fbpx
6486 150th Avenue North Clearwater, FL 33760 727-433-2774 info@rganetwork.net

Last week, we talked about establishing your brand. This week, we’ll help you boost it!

Every time you greet someone, you have an opportunity to boost your brand.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a financial advisor attending a bake sale, or a carpenter going to the ballet. If you’re meeting people, you have a chance to boost your brand. Never miss a chance to let even the most casual acquaintance get to know you and, by extension, your brand!

That doesn’t mean you have to be promoting your business whenever you meet someone. Not at all! Constantly pushing your business indiscriminately will push more people away, and give a negative impression of you, your work, and your brand.

Instead, concentrate on interacting with people in a way that leaves them happy they met or ran into you!

Be interested in what others have to contribute to a conversation.

Be engaged in the different ways people use to find the products and services they need.

Have business cards, collaterals, a website, and social media accounts that all support your brand. Use the same fonts and a consistent logo and color scheme so people IDENTIFY these things with you. Going to an outdoor event? A bill cap with your company logo is in order! A trade show? Pens, pencils, can cozies, totes, anything branded with your logo, website, and phone number are great giveaways.

Be active with your social media. Post daily to keep people aware of you. You can prepare a week’s worth of posts and schedule when each will appear. Mix it up with a variety of posts, from useful information, to something humorous, to a thought-provoking question or statement. You want people to look forward to seeing your posts!

Be inter-active: SHARE posts that you find informative, fun, or interesting.

Be generous on social media: “tag” people whenever possible to extend their reach.

Join a networking group! Visit several different groups till you find the one that is a “fit” for you. I’m pretty sure you’ll find a “home” in the RGA network, the best networking group in the Tampa Bay area, because we have nearly two dozen chapters hosting meetings every week, at different times of day.

Be involved in your networking group! Attend your regular meetings, as well as special events like After Hours Mixers, MOMs and DADs (Meetings Outside the Meeting or Discussions After Dinner), trade shows, collaborative mixers, and network-sponsored parties are a great way to meet a lot of different people.

Be on time. No! Be early! Arriving 15 minutes before a networking meeting’s announced start time gives you a chance to settle in and chat with other early birds without cutting into the meeting. Arriving a little early for a MOM or DAD lets your networking contactsknow they can count on you to show up, be ready to talk at the agreed upon time, and be respectful of the value of their time.

WEAR YOUR NAMETAG. People are relieved not to be put on the spot to remember all the names of all the people they’ve met! The nametag has the added benefit of including your business name.

BLOG. A regular (weekly or monthly) blog on your company website lets people know that you have plenty of knowledge to share about your industry. Post the blog, then copy its URL and share that on all your social media platforms. No time to write, or not great with words? Farm it out!

Comment on OTHER blogs within your industry, and when you do, include the link to YOUR blog with your signature. Offer to trade guest blogs with sites you especially enjoy.

SPEAK YOUR TRUTH! Offer to present an informative (not sales-y) talk to the local service clubs in your area. Concentrate on educating them about your industry, and take some giveaways to hand out with your brochures and business cards.

Donate a door prize to your local Chamber of Commerce, your network, or your favorite charity to be given away at a mixer or fund-raiser. If you can give something that involves your company’s product or service, that’s wonderful! Don’t forget to include your business card/brochure/advertising novelty so the recipient knows where the gift came from!

SPONSOR an event! In our area. There’s something going on just about every week. Sponsorship doesn’t have to break the bank, so you might find several events throughout the year that will benefit from the help you can provide.

Volunteer for the events you sponsor and make your contribution work twice as hard! Volunteer for other events, too, and wear your nametag!

In a nutshell, you boost your brand every time you interact with someone. Wear your nametag so people can identify you, try the suggestions above, and watch your brand power soar.