’re not a writer, you can easily outsource press release writing to a
freelance writer or PR agency. Many sites have press release distribution
services (some may require a wait time of 24 to 48 hours), while most have a fee,
some offer various free options as well.

Another useful tool is an online press kit. You can simply add a page to your
website entitled “Press Kit” or “Media Resources.” The page should include a
personal bio, company bio, any recent press releases written, article placements,
and a professional photo of key business personnel. In addition to adding a page
to your website, you can also host your press kit with online press page services.
Journalists and bloggers frequently visit these sites for story ideas and
interviews.

7. See and Be Seen – Network Like a Celebrity

Connecting with others face-to-face through business group and community

involvement is still so important to building your credibility and visibility as a
celebrity entrepreneur. Networking is all about sharing your network and contacts
with others in ways that we focus on what we “give” to each other instead of what
we “get” from each other. We all have wants and needs. To create long-lasting
relationships, be a “giver” of leads, contacts, business and support to each
person you interact with. Make sure you have a purpose and goal for each event
you attend.

If you are shy or uncomfortable with the thought of networking (let’s face it – who
isn’t?), try playing a little game with yourself. Make it your goal to meet five new
people at the event (or whatever number you decide). Once you are done
meeting five people, then you can just relax and enjoy the event. This is exactly
how I started networking in the beginning of my business. It takes the pressure
off and gives you a plan for success. Now I am comfortable in just about any
networking situation.

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

By the way, networking was the single most valuable marketing tactic that
brought me the most referrals and clients when my business first started. So,
even though we’re talking about building your business online, don’t discount the
importance of meeting people face-to-face. It’s crucial to building your “know, like
and trust factor.”

When you’re meeting people face-to-face, whether it’s at a networking event or

meeting someone at the supermarket, you need to be able to communicate a
clear and focused introduction of yourself without sounding boring or bland.
People do not want to hear a long, in-depth story about your business or
objectives. Think of your introduction just like one of those million dollar Super
Bowl TV spots. You only have a minute or two to get your message across.
Here is how you introduce yourself in 60 seconds. People want to know:

Who you are

Who you serve (your target market)

What you offer others (how do you solve their problems)

What is the #1 direct benefit of working with you

Here are a few examples:

Yoga teacher: “Hello, my name is ____________________ and I teach women
how to practice yoga to improve their health, gain emotional well-being, and
create the bodies they want.”

Accountant: “Hello, my name is ____________________ and I help small

businesses manage their accounting and taxes so they can be free to work on
doing what they do best.”

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

Business coach: “Hello, my name is ____________________ and I help

wellness providers fill their practices with their ideal clients so they can live out
their mission of helping others.”

Notice that your title and the name of your business aren’t always necessary.
The purpose of your introduction is to get others to ask you more questions.
Don’t give away too much information upfront. Allow the other person an
opportunity to ask questions. Make it short and simple. A four-year-old should be
able to understand what you’re saying.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my “7 FREE or Low-Cost Strategies to Become an

Instant Celebrity in Your Niche and Walk the Red Carpet to Business Success!” I
hope you got a lot of value out of it!

If you’d like to get some 1-1 help from me, I invite you to take advantage of a 30-
minute FREE Spotlight Strategy Session. During our call, I will take 30 minutes
to give you my best marketing tips and advice to help you determine and achieve
your business and marketing goals. We’ll evaluate

To claim your free Spotlight Strategy Session, simply fill out the contact form on
the website at www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com or email
info@claimyourspotlight.com. We will be in touch ASAP with a convenient time to
meet by phone!

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

About Cindy
Cindy Earl is the founder of ClaimYourSpotlight.com
and Red Carpet Women events. She helps women
entrepreneurs become instant celebrities in their niche
and teaches her Claim Your Spotlight Strategy – a
marketing/publicity system that makes sure their business
is all over the internet and booked solid with clients.

Cindy’s unique gift is inspiring women to do big things in the world by helping
them tap into their own “Inner Celebrity” (or unique brilliance). She believes we
are all stars in our own right and that discovering this essence is the first key to a
successful, happy, fulfilled business and life.

As The Business Spotlight Strategist, Cindy raises the visibility and credibility
level for her clients in half the time they could on their own. She helps her clients
stand out, get noticed, get unstuck and move forward in a way that’s simple, fun
and totally authentic. Through coaching, training and consulting with women
entrepreneurs, her company helps broaden their reach to targeted audiences,
creating a following of loyal, raving fans, clients and customers.

With products like her signature 6-Step Social Media Marketing Home Study
System, entrepreneurs can eliminate the fear and overwhelm of marketing online
and simplify social media. The manual is a step-by-step system to mastering
social media to achieve maximum visibility, build powerful relationships and
achieve profitable results in just 20 minutes a day!

Cindy has worked with some major business superstars like Kendall
Summerhawk, Suzanne Evans, Mari Smith, Sandra Yancey, and Michael Port.
She has been featured on media outlets such as Fox Small Business, Cox Blue
Business, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, ABC TV-WEWS Channel 5, COSE

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7 Secrets to Instant Stardom in Your Niche! www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com

Update Magazine, and many more. Cindy lives in northeast Ohio near Lake Erie
with her husband and two small children.

You can learn more about Cindy and her courses, programs and products at her
website, www.ClaimYourSpotlight.com.

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