One way to ensure the success of your business is to become recognizable as an expert in your community. It might seem surprising, but fame doesn’t happen by accident most of the time. Even though it may seem like some people are “overnight” successes, that overnight success likely came from years of planning.
If you want to become recognizable in your community, there are some steps you can take and things you can do to push yourself in that direction.
Advertise Online and Offline
Don’t limit your advertising and press releases to just online. Instead, send out press releases locally, and advertise in the local publications as well as on TV and the radio.
Be Active Online
You can become well-known in your local community by being very active on Facebook with your local people. Join local Facebook groups, publish locally focused articles on LinkedIn, and mention local people and businesses on Instagram.
Attend and Sponsor Local Events
Start making it a point to go to live and local events. Not only go to them but when the subject matter is appropriate, sponsor the events too. The more people hear your name and connect your business to your expertise, the better.
Join Local Business Organizations
Don’t just be someone who attends things; be someone who joins things and runs things. Every local business organization needs people to keep the organization going. As you get known, start stepping up to volunteer and help with these organizations.
Be a Resource to Others
Be open to interviews with the press and offer yourself up as an expert on your topic so that they know to call you when they need info about that topic. The more often you can be quoted by others, the more people will start seeing you as an expert. Plus, the more known you’ll become locally.
Publish a Book
A great way to become a minor local celebrity is to publish a book and then use that book as your calling card. Have a local book signing and send out a press release about the book and the signing. Send a free book to the library and other business centers if it’s appropriate and on the right topic.
Host Local Events
Once you get really involved locally, it’s time to start hosting your own local events. In fact, you can even break into the local scene by hosting a local event that you market and promote very well in a way that gets the eyes of the movers and shakers of the community.
Speak at Local Events
Send out a one sheet to your local groups and organizations so that they know they can call on you to speak locally and on which topics. If you have it, provide links to them showing your speaking creds and examples of speeches and talks that you’ve given in the past.
Volunteer
While volunteering for business organizations have been mentioned, another way to get known in your community is to choose a charity and volunteer for that one charity as much as possible. If your audience also likes that charity, that’s even better.
At some point, you’ll know that you’ve made it because people such as the press will start calling you more often to get information, and you’ll become a regular invitee for less well-known events as well as be asked to speak more often for clubs and organizations based on your expertise.
When you’re asked to attend almost anything, you should. Every event you go to is an opportunity to enhance your visibility and network.
Networking Locally: How to Be Successful
Networking locally is a great way to improve your business by becoming known as a local area expert in your niche. But, if you want to be successful when networking locally, it’s imperative that you know how to do it effectively. Otherwise, you might accomplish the opposite, and it could backfire.
Attend the Right Events
Check out many events in your local area and pick the ones that will help you reach your goals. You may have a goal to meet other people in your industry, or you may have a goal to meet people who may qualify to become your customer. Each event goal will depend on who is attending as much as who is hosting the event.
Dress the Part
Depending on the event you go to, you may need to dress a certain way. For example, if you’re going to a networking event with a lot of lawyers, you probably should wear business attire. But, if you’re going to an event full of coders or people who work from home, you can probably dress more casually. You should in every case dress how you feel most comfortable, but also in a way that makes your audience more comfortable.
Introduce Yourself First
In most cases, the person who puts their hand out first and introduces themselves demonstrates that they have more confidence and power than the person who waited. When you introduce yourself first, you get that awkwardness out of the way and can get on with getting to know people.
Know Your Plan
Before you show up at any event, you should have a plan. Each event will call for different plans to help you network more effectively. When you know the audience and how to appeal to them, you’ll do a lot better at each event.
Introduce People to Others
A really great way to stand out at events is to be a resource to people and conduct introductions between people that you think can help each other. When you are good at connecting people, the expertise of others rubs off onto you.
Be Positive
When you’re in public at an event, the worst thing you can do is start complaining about other people or things. Instead, be focused, positive, and helpful. Let your confidence shine through on your face by smiling and looking at people with poise.
Follow Up
Never forget to follow up with people you talked to, especially if you promised to give them some information about anything. A great tip for following up is to send people information, books, and articles about things you discussed at the event.
Networking locally will pay off when you pick the right events, know how to be yourself, let people know who you are and become a resource for everyone. If they know they can call on you to connect them to what they need, they’re going to remember you.
