Get Slightly Famous

Get Slightly Famous Online Thought Leadership featured in Investor's Business Daily

I was recently quoted in an article by Investor's Business Daily (along with networking guru Ivan Misner). I commented about strategies for online visibility, particularly the strategies I've long advocated about online thought leadership -- a short excerpt from the article follows:

Networking Will Go Where No One's Business Card's Ever Gone Before BY MOREY STETTNER 12/29/2006

One time-honored business practice that will really morph in 2007 is networking....

"Another tactic to bolster connections is through reverse networking. Instead of contacting others to pitch yourself, let them come to you and judge for themselves whether they want to contact you.

An emerging strategy to bring others to you involves "demonstrating your credibility and expertise online," said Steven Van Yoder, author of "Get Slightly Famous."

He foresees more networkers employing this three-step process in the years ahead:

• Identify Web sites that serve your target audience. If you want to network with insurance brokers, for example, get familiar with Web sites for agents' professional associations and trade groups.

• Write informative articles and get them posted on those Web sites. Your articles, which should be no longer than 750 words, must provide valuable content. Avoid a promotional tone. You don't want those articles to "read like advertisements," Van Yoder said.

• Dangle an incentive for readers to contact you. In your bio at the end of the article, offer something of value that people can receive free if they get in touch with you. For instance, provide a link to your Web site so that readers can download a free booklet or resource guide.

"Entice people to drop into your world where you offer them a solution," said Van Yoder, owner of Get the Word Out Communications, an online marketing firm in San Francisco."

Online Thought Leadership as Career Necessity

Gerry McGovern just published an excellent article in his New Thinking ezine. He makes a powerful case for the role--or, more accurately, the necessity--of personal branding via online publishing and thought leadership as a marketing and life strategy. It goes to the core of the Get Slightly Famous marketing strategy, and is very reminiscent of the classic Fast Company article by Tom Peters, The Brand Called You:

It's time for me -- and you -- to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that's true for anyone who's interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work.

Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.

As the online world become ever more entrenced in our lives, the role of the Internet in shaping everything from first impressions, career advancement, your overall reputation, and the role that thought leadership will play in anyone's life who wants a thriving career, can't be overstated. Or, as Tom Peters says:

It's that simple -- and that hard. And that inescapable.

GET PUBLISHED TO GET AHEAD
By Gerry McGovern

It's time for me -- and you -- to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that's true for anyone who's interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work.

The ambitious today are all on the Web. Writing words, posting pictures, uploading video. It's all about visibility. It's all about being there, being seen in all the right places.

There is no better place to be seen than being the first result in Google when someone searches for you. Increasingly, that's what organizations are doing before they interview a candidate for a job. They will Google them and see what they get. If they don't find anything, that says something. If they find a lot of positive results, well it says that this candidate is active, they're out there doing things, self-motivated.

On the Web: Fresh, Relevant Content is King

Don’t let your web site languish in obscurity. Search engines prefer Web sites that are well-maintained and have original content that is frequently updated. Moreover, your prospects will appreciate easy to find content that helps them determine that you are qualified to solve their problems.

Web site content related to sales may include:

1. Articles about your product, service or marketplace.

2. Case studies that feature customers.

3. Q&A, FAQ and troubleshooting information that can really help your potential customers.

Strive to produce a few hundred words of new content at least twice a week to ensure that your Web site is Google- friendly. Here’s a tip: every time you answer a business question on the phone or during a customer visit, ask yourself if that can be transformed into useful content on your site. This will help your potential customers determine that they should call you for a sales presentation or quote.

Consider article marketing, a strategy of offering articles about your business to web sites that reach your target market. Online articles draw upon and display your expertise by providing useful information that Web site visitors are actively seeking out. Online article syndication positions you as an expert in your field and conveys a level of authority that establishes trust and sets the stage for sales.

When high-traffic, high-credibility Web sites and newsletters publish your articles, you ride on the coattails of their loyal relationships with readers, as well as increase your stock of inbound links that will ultimately help your search engine rankings. Every article you publish that links to your Web site can improve your search engine rankings thereby increasing your sales and marketing exposure.

The Virtual First Impression

In the Internet age, the selling process starts much earlier than through traditional selling. It can happen in a web browser when someone looks you up, within an email newsletter that mentions your name, or increasingly on blogs.

Many of us now form "first impressions" of people and companies via our Internet browsers. When you are considering buying from a vendor, many of us will use the Internet to research that company or professional service. If the web site creates a positive first impression, the client is predisposed to considering you from your many competitors. If your website looks like a messy ill-prepared showroom window, the customer is likely to move on to the next ether show room display.

Internet first impressions are not just influenced by how your Web site looks, but also by number of references in the search or how high it ranks a web browser.

You can evaluate your own virtual first impression by typing your name into a search engine. See how your business looks to a potential sales prospect, from the moment your name appears in a Web browser to the moment your Web site loads.

Does your web site load quickly and communicate a positive image graphically and with valuable content? You never get a second chance to make a good impression, and your virtual first impression often means the difference between a shot at your prospect's business, or being shut out.

Building a Niche Community: Targeting Your Niche with the Right Message (Pt. 2 of a 4-part series)

Think about it. A niche is a group of people that share common situations, needs, and goals. When these people get together, they immediately feel a common bond; they understand each other and can easily provide mutual support.

Like David Steele, the Silicon Valley relationship coach whose Friday Night Social singles gathering has been a success since 1997, you too can establish yourself as a trustworthy resource whose reputation and work is beyond scrutiny. The secret to success is targeting a group of people with specific interests. And that group of people can be your target market!

Examples of groups that would be attracted to, and benefit from, participating in a niche community include:

Fortune 500 CEO’s
Real Estate Investors
Singles Over 50
Tai Chi Practitioners
Small Business Owners
Unemployed/Laid Off Tech Workers
Ph.D. Candidates Working On Their Dissertation
Stay-At-Home Dads
Women in Transition
New Moms

You get the idea… any niche you can think of for your business is a candidate for a niche community. Once you establish a niche community around your business, you can enjoy the following benefits:

Increased visibility. Community participation is a low cost marketing strategy that can yield enormous exposure for your business. Virtual communities provide free or low-cost gatherings that attract more people and create more prospects.

Increased credibility. The success of your niche community reflects upon your abilities as a service professional. It provides a chance for you to “show your stuff” and impress prospects who don’t feel like they need to ward off a sales pitch.

Word of mouth. Virtual communities stimulate conversation. They get people talking. Participants tell their friends more readily about your business as a “community resource” than a private service.

You’ll become a center of influence in your niche. By reaching more people through your virtual community, you will develop a platform to sell more products and services. Your community can open the door to multiple income streams through group mentor programs, information products and other passive revenue streams.

Previous Installment: Own Your Niche By Building a Niche Community (Part 1 of a 4 Part Series)
Next installment, Building a Niche Community: Getting Started (Part 3 of a 4-part Series

5 Tips to Make Adwords Work

I've been reading Brian Clark's Copyblogger blog for the past few weeks and have been impressed. Brian provides great, practical strategies that challenge assumptions and suggests ways to make your marketing more effective.

The following post about making Google's Adwords program offers a great approach: pull targeted prospects to your web site with strategically chosen Adwords, and begin a long-term relationship with these visitors by offering free, valuable content that will turn them into lifelong members of your Slightly Famous universe:

"The goal of pay per click advertising is to get in front of searchers who are looking specifically for what you have to offer. This takes careful keyword research, strategic bidding, and compelling ad copy just to get the click.

The problem is, that’s where most people stop.

They make the mistake of sending that targeted traffic to the home page of their website or blog. Even worse, they make no attempt to establish a relationship with those that don’t buy, so as to boost conversion rates for every dollar spent.

They make the mistake of sending that targeted traffic to the home page of their website or blog. Even worse, they make no attempt to establish a relationship with those that don’t buy, so as to boost conversion rates for every dollar spent.

So, if you’re selling products or services, it makes sense to make sales and build your fan club at the same time. Here’s how to boost your conversion rates from any pay per click campaign while also boosting your subscriber numbers.

The first thing to do is build a ultra-specific page to send the search traffic to, called a landing page. Depending on the variety of key words you are bidding on, you may even build several landing pages that each narrowly address the specific needs of that searcher...

The landing page does not sell your product or service. This is key. You instead offer a quality free resource –- a mini-course, ebook, teleseminar, or other type of tutorial that is directly related to what you are ultimately selling. By teaching people about the subject matter of your product or service, you are actually engaging in a highly effective form of selling, all while establishing a relationship...

You should explicitly inform your prospects that in addition to the free resource you are offering, they will also be receiving your email newsletter / blog updates. Make sure you make this part of your offer as enticing as possible. You’re delivering valuable, relevant content on a regular basis, right?

And there you have it. You’ll likely make some sales right away, but your real profits will come from the people who warm up to your offer thanks to the ongoing value you provide with your blog content...

You don’t propose marriage before you get a first date. And you likewise shouldn’t expect people to just automatically jump at the chance to give you money upon arriving at your home page."

Using Audio/Video on Your Blog

More on Ken McCarthy's System Seminar...

I spent time with Sherman Hu, an expert at all things multimedia on blogs.

Sherman's Blogging Secrets presentation covered the topic of adding video and audio to a blog to add marketing potential and to enhance overall visitor appeal and engagement.

Sherman Hu is an example of the new generation of Internet marketers whose work is right on the cutting edge. First, he mastered the 'old school' art of search engine optimization under the tutelage of friend and mentor search engine marketer Michael Campbell.

Then, when he discovered the traffic power of blogging, he poured himself into the new medium and has become one of the leading experts in the field. Sherman has also embraced the new Internet video technology and is using it to build an impressive info marketing business which has become the dominant player in a rapidly exploding new niche market.

Watch for Sherman's influence on this blog in the coming weeks...

THE WEB IS STILL A THRILLING PLACE

I just received this (slightly condensed) newsletter from web content guru, Gerry McGovern. I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of time fretting about my web site...what needs to be done, improvements to be made, copy to be written.

Gerry reminded me that I've come a long way, as I suspect you have as well.

Steve

*****************************************************************
NEW THINKING NEW THINKING NEW THINKING NEW THINKING
By Gerry McGovern - http://www.gerrymcgovern.com
*****************************************************************
May 29, 2006 - Volume 11 Number 21
*****************************************************************

When you get frustrated by the pressures of managing a website, look back five years. You've achieved a lot.

I meet many people who are discouraged by the performance of their websites. It seems that there are a whole range of things to be fixed. There is constant pressure to put stuff on the website-and particularly on the homepage-that doesn't deserve to be there.

It's easy to develop a negative or overly critical attitude. I know that I have often fallen into this trap. It's certainly easy for me to stand on top of the ditch and shout about what everyone is doing wrong. The theory of the perfect website is great but the reality of the trenches can drag you down.

But things are not that bad, really. If you've been working in the Web for the last five years or more, you have achieved an awful lot. Your website has matured immensely. And understanding of the real potential of the Web has grown steadily within your organization.

Because we've been led to believe that in this modern world, everything we want to happen must happen right now, we've become impatient. When big things like the Web happen they change our world in profound ways, but the change itself can often be slow and steady.

It's almost 12 years since I chose the Web as my career. Back then I remember how awestruck I was at the very idea of a World Wide Web. You know, I still think the Web is this incredible, awesome thing. Sure, sometimes I get stuck in a rut, and I have to remind myself how lucky I am.

All of us who have been part of this journey have been part of something truly special. How often does anyone in your organization get even the smallest chance to change something within the organization? Your intranet can change the way staff work. Your public website can change the way customers feel
about and interact with your organization.

Most of those who wanted fast change and the fast buck have left the Web behind. The rest of us are left here for the long haul. We need to grind out progress, and that's just fine. Grinding out a little bit of progress every year is something to be proud of.

It'll take another 10 years for the Web to be truly integrated into society and industry. And that's just fine.

Gerry McGovern
mailto:gerry@gerrymcgovern.com
www.gerrymcgovern.com

Expertise, Credibility and Killer SEO Through Blogging

Dave Taylor inspired a full house with his talk about business blogging as a smart, powerful business marketing tool. Dave is gifted at explaining in laymen’s terms the process and benefits of business blogging. In short, blogging has helped Dave expand his Ask Dave Taylor blog to over a quarter million readers while creating a powerful passive income stream with Google Adsense.

Moreover, Dave’s blog, which focuses on answering reader tech, computer, technology and Internet questions in a Q&A format, has established Dave as the go-to guy in his area of Internet and technology consulting and has attracted a lot of media coverage for Dave, further promoting his expertise. It's also set the stage for his new web site, Blogsmart, that specializes in online Internet business training courses and workshops.

According to Dave:

To create maximal findability isn't about SEO tactics, but rather sound business strategies built on establishing your credibility and expertise in your marketplace. There are a number of ways to do that, but my favorite is through focused, high quality business blogging.

And yet, the world is moving more and more to findability, to search engines and the critical question of whether you can or cannot be found when someone searches for your product or service. If they can't find you, you're dead, you just haven't noticed yet.

What was especially refreshing about Dave's talk was his insistance that effective online marketing is, at its heart, not about tricks, hype, "secrets," or short cuts, but about common sense business practices:

It's not enough to be trying to maximize your internet revenue, it's not enough to learn about neat tricks and insider tips on search engine optimization and it's not even enough to Taguchi test colors, logos and headlines on your site. A successful online business is built from the foundation of a *successful business*. Sounds obvious, but it's startling how few companies have a clear value proposition and an understanding of their sustainable differentiators.

Dave’s message is simple: use a blog to write about what you know and share your expertise. From here, you win a number of benefits, including potentially huge visitor traffic, effective search engine positioning, and can quickly establish yourself as a voice and brand within your target market.

You can listen to a pre-call, mini-seminar he held before the conference.

Blogging from The System Seminar

I’ve been attending The System Internet marketing seminar this weekend. I came as a guest of Dave Taylor, a friend, colleague and author of the very popular blog Ask Dave Taylor.

The weekend schedule included talks about every aspect of Internet marketing, including blogging, podcasting, selling physical products, selling your professional expertise online, and many other topics related to the rapidly evolving world of Internet marketing.

I’ve been heavily immersing myself in all aspects of Internet marketing this past year. My goal is to understand, then translate into user-friendly, action-oriented strategies that can be applied (even by the “Internet challenged”) to my Get Slightly Famous marketing model.

No matter what the tactic, there are plenty of exciting new tools, from audio to blogs, that any business owner can easily add to their Slightly Famous marketing strategy. In the coming months, I’ll be demystifying these new tools and developing a variety of programs to help people harness the power of Internet marketing for personal branding. Stay tuned.