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Hi,
What a tremendous time we had at Business South yesterday – the highlight of which was our 2nd annual VIP Reception. Thank you very much to all the guests who came along, enjoyed the drinks and snacks, did some serious networking, and (given the feedback) really enjoyed my mini training session on how to create powerful branding for your business.
I would also like to give a special word of thanks to Richard Garfield, Business Editor from the Basingstoke Gazette for taking the time out of his hectic schedule to join in the fun at our reception.
Take a look at some of yesterday’s photos here.
Today’s feature article focuses on the increasingly popular (and ever important) area of online business networking, with good advice on revamping your profile and ramping up your results.
Happy reading!
Until next time,
Are you a Service Industry Professional reliant on word-of-mouth to grow your business, but anxious because you are not getting the volume of referrals that you are hoping for? Our Performance-Tuned Networking Seminar will teach you how to work each and every potential referral source in the most effective way possible, maximising your potential revenue!
The live seminar was held in August 2008, and now you can get your hands on the entire audio recording and workbook as a ‘home study’ course!
Pick up a copy at our online store.
Read some participant reviews below. |
Every second ezine and blog I read at the moment is talking about Twitter and Tweeting so I’m not going to bore you with more of the same. Rather, let’s take some time to talk about revamping your online presence on more traditional online business networking sites like, for example, LinkedIn and Ecademy.
We’ll look at why you need an online profile (if you haven’t got one yet); how to create a profile that attracts visitors; and discuss some etiquette that needs to be borne in mind.
The internet is the place where prospects go to first these days when researching an organisation to do business with. This research extends way beyond looking only at the business website or blog, to Googling the names of the directors or owners while hunting for additional information. It is therefore crucially important for an independent professional to have a strong online presence. There are a number of ways of getting your name out there but the biggest one you can proactively control is your professional profile on business networking sites.
Just like with offline networking where you need to be a 'regular face,' you cannot join every online networking club or you will never do them justice. Pick one or two and focus on building really powerful profiles and then being regularly visible and active online.
Revamp Your Profile
I can't tell you how many profiles I have come across that have little to no information of any value; don’t attract my attention or give me a good reason to connect; and don’t even have a photograph!
Of first and foremost importance is putting a professional looking photo up on your profile. If your prospects can’t even put a face to your name how will you build their trust in you? You don’t want them wondering what you are trying to hide. Also, please note that I said a professional looking photo – not candid holiday pics, wedding photos, or an avatar (yes I have seen all of the above on the profiles of supposedly professional executives. I can’t say I was filled with confidence).
Secondly, your profile must contain your key marketing message (not your 'Sales Pitch'). People browsing through your profile aren't interested in doing business with you yet – they don’t know you or trust you. If you’ve been developing your Verbal Signature,* this is an ideal place to start using the written version.
Thirdly, you need to include a sprinkling of appropriately placed links back to your business website and blog and even to third party sites where you have had articles and research papers published. This is a great (and easy) way to improve your SEO or search engine rankings, as well as giving your network ways to find out more information about you. Remember that in terms of the Marketing Relay * once you have a prospect’s attention, the next step is to provide them with more information that builds your credibility.
Lastly, and this is closely intertwined with the previous step, is inviting your profile visitors to take the next step in getting to know you, so you need a call-to-action. Asking them to visit your blog and leave comments is a good way, as is requesting them to connect with you or join your network of contacts. You could even suggest they learn more by reading an article you wrote, or visiting your website (hence all those links mentioned above). 'Call me for a quote' is not a good call-to-action!
Ramp up Your Results
Once you've got your profile up and running, you obviously need to get out there and proactively expand your network. Of course you can't do this without having a goal in mind and a clear strategy for achieving it. One idea could be to actively seek out the types of people you would like to connect with (ideally they fall within your target market), but you would also want to see if your clients, suppliers, colleagues (past and present) etc. have profiles and reach out to them too. Please though, bear in mind the same common courtesies that you would in an offline or in-person networking environment.
You wouldn't simply walk up to a group of strangers, interrupt them, and shove your business cards into their hands. That would be rude! Similarly, in the online networking environment you should make a polite approach, take the time to introduce yourself and offer something of value. It’s not ok to just send an 'add me' request or click a 'join my network' button without including those personal touches.
And please don't fall in to the trap of spamming your contacts either. Some online networking sites allow you to put a tick in a box to 're-invite' someone or 'remind' someone on a monthly basis of your outstanding or unanswered request. If the person hasn’t responded to your outreach they have made a choice not to, so don’t harass them!
I have lost count of the number of 'add me' requests I receive everyday from people who can't even be bothered to offer me a compelling reason. If you’ve read my 'Knock Their Socks off Networking' e-book, or been a Marketing Edge subscriber for some time, you’ll know that I am a strong advocate of the 'Quality over Quantity' approach because it works.
Feel free to have a look at my online profiles at LinkedIn and Ecademy to give you a feel for the different approaches and ideas for where yours could improve. And if you would like to join my network, you know what to do!
* Transform Your Networking with a Verbal Signature™ is a 20 minute audio programme and The Marketing Relay is the first of seven principles that govern marketing in a professional services environment. You can download both of these programmes with our compliments (along with many others) in our private subscriber download area at our website. If you have lost the link, please request a reminder here (using the email address you signed up from). If you’re not yet a subscriber, look at all the free stuff you’re missing.
©Vanessa Deakin and Zee2A Limited 2009. Would you like to reprint this article? You may do so as long as you include the copyright notice and the following paragraph: Vanessa Deakin works with Professional Service Executives frustrated and disappointed with their current growth rates, marketing efforts, and business profitability. Through one-on-one and group mentoring programmes she helps them to skyrocket their results and break their own best records. To learn more, sign up for her e-zine, or make an enquiry please visit our website at www.zee2a.com.
What They Said About the Performance-Tuned Networking Seminar...
 'Vanessa and David have helped me to rationalise how I present my services and to focus down on the customers I want to reach. This is forming the basis of my advertising, brochures and web pages. Vanessa and David have a simple no-nonsense approach and are able to present their subject in a very clear way. I’d heartily recommend them.'
– Chris Bryan, CJB Corporate Coaching
 'I found the Marketing seminar conducted by Vanessa and David to be excellent. In fact I think it is the best Marketing seminar I have attended, and I do attend a fair few seminars/courses. What struck me most was that they follow their own advice: they actually DO what they recommend to other companies.'
– Diksha Chakravarti, FixMe
- Feel free to have a look at the photos from yesterday’s VIP Reception here.
- We had a very positive response to our previous Marketing Edge issue where we addressed a marketing related question from one of our readers.
Other readers with questions are invited to submit them here and we’ll do our best to answer them in an upcoming issue.
In conclusion, if you enjoyed reading this issue of The Marketing Edge, please forward it on to your friends and colleagues and help us spread the word! (But please erase the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. You don’t want to be inadvertently unsubscribed by one of your recipients!)
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ISSN 1756-350X
Volume 2 Issue 5
5 March 2009
www.zee2a.com
You have received this newsletter because you signed up for it or registered for one of our programmes.
In This Issue
David and Vanessa,
Your Zee2A Mentors
David and Vanessa work with Executives in the Professional Services Industry that are frustrated and dissatisfied with their current marketing activities, profitability, and business growth.
Through personal one-on-one mentoring they teach them how to become Marketing Masters, by among other things helping them create sustainable and repeatable marketing strategies that actually work!
Click to learn more about our mentoring programmes
Click to find out about our home-study information programmes
Food for Thought:
"The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow."
- Bill Gates
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