The Visibility Blueprint: A New Approach for Small Businesses
Empowering Small and Micro-Business Owners to Navigate an Ever-Changing Marketing Landscape
Are you wondering how to make your business known to people when the digital landscape keeps changing, and the old ways don’t work like they used to?
What Modern Visibility Really Looks Like
In 2025, true visibility isn't about chasing likes or appearing on every platform. It's about strategically being seen by the right people at the right time. Think of it as purposeful visibility.
That means:
It’s not about shouting louder or posting without a plan.
It is about the unglamorous stuff like appearing in local searches when someone needs you, or forming worthwhile partnerships with businesses that share your audience.
Your visibility journey should focus on building trust both online and offline, without the feeling that you need to be everywhere all at once.
The aim isn’t to just increase your reach. It's about making sure your marketing reaches and connects with the people who will truly value and benefit from what you offer.
Take one of my clients as an example. A small architecture firm was struggling to find younger clients. I helped them start a newsletter and refreshed their online presence. Over 15 months, they saw £80k in new business, just from newsletter subscribers. That's the power of getting visibility right.
The Focus Framework: A 3-Part System
With 18 years of helping small businesses reach their potential, I’ve crafted a straightforward 3-part system, which I call the Focus Framework:
1. Clarity
Understand what's really working for you – and what’s not. Maybe your social media likes aren’t leading to enquiries. Or perhaps word-of-mouth is pulling its weight more than you thought it was. Being honest about your current visibility is the first step.
2. Strategy
With clarity in hand, we build a tailored plan. There's no one-size-fits-all solution here. Take, for instance, another client – a bathroom designer – who saw a 3,900% ROI through a targeted Facebook campaign. For them, it wasn’t about being everywhere but nailing focus in the right area – and it saved their business. Pay-per-click advertising isn’t for everyone, but it was right for them at that time.
3. Implementation
Now for the action! Whether you dive in yourself or bring in some helping hands, what's important is following through consistently. It’s all about doing it (not just talking about it) and sticking to the plan.
The Investment Reality
Mindset is a word that gets bandied about frequently in small business circles, but there’s no getting away from the fact that intentional marketing requires a budget. As I mentioned in the first article, the free marketing ride for SMEs is over.
Switching from free social media to intentional marketing can be daunting. But if we treat your visibility as a business asset – something that needs nurturing – it pays off. Remember, it doesn’t have to break the bank – it just needs to make sense for your business.
Real Results, Not Theory
The Visibility Blueprint isn't just talk or information. It’s built on real experiences – like the architect's story and more. For example, another business built a strong mailing list with a simple free giveaway, gaining 700 leads in 5 years with no ad spend.
What Success Looks Like
Imagine waking up and knowing exactly where you’ll focus your energy. Soon, you’ll ditch the midnight posting stress for a plan that feels natural and aligned with your business values.
That’s the essence of the Visibility Blueprint: safe, sustainable and strategic steps forward.
What's Coming in This Newsletter
You won't want to miss my future content! I’ll go deeper into the Visibility Blueprint with practical steps like mastering Google Business listings, website fundamentals and even exploring offline marketing.
Speaking of which, I’ll sprinkle in insights from my latest book, '20 Ways to Stand Out Using Print'.
There will also be small businesses success stories from real companies I work with, who are using the Visibility Blueprint to grow.
Your thoughts and experiences are gold to me – reply in Substack or chat on social media – you’ll find me on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon.
Whether you’re saying goodbye to dead-end clicks or ready to refine your marketing, I’ll be thrilled to have you along. Let’s go and create some Epic Shit!