Network, Network, NETwork
Well, shame on me. It has been two weeks since I have posted. We have been very busy at Netvantage Marketing. It seems to me that the business community and associations have a vast period of inactivity between July 1st and Labor Day, and then bam - I am going to Capital Area IT Council meetings, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Bottom Line breakfasts, luncheons, and local business association meetings. Why? Well because we want to network, and pursue all avenues possible to spread the word on Netvantage Marketing. And I am guessing that we will be on this torrid pace until Thanksgiving - and then of course its “we’ll get to it after the Holidays”. But until then, lots of meetings and networking events, which should be a lot of fun.
Why network? Well for lots of reasons that you know. But this is not a post about why network to build leads. You can get that in something like the local paper’s business tips section. Besides the odd chance that we will gain a lead, we network to help build brand. Build brand? Yes, remember a brand is not your logo. A brand is what your various target audiences perceive of you. Is is totally controllable? Unless you can manipulate people’s minds, no. But can you contribute to it? Of course! Giving the right first impression when you network at events helps build your perception and resultant brand.
However, don’t forget to build your online brand. Online brand development is very key to your business. Thinking of the home page of your website as that first handshake and 45 second elevator pitch at a cocktail mixer will go a long way in the success of your website as an important part of your business model. At Netvantage, we are always looking at ways to drive more traffic to your site, with search engine marketing, and search engine optimization, and web analytics. However, first and foremost, before we can do our work, we also need to make sure that our client’s online handshake is strong enough, and that their website is able to NETwork. So if you are looking to generate more traffic to your site, be sure to take a good look at the site, and take the appropriate steps to develop the right online brand.
