Get Slightly Famous

Building a Niche Community: Getting Started (Pt. 3 of a 4-part series)

The first consideration in building a niche community is how you will structure your community and bring people together. You have two choices: create a “live” community that meets in a physical location; or establish an online community that meets virtually through telephone and the Internet.

Live communities are straightforward. Taking David Steele’s cue, develop a statement of purpose for the group. Then, market the group to niche market prospects within reasonable physical proximity to one another, choose meeting times and a location, and bring them together around a structured agenda.

Whereas live communities are more limited by location, virtual communities offer the possibility of attracting members from all over the world.

Online or virtual communities gather people in an online "space" where they come, communicate, connect, and get to know each other better over time. The idea is to bring members of your niche together virtually where you combine on-line interaction (e-mail, web forums) with telephone conference calls and classes, as well as information and support services.

Online group interactions do not always "happen" spontaneously. They require care, nurturing and facilitation.

The core of facilitation and hosting is to serve the group and assist it in reaching its goals or purpose. Some describe this role as a gardener, a conductor, the distributed leadership of jazz improvisers, a teacher, or an innkeeper. It can be this and more.

If you take the plunge, be patient. Online communities don't happen overnight. Often they take time to coalesce and form themselves into something valuable and sustainable. It's crucial that patience is exercised, since it WILL take time for momentum and a critical mass to develop whereby the community becomes solid and established.

Next installment, Tips for a Successful Niche Community

Case Study: Ted Demopoulos Learns the Power of Blogging

Ted Demopoulos is a speaker, author, and consultant specialzing in business technology who launched his blog The Ted Rap in December 2004. He was initially motivated to reposition himself as a more “business oriented” consultant. But within a short time, he saw that blogging was having a real impact on his business.

“Blogging has dramatically boosted my business,” says Demopoulos. “Blogging doubled my site visitors in the first month, and has become instrumental in helping me sell speeches, consulting, and training classes. Blogging has delivered other additional benefits that go beyond selling my services.”

Demopoulous credits his blog with helping him beat competitors when landing high-profile speaking engagements. “Less than a month after I started blogging, I was asked to apply as a potential keynote speaker for a conference,” recalls Demopoulos. “I’d been highly recommended by an associate, but so had two other speakers. I was told that the organization would contact me when they made the final selection.”

“Thirty minutes later, the meeting planner called back and said ‘I don't know what a blog is, but I've been reading yours since we got off the phone. You're perfect for the job. If you want to speak, we'd love to have you." I knew I was on to something then!”

Blogging has positioned Demopoulos as a thought leader in his field. It has also enabled him to interact with other thought leaders via the blogosphere. “When you blog, your target market can see your thoughts and expertise, as well as interact with you. You earn your thought leadership in a very public forum, where everyone can see and respect it, even if they don't always agree with you.”

In addition to attracting new prospects, Demopoulous’ blog has helped him stay in front of existing clients. “My blog helps to keep my in touch with longtime clients, many of whom have realized the breath of my expertise and experience though my blogging,” says Demopoulos. “I've taken on additional roles, such as one client who only previously used me for technical training but now retains me for a wide range of consulting.”

“When I attend conferences, I frequently run into people who comment on my blog, and it’s like meeting old friends. I’ve been asked to take part in panels because my blog. Blogging has made me a recognized leader in my industry, and has increased my business network tenfold. Best of all, my phone rings more often!”

The Ultimate Marketing Strategy: Focus on your Long Term Investment

Many businesses pursue a marketing strategy in the same short sighted, reactionary manner as yesterday's day traders. They never develop a marketing strategy. They do not consider the long term. They lack patience. And, like day traders, they receive the same dismal results.

Gambling your business future on an over-hyped, half-baked get-rich-quick marketing strategy is simply not a good idea. It is usually the common sense business marketing strategies that offer the most reliable road to success.

Drawn from more practical approaches to finance, I call this the Long Term Investment Analogy, and at its center is the development of a highly visible, credible business reputation.

Establish A "Reputation Fund"

In this hyper-competitive world, and consumer skepticism on the rise, it's crucial to invest in the one of the last things we can still count on--a good business reputation.

Raising your company's reputation quotient is surprisingly easy--if you begin with the right attitude. Instead of looking for a marketing miracle, you can build a profitable business reputation with series of small, sustained "deposits" that ultimately deliver long-term rewards based on patience, discipline and the magic of compounding.

All of this means a commitment to establishing a reputation fund.

Because prospects must decide whether or not to buy from you, your good reputation will be an insurance policy. It reduces the risk of doing business with you because prospects will know they are going to receive value and quality.

A Smart Investment Strategy

You don't have to wait for your reputation to "happen." You can design a reputation that meets your goals and shapes perceptions about your business while helping you stand apart from the crowd in a meaningful way. Your strategic "reputation marketing plan" will be based on the following principles:

VISIBILITY. A good reputation is only as effective as the number of people who know about you. There are many low cost, high impact ways to enhance your visibility, from writing to speaking to developing a convincing Internet presence. A commitment to sustained visibility is crucial to any successful reputation plan.

TARGETING. Visibility is ineffective if it reaches the wrong people. You must first determine the most desirable, profitable audiences to receive your message. Targeting means thoroughly understanding your ideal client/customer profile. It means learning what they read, what organizations they belong to and what web sites they visit. Make a list.

CREDIBILITY. Next, look for ways to build credibility into your business and ultimately your reputation. Today's consumers are suspicious. They want to know they are getting their money's worth. Your will need to make a case for yourself and give prospects a little "taste" of what you offer.

SHARING "EXPERT" KNOWLEDGE. If you've been in business for any length of time, you know something. Use your expert knowledge to make a case for yourself as a source of genuinely helpful information and one who makes a genuine contribution to your industry, clients and prospects.
Make Regular Contributions

Start Now

Patient, smart investing - whether in stocks or your reputation - guarantees good results over the long term. The sooner you begin establishing your reputation, the easier it is to make it grow--much like compound interest can grow small, steady investments into a massive retirement payload.

But compounding takes time to work its miracles. Building a reputation that works for you means planting many seeds early on to reap the big harvest.

Be realistic. Although your initial deposits will look small at first, make no mistake -- they will, if sustained, work to your advantage in a big way, propelling you and your business throughout your career.

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.

Jill Konrath On the Benefits of Blogging

(Every so often, I come across an article that really brings home the benefits of embracing a particular marketing strategy. This article, by Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, hits the nail on the head on the benefits of business blogging!)

-----------------------

Lots of people wonder what difference blogs make - and if they even need on if they have a newsletter.

The answer is YES. It's another vehicle for people to find you. It can lead to great PR.

Let me give you an example: In July, a technology firm contacted me about lead generation campaign they were doing. They'd found me via another blogger who mentioned me and linked to my blog.

In short, they offered me lots of exposure to my targeted demographic in exchange for the using an ebook of mine as a promotional giveaway. I agreed.

In August they sent an email to 15,000 VPs of Marketing/Sales announcing my ebook. Their co-marketing partner sent out emails to 10,000 sales executives. Now they're advertising it in several major e-newsletters.

So far 7000 people have downloaded the ebook. This kind of exposure is priceless and leads to more & more opportunities.

Most recently, Microsoft contacted me about being a featured blogger on their soon-to-launch site for their new Office platform. The visibility here could be outstanding if things work out between us.

A new podcasting group contacted me about being a featured podcaster for their new station which is going to be launched soon.

I would MUCH rather have this online exposure than be in print publications. When people are online, they'll quickly pop over to your website to check you out. They may sign up for your newsletter - or even email you. Most magazine/newspaper articles never get acted on.

Blogging is where many of the younger people are too. By blogging, even though you're no longer a spring chicken, they sense you're up-to-date. This expands your market appeal even more.

Finally, if you're just operating with a website, I bet you haven't upgraded it in an eternity. STAGNANT!

Blogs are alive and fun. They connect you with tons of people. You make connections with total strangers. They freely connect their readers to good sources of information - and you willingly reciprocate.

That's how you become a true thought leader in today's market.

Five years ago I was a top-notch consultant from White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Not a soul knew who I was except my clients.

Today I am ubiquitous. My ezine has nearly 20,000 subscribers. My blog has many readers too. All my clients are now finding me. Business is great and I love what I'm doing.

I started learning all this when I was fifty years old. I hate technology. I can't even do my VCR. I only have four names programmed into my phone - and my husband did it for me.

So wake to what's happening online. It's the best way to grow your business. With a blog, it doesn't even have to cost you much money!

---

Jill Konrath, Chief Sales Officer
Author, Selling to Big Companies

Selling to Big Companies | 651-429-1922
2227 Foxtail Ct. White Bear Lake, MN 55110
web: http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com
blog: http://sellingtobigcompanies.blogs.com

Thought Leadership Marketing

Marketing used to be about “getting in front of” prospects. But in the era the empowered consumer, traditional marketing methods like advertising, direct mail, cold calling -- or just sitting around and waiting for the phone to ring -- just don't work anymore.

Today, customers are in charge. In an Internet-driven age, consumers expect to find companies on their own terms, often through a search engine, and actively seek solutions to their own problems. We live in an era of increasing buyer distrust, where everyone finds marketing “claims” suspect, or meaningless.

In this new marketing environment—where the old rules of marketing no longer apply--businesses are increasingly turning to thought leadership marketing— a marketing mindset based on earning trust, credibility and cultivating recognition as a trusted resource.

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

White Papers as a lead-generation marketing strategy

I've long advocated practicing thought leadership by giving away free information in the form of articles, talks, email newsletters, etc. Lately, I've become especially intriqued with the potential of white papers as a marketing strategy to attract hot prospects to your web site, and ultimately your products and services.

White papers got their start as a governmental reports created to outline and advocate a particular policy. Since then, they have become common vehicles among businesses to educate prospects by appealing to their need for information related to particular needs, and to help them solve problems.

Today, a "white paper" can take many forms; increasingly, white papers are downloadable pdf files that serve as online "bait pieces." When done correctly, a white paper can not only serve as the vehicle for a thought leadership marketing strategy, but can attract prospects via search engines and other online channels.

Here's a few snippets of Michael Stelzner's excellent article How White Papers Can Turbo-Boost Your Lead-Generation Campaign:

Because they are pulled into the company by prospects, white papers have the ability to linger and travel around the business, persuading along the way. It's not uncommon for a well-written white paper to travel across the desks of dozens of people in a single company. Well-written white papers are proven prospect magnets.

The key to generating leads with white papers is for the content to avoid a hard-sell. This means avoiding the mention of your company or product in the first half of the white paper. When prospects begin to sense they are being sold to, the white paper shifts from being a valuable resource to just another marketing message.

As with any effective marketing strategy, white papers are most effective when they are created and aimed at a well defined target market.

As Stelzner says,

"white papers are akin to super-powered magnets that can easily attract leads outside the company Web site. To draw a visual picture, imagine attempting to fish for tuna in only two feet of water. You might actually draw something near the shore, but big fish live in much deeper waters. Your white paper needs to be where the fish are."