APRIL 23, 2015 Twitter recently revamped some features and policies that may help you improve your social media strategy. Those changes include the ability to direct message anyone, even without following one another, and the prohibition of any posts that promote violence.

Direct Message Anyone on Twitter

It used to be that you needed to follow Twitter users if you wanted to direct message them. That method may have proved cumbersome and confusing and discouraged communication in the past, notes Tyler Sminkey, social media specialist and account executive for Insider Media Management.

“Now you can direct message anyone on Twitter, and that’s good news for small-business owners,” Sminkey says. “This change will encourage a more open form of direct communication for small-business owners. Direct messaging also enables small-business owners to connect and communicate with customers without sharing that information with the public. For example, we often request to obtain contact information from customers if they felt they could have had a better experience.”

Though private direct messaging could provide benefits, for the sake of managing your company’s reputation in the face of complaints, it may be a good idea to do that managing on Twitter where everyone can see, suggests J.P. Hervis, president of Insider Media Management.

“In most cases, management of an upset client on Twitter is still best done in front of everyone so other followers can see you are reacting to a potential issue and care about making it right,” Hervis says. “Those conversations can get into heavy detail and fill up a feed, though, so many times there is a point where moving to direct messaging is ideal—especially when obtaining the client’s personal information for a ‘make-good.’”

Retweet With a Comment

Click the retweet icon when you spot a tweet you want to broadcast, and you’ll notice a new “add a comment” link. Also known as quote tweet, this feature can make retweeting easier and offers the potential to share your insights about a tweet in a more meaningful manner.

Prior to this change, you could either simply hit retweet, which essentially reposted the tweet for your followers, or if you wanted to make a comment, you had to do a manual retweet that required you to cram your information in with the original tweet, with a 140-character limit. Now the original tweet is embedded and your comment can be up to 116 characters.

The new feature encourages you to add your own insight and voice to the tweet, which can be ideal for increasing customer engagement. By personalizing the tweet, you can also help build your reputation as a thought leader on certain topics.

Ban on Tweets that Promote Violence

This new policy, suspending any users that promote violence against others, may create a less contentious Twitter landscape for conducting business.

And while you probably haven’t threatened anyone on Twitter, it can still be a good idea to protect your company’s reputation by reviewing your Twitter behavior protocol on a regular basis and making sure all employees abide by certain standards, Sminkey claims.

He suggests asking the following questions before tweeting:

• Does this tweet fit your brand?
• Is it appropriate for your audience and the date/time it will be sent?
• Have you left any questions unanswered?
• Does the tweet negatively affect a customer or another business? “The first thought when sharing something on social media should be that you aren’t harming anyone or saying something that could be thought of as mean or negative,” Sminkey says. “This is a public forum, and your posts can live forever online.”
• Are you abiding by Twitter’s best practices? Have you used shortened links and/or hashtags and tagged other profiles appropriately?

“For many small-business customers, Twitter is the fastest and best form to ask simple questions,” Hervis says. “That being said, it’s important to monitor your Twitter account and hop on engagement opportunities ASAP. Answer questions and react to comments and complaints within 20 minutes of the initial posting. If someone was in your store, you wouldn’t wait to answer a question. Virtual customer service is no different.”

Read more articles about social media.

Photo: Getty Images

DECEMBER 01, 2014 When he opened his own business, Jordan Sayler discovered that his mother wasn’t trying to annoy him when she told him to stand up straight as a kid. She knew the secret: People tend to read body language rather than listen to what’s being said.

“I learned quickly I was not only merchandising my store; I was selling myself,” says the owner of the men’s apparel and footwear store Winn Perry & Co. “I used to put my hands in my pockets or hold them down in front of me so I wouldn’t be viewed as pushy or overbearing, but I found that people often didn’t take me seriously. So I started striking a confident pose by putting my hands directly at my sides or on my hips.”

Several years ago, Cecilia Lynch also discovered just how important body language can be when she met with a senior sales executive at a large international financial services company.

“I didn’t think much about my body language when engaging with her. As a result, the meeting didn’t go as well as I would have liked,” says Lynch, principal and founder of the consulting company Focused Momentum. “She still hired me, but gave clear instructions that I was not to be put in front of their clients, which was a wakeup call for me.”Today Lynch makes good use of her body language. “I conduct strategy sessions of up to 60 people at a time. I often literally need to hold the energy of the room and move it along in a productive manner, which I do through body language,” she says.

When it comes to inspiring and influencing others, you can say all the right words, but if your nonverbal postures send a different message, that is what others will take away from your interaction, explains Sharon Sayler, an executive coach specializing in verbal and nonverbal communication (and Jordan’s mother). She owns Competitive Edge Communications and is author of What Your Body Says (and how to master the message): Inspire, Influence, Build Trust, and Create Lasting Business Relationships.

“Nonverbal communication happens whether we want it to or not, and it’s all too easy to send the wrong message,” Sayler says.

The good news is that with a little direction, any small-business owner can appear comfortable, in control and successful.

Breathe Naturally

One of the first nonverbal actions you’re judged on by others is your breathing, Sayler notes. “How you breathe unconsciously alerts the other person’s as well as your own fight or flight response,” she says. “If you are breathing naturally and comfortably, the other person assumes he or she is safe. Low, steady breathing always calms the mind and body and is the most powerful nonverbal [action] to give the impression that you’re confident and in control.”

Display Effective Eye Contact

Direct eye contact can be a signal of confidence, yet it is one of the most overrated and misunderstood of the nonverbal behaviors.

“Much advice suggests that if you don’t make constant direct eye contact, you’re untrustworthy. I’ve even heard a recommendation to have ‘sticky eyes,’ which is nonsense,” Sayler says. “Eye contact works best when both parties feel it’s ‘just right,’ so take your cue from the other person regarding how much eye contact to use. Too much or too little eye contact is not only disrespectful, it can be downright creepy. Breaking eye contact happens naturally during conversations, and it makes it easier to process what you’re hearing.”

Be Strategic With Your Chin

Although eyes get a lot of attention when it comes to nonverbal cues, it’s the chin you should be paying more attention to. “What you do with your chin tells others a lot about what’s going on inside you,” Sayler says. “For example, if your chin is off to the side, your head is tipped or tilted. That is a submissive move that can make it seem like you’re hoping to be liked or you’re confused.”

Your chin up in the air makes you appear snooty, and a tucked in chin communicates that you are shy and don’t wish to talk. To exude confidence, stand up straight and keep your chin parallel to the floor.

Lean in to Show Interest

Displaying interest in what a client has to say increases the level of commitment in the business relationship. The best way to show you care is to slightly lean toward the person or the object of interest. “The more you lean, the more interest you show, but be careful not to overdo it,” Sayler says. “The lean is slight; it should not be a lunge. You always want to respect comfort zones and personal space.”

Exude Expertise With Your Arms and Stance

Showing that you’re an expert on your subject is important to selling your products and services. To show you know what you’re talking about, Sayler suggests standing with your forearms waist-high in front of your body and your wrists at the same height as the elbows so the forearms are parallel to the ground. Your hands can be gently clasped, but don’t move your fingers. To exude even more confidence, touch your thumb-tips and fingertips together, so when you look down at your hands it looks like they’ve formed a triangle with your fingers pointed away from you.

Variations on this include standing with your arms hanging at your sides or leaving one hand hanging at your side and the other parallel to the ground grasping a notebook or similar item.

Smile

A smile communicates that you are confident and content with yourself and your business, and approachable, notes Tsutomu Carton, owner of Sielian’s Vintage Apparel. “Smiling is just as important in person as on the phone,” Carton says. “I always make sure that the person I’m talking to can ‘feel’ my smile.”Use these tips to strike a confident pose, and you’ll soon find yourself giving a high-five to increased business.

Read more articles on productivity.

Photo: Getty Images

NOVEMBER 18, 2014 Successful small-business owners know that their “secret weapon” for winning the race against larger competitors is stellar customer service. The up-close-and-personal approach just can’t be replicated by most big businesses.

“In an increasingly disconnected world, the small-business owner has the competitive advantage of delivering one-on-one connections,” says small-business consultant Olga Mizrahi, author of Sell Local, Think Global: 50 Innovative Ways to Make a Chunk of Change and Grow Your Business.

“By having meaningful interactions with customers, small businesses engender the kind of loyalty that’s not price-dependent. There’s a magic to the Main Street retailer who knows your daughter’s name, the local pizza joint that remembers your gluten-free preference and the independent bookseller who recommends the perfect beach read.”

As a small-business owner, you generally can’t compete with big advertising budgets or numerous employees and locations, but you can “out service” larger companies, says Scott Stratten, author of UnSelling: The New Customer Experience  and president of UnMarketing.  “As a small business, you can easily make customers ecstatic by turning on a dime and making requested changes much more quickly than large businesses can ever do.”

If you’re trying to harness the power of customer service, put these 10 tips to work for you:

1. Look to online reviews.

“It’s no longer ‘The customer is always right,’ ” Mizrahi says. “While it may be hard to digest, the new adage is ‘The critic is always right.’ Online reviews are the number-one way small businesses get noticed. There’s a real power in responding to your online reviews, both positive and negative. Treat each review as an external communication tool and internal suggestion box, rife with ideas about how to improve.”

2. Hire with attitude in mind.

You want talented employees with an aptitude for the tasks you give them, but it’s equally important they have a positive, welcoming, can-I-help-you attitude. Anything less is insufficient and even dangerous to your business.

3. Offer customers multiple ways to get in touch.

“Don’t miss opportunities to connect with customers where, when and how they want,” Mizrahi says. “Let people choose to hear from you through ‘new offerings’ emails, special sales text alerts, Instagrams of new items, curated content on Facebook and helpful article links on Twitter.”

4. Lose your inferiority complex.

“Just because you [run] a small business doesn’t give you an excuse to give subpar customer service,” Stratten says. “Even if it’s a business out of your home, you have to act like a business.” For instance, telling a client you can’t meet a deadline because of a personal problem is terrible customer service.

5. Stay pleasant.

“Always have the attitude that everyone matters and that it’s a pleasure to work with any customer who walks into your business, calls or checks in online,” says Sherry Agee, owner of Fort Knox Flowers and Crafted Gifts. “It’s easy to dismiss people because you may not like their attitude, but recognizing everyone and offering patience and a relaxed communication could be the key to a customer’s acceptance of your suggestions. Make sure to leave a lasting impression that sways people to want to do business with you.”

6. Make it easy and simple to do business with you.

If you own a retail business, as soon as you see a customer pick up an item or look for a price, give a little bit of information about the product and then step back, Agee suggests. “Be ready to engage with the customer and follow up when the person is ready, but don’t be pushy. If the customer is holding several items, offer to take some to the counter. That causes the customer to relax and engage in conversation and that builds trust.”

7. Recreate in-store attention online.

On your website, recreate the face-to-face “Can I help you?” moment that happens when a customer walks through the door, Mizrahi advises. “Engage website visitors as soon as they log on via proactive live chat.”

Agee agrees. “It’s important to reach out directly to online customers to show them that even if you’re not meeting face to face,” she says, “you still care and recognize them just as much as people who walk into your store.”

8. Limit your offerings.

As a small business, you’re not equipped to be all things to all people, and because of that, you’re likely to do a poor job if you try, Mizrahi notes. “Limit what you offer to choice offerings curated by your unique lens of expertise,” she says. “It’s overwhelming out there, especially online. By narrowing down the options, you can create a convenience model where customers ‘get’ your taste and trust your picks.”

9. Be truly active on social media.

“Don’t join a social media site and only check it once a month,” Stratten advises. “Many customers use social media as a customer service communication line. And avoid automating social media as a customer service tool. That’s like sending a mannequin to a networking event. You’re ‘there,’ but you’re just not there.”

10. Learn from every customer service opportunity.

Realize that every customer service issue is a learning experience. “Interactions with customers are only truly a problem if a customer doesn’t alert you to a problem but just leaves without telling you,” Stratten says. When people see that you truly care about their satisfaction and are willing to make changes to fulfill their expectations, you’re likely to inspire loyal customers who wouldn’t think of going anywhere else.

Read more articles on customer service. 

Photo: Getty Images

Published: November 12, 2014

Ask many small-business owners why they risk job security and what may be their life savings to start a business, and the answer isn’t always money. After all, there are easier, more predictable roads to building a nest egg that include a steady paycheck and a matching 401(k) plan.

By their very nature, entrepreneurs have a different mindset than lifetime employees—a mindset that causes them to jump in headfirst. While each entrepreneur’s story is unique, a common thread is the desire to steer their own course and drive change themselves.

“I’m driven to change the things I can’t accept. Entrepreneurs take risks, because the alternative is unacceptable.”
— Melanie St. James, founder of Empowerment WORKS

St. James founded Empowerment WORKS, a global sustainability think tank that organizes biennial Global Summits to connect resource-poor but culturally rich communities around the world.

Early Interest in Entrepreneurship

Many entrepreneurs start young:

• Melanie St. James sold her father’s invention—an electrically heated ice-cream scooper—door-to-door in high school. Her passion for global change began after studying abroad in China and pursuing international development studies.
• Marcy Hogan credits her entrepreneurial spirit to her mother. Today, she wears many hats—musician, music teacher, fitness pro, and co-owner of Send Out Cards with her husband.

Desire to Control Their Destiny

Entrepreneurs value freedom and accountability:

• Hogan: “Having your own business gives you the ability to create the life you want… When your business flourishes, you have a real sense of accomplishment.”
• Matt Richter-Sand: Left a Fortune 500 job because he could “see the next 20 years” of his life and wanted more excitement and innovation.

Richter-Sand started building websites in high school and now teaches entrepreneurship at Loyola Marymount University. He also authored The Agile Startup based on research into successful entrepreneurs.

Willingness to Venture Into the Unknown

Risk and uncertainty are part of the process. Entrepreneurs must:

• Turn uncertainty into certainty by validating ideas and acquiring customers.
• Test assumptions and prove hypotheses to reduce risk.

Richter-Sand: “Entrepreneurs must be willing to venture into the unknown, to make leaps of faith and move forward without full information.”

Ability to Face Reality

Great entrepreneurs accept harsh truths:

• They recognize when their original idea isn’t working and pivot based on market feedback.
• They don’t let pride interfere with progress.

Example: PayPal’s original idea was transferring money via Palm Pilots—after negative feedback, they pivoted to web-based transfers, which led to massive success.

Sticking to Their Vision

Entrepreneurs face setbacks but stay committed to their goals. For instance, during the 2012 Summit, St. James lost the venue days before the event:

“I was strongly advised to cancel it, but I kept moving forward and ended up finding the perfect venue at the last minute.”

Despite challenges, successful entrepreneurs are resilient and stay true to their mission—driven by passion, purpose, and an unwavering belief in their vision.

OCTOBER 03, 2014

Sales and a positive cash flow are obviously good signs for your business, but don’t take out the champagne just yet.

Indications that your small business is built to last are a bit more complicated than a healthy balance sheet, says Donna Novitsky, CEO of employee rewards company Yiftee and a professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at Stanford University. “There are a lot of factors that go into building a successful company besides growing the top line,” she says.

True, every small-business owner has his or her own barometers of success, but thriving enterprises have a few common denominators.

1. Positive Workforce Climate

Thriving companies have employees who enjoy going to work each day. And those employees feel as if they are making an impact with their contributions to the company, says Novitsky. “If you want to know if your employees are satisfied, ask questions such as ‘Is the development team innovating in creative ways to differentiate our products?’, ‘Does the marketing team love finding the sweet spot in messaging to connect with prospective customers?’ and ‘Is the customer service team building great relationships with customers so that they become true advocates?’”

The bottom line is that your team must believe in the mission and goals of your company, says Novitsky. “An employee who gets discouraged and loses faith has to go.”

A healthy company has optimal team play, agrees Frances Moreno, managing partner of Vaco Los Angeles. (Her company was recently named the “#1 Best Place to Work in Los Angeles” small employer category, for the fourth time.) “Five signs of great team play include commitment, trust, resolving conflicts quickly, results and accountability. This goes for everyone in the business.”

2. Clearly Defined Market

Early on, it’s not about sales and profitability at all, says Novitsky. “The first stage of success is about proving a product-market fit. From the very beginning, you must define a market need and a solution that has clear benefits to customers and is a big enough opportunity to be worth your dedication for several years,” she says. “Then you have to build the solution and cultivate relationships with your initial customers.” This is a process successful companies repeat as needed in order to grow.

3. Adherence to Values and Objectives

Thriving companies have a transparent set of objectives and values to which they adhere at all times. A clear set of company goals allows everyone to understand the purpose of the company and their roles within the company, which results in a healthy business.

“Successful companies have a purpose and a future plan and make sure the company is unified in moving towards a common goal,” Moreno says. “This results in an overall healthy corporate culture.”

4. Ability to Scale

The ability to scale allows your company the bandwidth to comfortably and effectively handle an increasing amount of work. This includes hiring capable employees to ensure that you keep up with demand. If you create a product for sale, this means building it at a cost that the market will bear and getting customers interested and invested enough to buy the product and offer repeat business—all of which helps ensure that you make a profit.

5. Expert Status

Those small-business owners who cement their status as leaders in their fields help ensure that their companies thrive, says social media expert and LinkedIn specialist Karen Yankovich. “The owner of a thriving company finds the time to give back,” she says. “When you’re generous with your products, services and expertise and are able to leverage that to establish your company as an expert in the industry, your expert status leads to greater profits and higher margins and that allows the entire cycle to continue to thrive upwards.”

If you have achieved success and your company is thriving, then by all means bring out the champagne. “There are plenty of challenges in running a small business and success requires many leaps of faith,” Novitsky says. “Acknowledge the wins, large and small. Remind yourself that you’re going places where no one has been and doing things that have not been done. When it works, celebrate!”

As a business owner, you’re no doubt keenly aware that your client base is the lifeblood of your company. A steady stream of new customers allows you to grow your business and fulfill your company vision.

OPEN Forum community member
Farzana Irani
realizes the importance of a strong client base for all small businesses, including virtual ones. That’s why the Web consultant with iAdControl.com/Fuzzworks UK recently asked:

What’s your best approach in creating a client base for your online business?

It turns out that a seven-step approach works best for attracting new clients.

1. Identify Your Ideal Client

It’s easier to look for customers if you know the type of consumer you’re seeking. Without a clear image of your ideal customer, it’s difficult to know where to start.

Tip: “Have a crystal clear picture in your head of exactly who you’re targeting,” says
Nicole Beckett,
president of Premier Content Source. “Think about what makes those types of people happy, sad, scared, relieved, and how you can make their lives a little easier.”

• Avoid overly broad statements like “every man or woman.”
• Focus on realistic, specific audience segments.

2. Discover Where Your Customer Lives

With your ideal customer in mind, locate where they spend time—online and offline.

Suggestions:

• Social media groups and forums related to your industry
• Your competitors’ pages or complementary businesses’ communities
• Industry events, conferences, and networking meetups

Craft messaging tailored to these platforms and locations.

3. Know Your Business Inside and Out

Deep knowledge of your product or service builds credibility. The more fluent you are, the more clients will trust and seek your expertise.

4. Position Yourself as the Answer

Give people a compelling reason to engage with you. Help solve their problems and they’ll keep coming back.

Tip: Jason Reis, owner of Flehx Corp, recommends:

• Creating helpful content (webinars, blog posts, guest posts)
• Networking both online and in person
• Building a structured sales funnel to convert fans into customers

5. Try Direct Response Marketing

Encourage specific actions from potential customers, such as subscribing to your list or downloading a resource.

Advice from Jeff Motter:

• Use targeted ads offering something valuable for free
• Focus on solving pain points quickly and affordably
• Craft compelling, benefit-driven messages

6. Build Partnerships

Partner with complementary businesses to expand your reach. For example, an SEO firm might collaborate with a web design company.

Nicole Beckett’s tip: “Focus on building human relationships. Strong relationships increase word-of-mouth and repeat customers.”

7. Follow Up

Don’t let leads slip through the cracks. Consistent follow-up is essential for growth.

Josh Sprague, CEO of Orange Mud, says: “Remember to set follow-up tasks and execute your plan. Many leads are lost simply due to forgetfulness.”

What do you do to attract new customers? Share your advice with the community.

Read more articles on marketing.

Photo: iStockphoto

As a small-business owner, you likely went into business to provide customers with a stellar product or service. Somewhere along the line you realized you also had to provide customer support, too—but didn’t know where to start. This topic was broached recently when OPEN Forum community member T.S. Praveen Kumar, CEO and founder of Animonks Animation Pvt. Ltd., asked:

“How do you guys handle customer support for your startups/companies? You may get a lot of email support tickets, calls from clients and on-site live chat support—how are you handling it? Even if you want to hire a support person, how much can you pay per month to handle your support emails, calls and on-site live chat? I`m facing the same problem with my product, so help me please.”

Community member responses to this common challenge varied depending on the size and type of the business.

Opt for Email

Some community members report that they’ve found the most expedient way to deal with customer support is to solely use email and not provide phone support.

“Speaking from an e-commerce perspective, we offer no phone support,” says Sean Dawes, co-founder of Rocket Dove. “We decided to ditch phone calls to increase efficiency and accuracy in our responses to customers. We have a blog post explaining that decision to customers and reference it when asked why we can’t get on the phone. We have yet to have a complaint. Emails are answered very quickly, and we use olark live chat, which helps us document every single customer issue, which we can reference when customers follow up.”

Josh Sprague CEO of Orange Mud, agrees. “Ditch phone for email early on until it’s truly necessary,” he says. “You might be surprised how few calls you get, as most prefer to chat or email.”

When Phone Calls Matter

Other small-business owners, such as Ben Baldwin, co-founder and CEO of ClearFit, believe that customer service via phone support is key to the success of hia company. “At ClearFit, we believe that support (we call it customer success) is integral to everything that we do,” he says. Rather than delegate the task of customer service to one employee, Baldwin reports that all employees take turns answering customer questions and responding to requests.

If your office is too small, or you simply don’t have the resources to allocate to customer service, you might need to hire someone to answer calls. A benefit to this solution is that you can train the employee to deal with concerns just as you would.

Prior to hiring anyone to do customer service for you, Jason Reis, owner and lead programmer for Flehx Corp, suggests that you look at your pricing. “You want to ensure that it’s at a level that enables you to hire a virtual assistant or other person who can help with support chats,” he says.

If your business isn’t bringing in sufficient income to sustain a full- or part-time employee to answer the phone, you might need to try a less expensive solution, such as a call center, Sprague suggests. “Do your best to make sure that you find a call center that knows your industry, and get some referrals,” he says. “I’ve had some colleagues with bad experiences in the industry with call centers.”

Talk to business owners who have successfully used call centers, and test out a center personally prior to signing on, to make sure that its service is up to par and a good fit for your company.

Try Instructional Videos

Reis offers a time-saving suggestion regarding providing customer service: “Customer support can consume a lot of time, and when you are a startup, you may not have all the people in place to be able to handle the volume. I would suggest if you are generating a lot of support requests that you look at some of the types of requests and make a few support videos to answer some of the more generic questions people have.”

Aim for Excellence

If your company is heavy on customer support, you will get requests for assistance, whether they come via phone, live chat or email. As a small-business owner focused on customer service, it’s your job to come up with a system for dealing with the requests that works best for your type of business and customer service style. And as your business grows, be open to changing tactics when necessary.

Read more articles on customer service.

Photo: iStockphoto

AUGUST 20, 2014 One of the fastest ways to increase business and attract attention is to become a go-to authority in your field. When potential clients seek the help or products you provide and your name pops up, you’re bound to reap the benefits of the exposure.

“Expert positioning aligns you with the best-of-the-best in your industry,” says business and brand specialist Debbie Allen, author of The Highly Paid Expert: Turn Your Passion, Skills, and Talents Into a Lucrative Career by Becoming the Go-To Authority in Your Industry. “An expert is recognized as an authority who knows in-depth knowledge about a specific subject. Such individuals solve problems, and when they offer invaluable solutions to make pain go away, people pay top dollar for their advice, wisdom and expertise.”

When you establish yourself or your business as a leading authority in your industry, clients reflexively seek your assistance, which drives repeat business and recommendations, says Kristi Marsh, founder of Choose Wiserand author of Little Changes. Thanks to cementing her status as a leader in environmental health and its effects on personal health and the home, Marsh is now the featured educational video blogger for Seventh Generation, which manufactures eco-friendly health and home products.

It’s surprisingly easy to become a go-to expert today. “There’s never been a better time to launch yourself as an authority,” Allen says. “The Internet, social media, video marketing and the print-on-demand industry have made it entirely doable.”

Welcome to the New Marketing Model

If you want to become an authority in your field, it’s important to embrace a new marketing model. “Expert marketing that positions a business owner or entrepreneur as the go-to authority focuses on offering valuable, free information in the form of videos, articles and media, rather than the push of advertising and selling one-on-one,” Allen says.

The bottom line? You must give before you can receive.

“Becoming an expert means taking on a level of responsibility to support others with your knowledge,” says Allen, who notes that this doesn’t mean offering people a cookie cutter get-rich-quick scheme.

“True experts are those who offer personalized, proven solutions and give people lasting results,” she explains. “Authorities offer valuable assistance, not only from their heads but from their hearts. They share their wisdom freely, and in the process they get paid well in return.”

To excel at becoming a highly paid expert, it’s important to lay the groundwork, which all stems from education-based marketing. Try these three tactics for becoming a household name in your industry.

1. Establish Yourself As an Author

Publishing is an excellent way to claim authority in your field, says Linda Scott, owner of eFrog Press, a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs who want to self-publish.

“Blog what you know,” Scott suggests. “Writing original, regular posts on subjects in your area of expertise showcases what you know and gives you an opportunity to find your writer’s voice. Comments to your posts help you understand where you need to clarify your message and, even more importantly, what works.”

Create categories for your blogs and keep adding detailed posts, and you’ll soon have enough chapters to put together a book. “When you can say you have literally ‘written the book’ on a subject in your field, you immediately gain expert status,” Scott says. “Forevermore, ‘author’ will be added to your introductions at conferences and speaking engagements. Reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Noble will further increase your credibility and exposure, and posting your book cover on your website is a subtle reminder to all who visit that you know what you’re talking about.”

2. Become a Communicator

Speaking is another opportunity to establish yourself as an expert—so accept every chance you’re given to present. Also, host your own live events, both online and off-line. It’s ideal if clients and customers actually hear you speak, but it’s just as nearly beneficial if people know you regularly speak on your chosen topic.

In addition to public speaking, Marsh advises, “share educational tidbits, tips or lessons through video blogs or vlogs. The combination of your storytelling or speaking style, along with value-added tips, can solidify your image as an expert. It used to be that this opportunity only came through being interviewed on television, but sharing through video messaging is now affordable, easy and under your control. The result is educational, informative tips that are shareable by consumers.”

When you present, always take your book with you, Scott adds. “Bookmark a short, interesting passage to read aloud. If your book is a work-in-progress, or even if it’s still in the conceptual stage, remind audiences of your expert status by saying ‘In my upcoming book on … ’ “

3. Rebrand and Refocus When Necessary

It’s possible that the current setup of your business may not lend itself to you becoming an expert, which means you’ll need to shake things up a bit by rebranding or refocusing your business. For example, if you’ve spent 20 years in the carpet cleaning business and want to launch yourself as an authority, you could reposition yourself as a carpet cleaning expert who teaches other carpet cleaners how to run a successful business, Allen explains. “Essentially,” she says, “you take off one hat—running a carpet cleaning business day to day—and put on another hat as a thought leader and expert.”

Read more articles on branding.

Photo: iStockphoto

Making yourself known as a thought leader who offers unique, forward-thinking ideas can be great for business, provided you have sufficient outlets for expressing those ideas. Obvious choices are quality websites and blogs that welcome your insight, but OPEN Forum community member Dan Stelter knows that first you have to find these sites.

With that in mind, the freelance copywriter and SEO/inbound marketing consultant recently asked the community:

“So how do you find quality websites to contribute your content to in order to build and grow your business? Tricky, but getting easier with the sites Google is putting at the top of the SERPs these days.”

Several OPEN Forum community members offered their ideas for finding the appropriate sites for content contribution.

Determine Your Target Audience

Identify who your target audience is, and you’re bound to discover where they hang out online, says OPEN Forum community member Elizabeth Tan, a digital marketing consultant with the company Affluential. “By identifying your target market, you would be able to find forums, blogs and social media where you can contribute to and build your thought leadership.”

Knowing, for instance, that your target audience is antique car enthusiasts or individuals into holistic health gives you clear indicators as to what sorts of blogs, forums, websites and social media to search for content contribution opportunities.

Examine Your Own Thought Leadership Interests

Emerald Bixby, founder of Clarity Health Centers, recommends comparing your target audience to your own content source interests. “I suggest starting by examining where you hang out online and writing down a few notes about what you value in blogs and other content sources that feed your interests,” Bixby says.

“Try to focus less on topics and more on accessibility—think about how you search for things, and what sort of media you like to experience. (For example, how did you find this site?) Then compare and contrast this to the Web-searching habits of your target market,” she says. “I think you might find this helps you creatively and realistically target good places to establish your name as a contributor.”

Try Keyword Searches

An especially effective way to find sites where people are talking about what you wish to comment on is to Google your own keywords or the more generic versions of them. The top results are apt to offer excellent outlets for guest blogging.

Another surefire way to easily locate conversations regarding your thought topic is to take those same keywords and sign up for Google Alerts, says OPEN Forum community member Jason Kanigan, owner and founder of Sales On Fire, Inc.

“Go to Google Alerts and sign up for emails about articles on your keywords,” he says. “It’s as simple as that. I have four key phrases that Google Alerts sends me emails on every day, and that is more than enough to find content to write about. Another source is to go to Twitter search. The term ‘inbound marketing blog,’ for instance, got me many useful results.”

Remember Your Inbound Marketing

While offering your expertise on other websites and blogs is an effective marketing technique to establish yourself as a thought leader, Ken Marmer, vice president of CLERITI, suggests that you don’t forget about showcasing your thought leadership ideas on your own website.

“The best way to build your own thought leadership is through inbound marketing,” he says. “By creating and providing valuable content for your target persona, promoting your remarkable content, building customer relationships and overall pulling the customer towards you, you will create thought leadership,” he says. “At the same time, you will have brand awareness, improve SEO and establish credibility.”

Being seen as a thought leader doesn’t happen overnight. Follow these tips to get started building your foundation and broadcasting your expertise.

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JULY 14, 2014 Thanks to the Internet, word-of-mouth advertising for the small-business owner is powerful and long-lasting. When an infinite number of reviewers can share their opinions online, the potential for exposure and increased business becomes exponential.

According to the Harvard Business Review, online peer-to-peer reviews are powerful because they give customers a good sense of what it’s like to use your goods or services. Small-business owners can tout their services, but customers are more likely to believe other customers.

OPEN Forum community member Robert Chamul understands the game-changing results of reviews, which is why the owner of Mr. Sewer Rooter recently asked the community:

“What’s a great way to get customers to write reviews for you? I just started my plumbing and sewer contracting company and wanted to get feedback from our customers of our service.”

Based on their experiences, several OPEN Forum community members chimed in to answer Chamul’s question.

Just Ask

“The best way to get reviews is to ask for them,” says Jeff Motter, CEO and chief marketing officer of East Bay Marketing Group. “And the best time to ask is when you finish the job and are with them.”

“While excitement and satisfaction is still in the air about your service, ask for some feedback,” agrees Bret Bonnet, chief marketing officer of Quality Logo Products. “Don’t be afraid to say to clients, ‘Hey, if we helped you, we’d be grateful if you let people know.’ They might take to Yelp themselves.”

Make It Easy

A certain percentage of satisfied customers will take the time and make the effort to review your company on sites like MerchantCircle and Yelp, but an even larger percentage are more likely to do so if you pave the way and make the process as easy and convenient as possible.

“Create some sample testimonials that they can use as a model, and give them a form to fill out,” Motter says.

If you meet with customers in person, give out business cards that list your URL on various review sites so that it’s easy for them to locate places to leave a review, and include your email so they can send the review directly to you if they prefer, says Bonnet. “A line that reads, ‘Send us your feedback or questions’ works well,” he says. Or send such information out via email right after the job is complete. Include a brief questionnaire or survey.

Bonnet also suggests placing a feedback form on your website and posting a status update on your company Facebook page that asks how you’ve been doing. Existing and new fans will see the post and hear about how pleased your customers are.

Offer Incentives

“Don’t be afraid to offer some sort of minor incentive for submission,” suggests Michael Korolishin, an intern with Media Wizardz. Give out incentives that make sense and relate to your business, such as percentage off coupons for future services or products, free gifts and promotional pieces.

If you want to build up reviews quickly, try holding a contest. For a specified period of time, enter anyone who gives a review into a drawing for a more expensive and impressive item, such as an iPad or a gift card.

Spotlight the Customer

Most people like to be the center of attention. When you do receive referrals, highlight those customers who took the time to provide them. Ask if you can share their testimonials on your website and social media, and make the mention even more of an event by including a picture of the person with the testimonial.

Or go a step further and create a short video of you interviewing the satisfied customer, suggests Jason Reis, owner and lead programmer of Flehx Corp. “After a service call is complete, you (as the owner) can make a video personally thanking the customer for giving you the opportunity to work for him or her,” Reis says. “The video would be 30 seconds or less. Make sure to mention the customer’s name at least twice in the video. Then post the video to YouTube and send the customer a personal email with the link to the video. This is sure to get your customers talking about you in a very positive way.”

Follow a Routine

Not everyone will get around to giving you reviews, even when you ask. But if you incorporate the task of making the request into your regular business routine, you will begin to accumulate an impressive amount of reviews.

“Create a process that you and all of your people will follow on each and every job,” Motter says. “This will guarantee that you will have testimonials and referrals. The best part is that if you do this, you will have designed a real business system that will always produce results.”

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Photo: iStockphoto