Becoming an important industry influencer can take some time. However, there are certain things you can do to speed up your learning curve. For instance, here are 5 strategies that are proven to expand your circle of influence in your market. Try any one of these and you’ll speed your way to being viewed as a respected, knowledgeable, and influential industry leader.
1. Create a Facebook Group
Starting and managing a Facebook group is easy. The important part that delivers excellent industry influence is exactly HOW you manage that group. You have to be active daily, even if it is only for a few minutes. Share, like, and respond to comments and posts made by your group members. Set aside one day a week for a 1 or 2-hour question and answer session. Post lots of video and infographics, because they receive much more engagement than text-based posts. Provide valuable freebies or steep product discounts, and always think about what your market wants as opposed to what you are trying to accomplish.
2. Optimize Your “About Us” Page
There are 2 things you need to know about improving your industry influence by optimizing the “About Us” page on your website or blog.
1) Every day more than 200 million people search for someone’s name on Google
2) On the majority of websites and blogs, small and large, personal and professional, the “About Us” page is the #1 or #2 most viewed
That is because human beings have grown to be more attracted to, and viewed as trustworthy people rather than companies. Make sure your full name and all your industry accolades are listed on your “About Us” page.
Include a lot of content that uses industry keywords and phrases. Talk about your achievements from a viewpoint of how they have helped your customers and others in your market. Don’t just scribble a few lines on this very important page. Add tonnes of valuable content, and make sure you have an opt-in form so you can grow your email list, and your circle of influence, on this critical web page.
3. Join LinkedIn
LinkedIn has more than 450 million business professionals as its members (as of the second quarter of 2016). Of all the social networks, this is the most business-oriented. There is no fooling around on LinkedIn. Everyone is there to seek and provide value, and make business connections. Once there, optimize your profile to the fullest. Use as many words as LinkedIn allows when filling out your profile, and immediately join any LinkedIn groups which apply to your industry.
4. Publish Content Off-Line
Sharing your content online is easy, quick, and very effective for sharing your message. However, it is important to note that most businesses, entrepreneurs, and small business owners ignore off-line media as a marketing channel.
Newspapers, radio, and local television station managers are often starved for value-rich content. You can provide press releases, reports, industry tips, and how-to’s, interviews, and other valuable pieces of content to these and other local media organizations. This can quickly grow your local influence and could lead to a regular weekly or monthly television or radio show, or newspaper column.
5. Hire Someone Else to Do All the Hard Work
You may be busy running your business. If so, you know there are not enough hours in the day to handle all of your personal and professional obligations as it is, much less considering taking on more. Companies like Dynamic Signal, Key Person of Influence, HubSpot, and Influence & Company will handle multiple aspects of content creation, content delivery, and brand marketing for you.
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