Many small business owners and entrepreneurs are trying to use social media to get their message out to the masses, but are they actually building influence? Or do they know why they should be building influence? We want to help educate you on why your business should be an ‘influencer.’
Yes, you may be posting on a blog or social media about your product or service, but that is not building influence. In some forums, such as Google+ communities and LinkedIn groups, posting strictly about your product or service and providing a link to your blog or webpage is seen as ‘link dumping’ or ‘spam.’ These practices are frowned upon and can actually have a negative impact on your influence level and your brand.
So why should you build your online influence? Well, because your potential customers listen to people of influence. Influencers focus on helping others. They are taken more seriously than those who post only about their own product or service. When people look for information online, they look for influencers. When it is time to make a purchase online or off, the tend to take advice from influencers. If the influencer sells the product or service they are looking for, they will go to that person.
Influencers understand that by providing leadership and guidance as well as sharing valuable information, that business people will ultimately come back to them. Building online influence can also build trust. This trust will also reflect on your brand and how it is perceived by current and future customers.
People are constantly seeking out leaders and influencers for help to make the right choices or to get the information they need to make business or purchasing decisions – especially in an Internet world where we are inundated with useless information on the quest for knowledge. The more you can stand out, the better chance you will have at securing that next customer.
Once you become known as an influencer, your audience will grow as more people share your messages, advice and wisdom. The more your influence grows, the more you will be able to reach more of your target audience and gain their trust – because they will see how you have already gained the trust of a larger audience who follow and interact with you, compared to your competitors.
Credibility is part of your attraction as an influencer, so providing credible content to your social media will help to build your influence. Without credibility, you will find it hard to capture your online market share, even if your posts are thought-provoking and well-written. The more credible your content, the more influence you will gain.
Even if the influence you build with followers does not make a sale today, it could encourage your followers to recommend you, your product or your service because you top-of-mind as an influencer and expert in your industry. Your goal of being an influencer should not be for short-term quick gains, but for the long-term success of your brand.
People often ask us why an office business centre writes about small business and about not office space rent or virtual office space all the time. The answer is simple; we are ultimately in the business of helping small businesses and entrepreneurs. Most of our office tenants and virtual office clients are small business owners and entrepreneurs. Quite simply, we want to be known as the place where small businesses grow.