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Insights and Expertise

ated with expertise in specific areas. Their brands appear real problems, confidence increases. The same principle
across multiple credible sources rather than only on com- applies when AI systems evaluate information. The more
pany-owned channels. Over time, this creates something credible signals that exist across independent sources, the
every organization wants: trust and visibility. easier it becomes for both buyers and technology plat-
forms to understand who you are and what you do.
When buyers see consistent evidence that a company is
active, growing, contributing to the industry and solving Practical steps for payments companies
The good news is that improving visibility does not re-
quire a massive marketing budget. It starts with being in-
How visible is your company? tentional.

Take an honest look at your current digital presence.
Many organizations assume they're easy to find online Search for your company name, key executives, products,
simply because they have a website. Today's buyers—and and services. What appears beyond your website? Next,
increasingly AI-powered search tools—evaluate a much identify stories that deserve attention. Many organizations
broader collection of information when forming first have more newsworthy developments than they realize.
impressions. Taking time to assess your company's digital
presence can help identify opportunities to strengthen Ask yourself:
credibility before the first sales conversation ever occurs.
Consider asking these questions: • What partnerships have we formed?
• What products have we launched or improved?
• Can prospects easily learn who you are? Search
for your company name and key executives us- • What expertise can our leadership team share?
ing Google and one or two AI tools. Beyond your • What milestones have we achieved?
website, what information appears? Are there
news stories, articles, interviews or industry pro- • What customer challenges have we helped solve?
files that help explain your business?
These are often the stories that help establish authority
• Do you appear active? Companies that regularly and credibility in the marketplace.
announce partnerships, product enhancements,
awards, certifications, acquisitions or executive Most importantly, think beyond one-time announcements.
appointments often appear more established Visibility works best when it is consistent. A single article
than organizations whose online presence has or press release may generate attention for a few days. A
remained unchanged for years. steady stream of announcements, insights, and thought
leadership creates momentum that builds over time. The
• Are your executives visible? Thought leader- organizations that stay visible are often the organizations
ship increasingly influences buying decisions. that stay top of mind.
Articles, speaking engagements, podcast appear-
ances, webinars and interviews help establish Visibility creates opportunity
expertise while giving prospects confidence in The payments industry continues to evolve rapidly, and
the people behind the organization. so does the way buyers evaluate potential partners and

• Do independent sources mention your com- providers. Long before a prospect schedules a meeting,
pany? Buyers generally place greater trust in in- they’re gathering information, forming opinions and de-
dustry publications, customer testimonials and ciding who deserves a closer look. Companies that invest
third-party coverage than information found in visibility, thought leadership and third-party credibil-
only on a company's own website. ity put themselves in a stronger position to earn that con-
sideration.
• Is your online information current? Outdated
executive biographies, discontinued products, Being known doesn’t guarantee a sale. But in today’s envi-
broken links or obsolete announcements can cre- ronment, it often determines whether you get the oppor-
ate unnecessary uncertainty for prospective cus- tunity to compete in the first place.
tomers.
• What would an AI assistant say? Increasingly, Melih ("may-lee") Oztalay is the founder and CEO of SmartFinds
buyers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplex- Marketing, a B2B marketing firm originally incorporated in 1987 and
ity to summarize companies or compare provid- operating in digital strategy since 1994. He works with CEOs and mar-
ers. While organizations cannot directly control keting leaders to help technology, manufacturing, logistics, and profes-
those responses, they can influence them by con- sional services companies strengthen market visibility, build authority,
sistently publishing accurate, credible informa- and generate qualified demand. Melih is a published industry author,
tion across multiple trusted sources. podcast guest, and speaker on marketing, buyer behavior, and the grow-
ing impact of artificial intelligence on business growth.

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