Growing the Owner Behind the Small Biz
While CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies may have a very high profile, owners of small businesses can be just as visible within their small business world. You, too, are the face of your company. As such, it is advisable to take time, once a quarter, and evaluate that public presence and see what you could be doing to improve it.
STEP ONE
Never stop continuously learning.
As the owner, you are the expert on all things to do with your brand. Make sure you’re not so busy running the business that you’re neglecting to stay on top of your role as “knowledge leader.”
Other than expertise about your core business, there are areas where you could be learning that will make you better at doing your job.
Consider these clients of Small Biz Brands and their activities:
One is earning a new certification.
One is studying nutrition to supplement her pilates studio social posts.
One is taking weekly public speaking classes to improve his ability to speak effectively on behalf of his law firm.
STEP TWO
Embrace public relations.
This is an old-school tactic that still works well for today’s owners.
Pick one local newspaper reporter to cultivate. This will take a while but will be worth it when you are asked to comment on a story for your company or industry.
Join one industry group on LinkedIn and participate by commenting on topics and posts related to your expertise. Follow up with those who respond to your comment.
STEP THREE
Ramp up networking.
Network in whatever manner feels authentic to you. Ramping up begins with creating a comprehensive target list through Mail Chimp or another software. Add anyone who fits into the category of “potentially influential to my business.”
Back to “once a quarter” as we mentioned above, check this list and see who you could reach out to in order to nurture the contact. It could be lunch, a quick email, a phone call, or engaging with one of their posts. Don’t let any of the contacts go too long without hearing from you.
STEP FOUR
Make a plan for marketing visibility.
This step is not right for every small business, but take a moment to think about if it’s right for yours. If selling happens when you establish a certain level of trust with your audience, what better way to build trust than to show there is an actual human being behind the company?
You can be purposeful about this through creating a small digital marketing campaign for yourself in your role as owner. The campaign answers these questions:
- Why did you create this company?
- What obstacles have you encountered and overcome?
- What continues to excite you about working in this field?
- Who helped you get here and continues to be important to your company today?
- How is your work in this field overall making the world a better place?
The good news is you can deliver your additional “owner message” for free through your existing marketing channels: website, social media, emails, blogs and public appearances.
Payoff: These four steps will make sure one of your best selling points, you, is not left untapped. You can set whatever tone you want that seems authentic (humble, energetic, knowledgable, even humorous) but start getting the message out that there’s a real, quality person behind the company that is worth knowing.
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