Get Slightly Famous/Online Thought Leadership Strategies in Investor's Business Daily

I was recently quoted in an article by Investor's Business Daily (along with networking guru Ivan Misner). I commented about strategies for online visibility -- a short excerpt from the article follows:

Networking Will Go Where No One's Business Card's Ever Gone Before
BY MOREY STETTNER
12/29/2006

One time-honored business practice that will really morph in 2007 is networking....

"Another tactic to bolster connections is through reverse networking. Instead of contacting others to pitch yourself, let them come to you and judge for themselves whether they want to contact you.

An emerging strategy to bring others to you involves "demonstrating your credibility and expertise online," said Steven Van Yoder, author of "Get Slightly Famous."

He foresees more networkers employing this three-step process in the years ahead:

• Identify Web sites that serve your target audience. If you want to network with insurance brokers, for example, get familiar with Web sites for agents' professional associations and trade groups.

• Write informative articles and get them posted on those Web sites. Your articles, which should be no longer than 750 words, must provide valuable content. Avoid a promotional tone. You don't want those articles to "read like advertisements," Van Yoder said.

• Dangle an incentive for readers to contact you. In your bio at the end of the article, offer something of value that people can receive free if they get in touch with you. For instance, provide a link to your Web site so that readers can download a free booklet or resource guide.

"Entice people to drop into your world where you offer them a solution," said Van Yoder, owner of Get the Word Out Communications, an online marketing firm in San Francisco."

Comments

[Terry Hall - The Small Business Prophet(tm)]

Hello Van,

Thank you for this reminder to get back to the basics. It seems that I always attend Business Networking events then I get very busy and stop going. All the while I wonder why business is dropping off! Go and figure...

I have found that if I follow this practice before a networking event I always attract 2 or 3 great connections.

I arrive 40 minutes before the event starts and take 10 minutes to meditation and focus on my intentions for this event. What do I need to meet? What is the next "critical inch" in my business?

When I get present to what I want to attract, I take a few minutes to tune up my Business Intuition so I will be aware of and attracted to the exact right people.

Thanks again for the powerful reminder!

Cheers,
Terry

[Jim Stigleburgery]

This is great stuff.

[Elaine Biss]

I have used this technique and it does work very well. Thanks for showing a step by step!