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Building reputation and credibility

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This post is directed towards people who are launching products, offering services or simply providing their own event management services. If you’re running your own firm, you can focus entirely on getting business instead of pleasing supervisors. This usually equates to getting customers and making sure they are happy. The issue is that it isn’t always as simple and easy as it seems. Unless you are in a very specific niche, chances are you’ll have competitive sharks swimming in the water as well. Those businesses that thrive on reputation based sales become very competitive.

The good thing about today’s time is that you can channelize multiple forces to carve a stronger foothold on the market to make sure that you can get as much business as possible. Here are some quick tips to get you started:

Drive competition away

The best and surest way to earn reputation is to find what sets you apart from competition. What value does your product or service offer which is different and can be highlighted? Don’t restrict yourself - be creative.

Quality and consistency

Secondly, focus on ensuring quality and consistency in your services. I’d say, set high standards and consistently meet them. Your work has to be good, your services have to speak for themselves, your web presence has to be top-notch, how quickly and well you handle customer queries has to be right on. Don’t compromise on quality and wonder why your business is not where it potentially can be.

Endorsements

When you know your competitive edge and have provided high quality services, make sure you request for feedback and reviews from your customers. This is extremely important in building credibility in business. People trust what others have to say, especially if those “others” are people they look up to. So, if suppose, Micheal Arrington says something good about a new startup, people will check them out.

If your product or service isn’t something people can find and write about themselves, at least you can request testimonials from your existing customers. You have invest time in building your reputation, it doesn’t just happen by itself.

Get more visibility - Create a following

All of that effort can go to waste if people don’t know about you. Once you have all of the other pieces together, you spread the word. Start a community and build a following instead of just marketing your services. Like anything else, you need to build credibility first. You can use different tools like blogs, microblogs (e.g. twitter) and social pages (e.g. facebook) to build a community of likeminded people (or potential customers). This will definitely get you more visibility and will help in building your reputation.

Simon U Ford (SUF.EDBD)

Today’s tip! Twitter delivers Events Listed more traffic than Google search on any given day. Become immune to the Google slap by managing your Twitter campaign professionally.

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  • Unless you wish to crawl under a rock, this article is completely relevant for people not only in business, but for life in general. Finding a tribe of like-minded people is the way to change your local community, your country, or even the world. It is only by coming together that we are able to make a stand, and good leaders stand on integrity. Social media only accentuates this process. It is of top importance to remain true to your values while using the tools of social networking to develop your reputation. It takes only a brief slip to also ruin that reputation across the internet. Integrity comes first.
  • Simon, If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you were writing this for my friends who are artists. What you have written is absolutely true for those of us who create "fine-craft.". Cultivating a group of loyal, informed people who recognize that what we do is "special" is something the internet is perfectly suited for and not often enough - taken advantage of. It creates a win-win situation for artists and the public alike!
  • Kari art is a perfect business to apply Social Media marketing strategies to because you need to reach a wide spread demographic to source a smaller, niche market. It's where Social Marketing comes into its element,....you are certainly in the right path.

    I would guess you still need those physical art shows although probably not so much as these days. Do you find you can sell your art off the page or is at the shows you sell most your stuff?
  • I've been creating artwork and doing craft fairs for the last 30 years. I only do a few highly juried fairs. After all these years, the collectors i've sold to and the public I've met through these shows already know me and know of my website. Social networking is a way for me to meet people who have never heard of me, or been to one of the shows! Although most people prefer to buy baskets after seeing them in person, I neede to introduce and familiarize people as to what makes my work "special" and they should spend the money on. This takes time. The internet is a perfect vehicle for educating future collectors.
  • Just got from a meeting with a guy Ill probaly work with, showing him the google apps pages and there they have a page with 10's of videos Endorsements. I guess they agree with you. :)
  • Nicole VJ Allen
    I thought this message was so important that I forwarded it on to 2 others--the owners of the company I am learning to market. Of the four items, listed, we were farthest behind on the endorsements aspect of marketing the company. To rectify, at the last event we held last month, we video taped about 10 people who were willing to give testimonials. I can't wait to see how they will be received when we finally begin to use them in our marketing!
  • halicea99
    You have to have a Farmers mentality Vs a Ranchers mentality, where as the Rancher raises the cattle then slaughters it for market and that's the end of it. The Farmer on the other hand takes care of his cattle and continues to milk it for years to come. Same as your reputation and marketing methods if you are just going for the quick cash and looking to be out of the picture in a short time go ahead and spam the world, but if you are going to be in it for the long haul, take your time and build your reputation correctly. This article makes it very clear.
  • JoLynn_Braley
    LOL, I second what Robin said, " **Unless you wish to crawl under a rock**, this article is completely relevant for people not only in business, but for life in general."

    Beyond that, the main point I got out of this article is the point on consistency - people come to rely on you and being consistent is a great part of that, especially online. What I find can be a challenge is the fact that I work from inspired action, and if I'm not inspired to act then it becomes a struggle. So it's a balance between taking action that is naturally inspired from within and finding some inspiration to act when I don't feel that way, in order to remain outwardly consistent.
  • Geary Morales
    This Event Launch Strategies: Building Reputation and Credibility conversation, is indeed, insightful when setting the stage in developing a formidable event and brand.

    For instance:

    * Driving Competition Away (by developing your unique selling proposition),

    * Quality and Consistency (the most important aspects of developing your brand),

    * Endorsements (asking for others to testify to your actual building of your brand through that quality and consistency),

    * Get More Visibility - Create a Following (through social media sites utilizing proven strategies, tactics and online tools - like Twitter rather than Google Search).

    Geary Morales, Milwaukee, WI - USA
    http://thebookofproverbsschoolofwisdom.blogspot...
  • michelep
    Simon, It is reassuring to realize You are a perfect example of what you teach us about creating high standards around our brand. This is a valuable lesson we need to stand out from the competitive market. Meeting these qualities consistently promotes the business and attracts authority's attention. Building perfect Reputation and Credibility over the internet is so important. This course is a definite pre-requisite for anyone using the web. Michele
  • One of my favorite books is Blue Ocean Strategy and this article is very similar in strategy. Simon U Ford has outlined how you must focus not only on the customer, but on differentiating your offering. Whether it is an event, a new product or a service, putting the customer first and thinking about what will make it memorable is what will generate viral marketing of that event.
  • In fact we are all different though we often try to be the same.Working from our strengths and complimenting our weaknesses with other team mates lets us be free to build our brand. Building reputation certainly does take a lot of time both on and offline business or mother or student or kid.
    It can get destroyed rapidly too. For sure if we are consistent and authentic with who we are and what we bring to the table, our relations will be at ease with us and konw exactly when, why and what they need to come to us for.
  • I think the problem with most people marketing online is the "Me Too" mentality.

    They see what's working for other people and then they try to be that, or even worse they try to be everything to everyone.

    Finding your Unique Selling Proposition should be the first thing on your list when you tackle the online world. There are millions of people online and you need only connect with a small group to get your message out there.
  • This strategy, coupled with the many other word of mouth media strategies outlined in Simon U Ford's book Social Traffic, can assist with launching anything from an idea to a product, a service or a company. When studiously approached and diligently applied, you can see the social proof easily and readily.
  • altexor
    I recent commented on online credibility based on my studies of Stanford University's Website Credibility project Materials over the past (too many) years. Its a good place to start your journey about learning about website credibility and it applies to almost any business: http://www.altex-marketing.com/website-credibil...

    PS Not sure if this will show twice. Something weird happened when commenting...
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