Author: prosperra

9 Ways to Network with Experts in Your Niche

The ability to network is a fundamental part of running a business. Running a business in isolation is difficult, so it helps to have expert partners and acquaintances available to share ideas with. For an online entrepreneur, the best niche experts might be located all over the world. But regardless of location, there are still a number of effective ways to build relationships that are mutually beneficial for both partners.

Write a Roundup Article

A roundup article uses crowdsourcing to generate content. Make a list of every expert in your niche, think of an interesting question, then contact each person asking them to contribute. Not everyone will respond, but you should receive a number of interesting responses. While a roundup article will provide great content for your site, it also enables you to start building relationships with a number of experts.

Create a Podcast

Podcasts are extremely popular right now, so you should think about creating one for your niche audience. In terms of networking, though, a podcast can introduce your personality to relevant experts. Getting an interview might be your priority, but you can get better results if they are tempted to contact you directly instead. Discussing important industry news and updates will be interesting to industry leaders who are passionate about their niche.

Be an Active Commenter

Every blog owner hopes for an active comment section. If you can be an asset to a blogger, they will be open to further contact. To be recognized by the blogger, make sure you read the article thoroughly, write an insightful comment, and respond to any feedback.

Interview an Expert

An interview will give you direct contact with an expert, allowing you to make an impression and promote their brand. You might not get every interview you desire, but most experts are looking for ways to promote themselves and will oblige. If you can approach them with a credible website, there is a good chance you can get some of their time.

 

Use Social Media

Social media is perfect for networking, particularly when people are open to communicating directly. If you find an active expert in your niche, respond to their questions or comments. By making good contributions, you will quickly be noticed.

Correct an Error

While it won’t always be an option, if you notice an error you can use it to make an introduction. Many websites have errors, whether technical, grammatical, or factual, and you can often spot them without too much digging. Send an email or social media message politely correcting this error for the expert. If the error is very minor, it might appear too pedantic, so only do this when it is genuinely helpful.

Respond to a Blog Post

Commenting on blog posts is an effective method, but the next stage would be to write your own blog response. If you can make some points that are useful or thought-provoking to the expert, you can use this to open up a dialogue. At its simplest, a response could simply quote the original posts and add a few points of your own.

Attend Conferences

Conferences are a way to actually meet in person, so the results can be hard to beat. Most conferences have time set aside for networking, allowing you to meet everyone in your niche. There might be more work involved in getting to a conference, but the networking opportunities alone can often be worth it. Best results can often be gained by creating a good impression in person, followed up with an online contact.

Buy Their Product

There is no guarantee that purchasing a product will help you network with the creator, but there are instances where it is possible. Courses where the creator is heavily involved should let you make contact, whether it is through a forum, webinar, or support desk. If you become particularly knowledgeable about the product, you could provide some valuable help, suggestions, or amendments.

By implementing these methods, networking will become far easier. One of the problems with networking is the effort it can take for no results, but these methods all involve adding value. When an expert can see that you are being helpful first, making a connection becomes a smoother process.  All it really requires is a few people with a reputation to support you, with this social proof adding to your own status.

5 Things a Great Business Name Should Do

A great business name isn’t just a label for your company. It is also your number one marketing tool, serving as a platform for setting yourself apart and defining your brand. At the very least, your business name should do the following.

 

Convey the industry or area of expertise of your company

When customers search for businesses, they apply some filters to determine whether specific organizations are relevant to their needs. By communicating exactly what it is your business does within the company title, you let customers know right away that there’s a good chance you can help.

Once customers are confident you’re the right type of provider, they’ll usually contact you, stop in to your store or visit your website to get more details, ask questions or start shopping.

For this reason, a name like ‘Jake’s Total Vehicle Repair’ is better than ‘Jake’s Shop’, getting across not only the industry but also that the business does repairs. The word ‘total’ implies the shop is qualified for a large number of repairs, as well.

 

Get your business values across

With thousands of businesses providing services in today’s market, modern customers have more choices than ever before and are increasingly critical in their analysis of their providers.

They look not just for whether the services or products are a good fit, but for whether the business matches their own goals and philosophies. For instance, if a customer is against animal cruelty, they might look carefully at how a particular meat company treats its livestock.

Continuing with this example, if you’re the owner of the meat company, you might name it something like ‘Humane Meats’. From this standpoint, your company’s name sets the foundation for your entire brand.

 

Evoke emotion

Scientists have figured out that emotional recall happens in the brain faster than rational recall. That is, people feel and then apply facts and information to come to a conclusion.

With this in mind, company names that appeal to what people have experienced or know emotionally tend to be easier to remember and encourage deeper brand loyalty.

For instance, a name such as ‘Grandma’s Cookies’ may get customers to remember all the great times they spent feeling comforted and safe in their grandma’s kitchen, appealing to their sense of family and togetherness.

 

Capitalize on what people know

Every target market has its own set of idiosyncrasies that you’ll need to pay attention to when you come up with your business title.

People are familiar with certain word combinations or spellings, such as ‘color’ (American) versus ‘colour’ (British). Your name should stick to what’s most common for the language where they are, as people will want to link word pairs and use the spelling version based on the habit they’ve already established. Keep in mind here that you still can be creative with what’s available. Microsoft, for example, is a completely new word based on the common terms microcomputer and software.

One caveat here is that starting completely off the chart can set you apart from your competitors. Names such as Google, Twitter and Zimbra are examples that prove ‘nonsense’ or made up names can be successful. The difficulty with this approach, however, is that you will not have any initial meaning behind the name to work with. You have to be extra savvy and aggressive in communicating your industry, purpose and guiding beliefs.

 

Appeal to convenience

Although a longer business name can get more information across, it takes longer for your customers to say and type. This matters if you want people to remember the name easily and to feel at ease using it in everyday conversation where they could refer you. It also makes a difference in Internet searches, as an increasing number of people use mobile devices to enter URLs or search terms. Ideally, aim for a business name that’s just a single word.

 

Summing Up

Coming up with a decent business name can be challenging, but if you have a few key guidelines in mind, you can narrow down your choices considerably. Look for a name that gets your industry, expertise area and values across while getting people to respond emotionally to your brand. Names that do all this in a very short space while also addressing the idiosyncrasies of the target market are your ideal options.