Your first six weeks: a starter plan
Getting known isn't one big push - it's small, steady steps. Here's a six-week starter plan that begins with what you already have and builds a habit you can keep. One task a week. No slop, no shortcuts.
The six weeks
Week 1 - take stock and get consistent. Don't chase new reach yet. List what you already have - followers, a mailing list, old sites - and make it all say the same thing: see How do I make the most of the audience I already have? and Why should I keep my name and description the same everywhere?.
Week 2 - find your voice. Set up an easy way to write that still sounds like you, so nothing you post reads as robot filler: How do I use AI to write without sounding like a robot?.
Week 3 - publish one real thing on your site. A short post answering a question your customers actually ask - for ideas, What should I actually write about?. Ask your AI to draft it, rewrite it in your voice, and publish it - it lands as a draft you approve. See Write a blog post from my notes.
Week 4 - show up on one channel. Pick the single channel where your customers already are and post once - What should I post, and where? helps you choose. Then go deep on it: How do I get good on LinkedIn?, How do I get more from Instagram?, How do I take part in forums and communities without spamming? or How do I get more from my mailing list, or start one?. One is plenty; better one place done well than five badly.
Week 5 - earn a little authority. Do one thing that isn't about you - help someone, answer a question, or write a genuinely useful guide: How do I build the authority that makes AI trust me? and How do I write the guides that make me the go-to expert?.
Week 6 - look back, then keep going. See what got a response (How do I tell if any of this is working?) and do more of it. Then settle into a rhythm you can hold - How do I make a content calendar I'll actually keep? and How do I turn one idea into a week of content?. And once you've earned it, you can make the ask: How do I actually sell, without being pushy?.
The rules that make it work
Little and often beats a burst. A short post every week for a year will do far more than a frantic fortnight followed by silence.
Understand why you're doing it - the whole logic is in How does AI decide who to recommend - and how do I become that person?, and the standard you're building towards is What is E-E-A-T, and does my site have it?. And keep it honest: you're being useful, not selling. The selling comes later, once you've earned it.
The prompt
“You're my marketing coach. I'm a [what you do] in [town]. Here's what I already have: [list your website, social accounts and rough follower numbers, any mailing list, any other sites]. Build me a realistic six-week plan to get better known - one small task a week I can actually keep, using what I've already got first. Tell me what to do in week one.”
Press Copy, then paste it into your AI and fill in the [bracketed] parts. First time? Connect your AI to bernard first - a one-time setup in bernard → your site → Use your own AI.
Questions people ask
- How long until this works?
- Longer than you'd like - think months, not days. Getting known is a habit, not a switch. This plan is built to be sustainable rather than heroic: one small step a week that you can keep up long after week six.
- Do I have to do all of it myself?
- The off-site posting is yours - bernard can't post to LinkedIn or a forum for you, and won't pretend to. But bernard does the on-site half: drafting and publishing the pieces that live on your website, each landing as a draft you approve before it goes live. You bring the voice and the consistency; bernard does the donkey work on your site.