"Market Yourself" for a Successful Business

By Terri Seymour
Posted Friday, December 10, 2004

The imporatnce of building yourself and your reputation.

Building an online business takes a lot of work, passion and commitment. Unfortunately, some people are led to believe all you have to do is slap up a website and watch the orders start rolling in!!

This could not be further from the truth! One thing I have learned in my years online is that you have to "market yourself" in order to build a successful online business. What you need to do is build your reputation and let people get to know you so they want to get to know your business.

You want people to be able to trust you, rely on you and be assured that you actually have some knowledge about the business you are in. This is the part of building a business that will take some time but will have its rewards. ( And I am not just talking financial rewards)

There are several ways of "networking" online which will help you "market yourself". I have found the following methods to be very effective in building a solid online reputation.

Ezine Publishing - An ezine can be a lifeline between you and your readers/customers. This is a great way to prove yourself trustworthy and knowledgeable. Be consistent in sending out your ezine. Be available to your readers when they need you. And also, give them a quality content-filled ezine to read!

Message Boards - Become a "resident expert" on some quality message boards. Visit regularly and offer any help, advice or support that you can. Always treat others with respect and courtesy. Get started with these boards: (http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/bb/index.php) (http://homebizlink.com/wwwboard/) (http://www.internet-marketing-forum.com/forum/index.php) (http://www.webwondersnews.com/forum/)

Find more boards here: (http://www.forumdirectory.net/) If you have a forum, add it to the directory.

Discussion Lists - Basically the same as forum boards, but done through your email. Some groups are more strict than others, so please be sure to follow posting guidelines. A few of my favorites: mailto:hbj_chat-subscribe@yahoogroups.com mailto:ideasbypost-subscribe@yahoogroups.com mailto:newbies911-subscribe@topica.com

Email Etiquette - People will email you with questions, concerns, suggestions and ideas. Answer all emails as quickly and efficiently as possible always being courteous and respectful. This is a great way of building your networking list and very possibly picking up customers.

Writing Articles - Writing articles is one of the most powerful reputation and business building methods available. People want and need basic, down-to-earth information and resources. They are not looking for big words or fancy writing styles. Put your heart and personality into your articles along with helpful resources and information. More info and resources on writing articles: mailto:getideas@getresponse.com mailto:yesarticles@getresponse.com

Remember the main points of "marketing yourself"

*Be trustworthy and reliable. *Show your knowledge and offer it to others. *Offer advice, help, and/or support whenever possible. *Always treat others (even the difficult ones) with respect and courtesy. Rise above the pettiness of some people. *Be available (if possible) when someone needs you.

With a solid and sterling reputation, your business will bloom like a flower in springtime!

"Marketing yourself" will go a long way towards building your online business and it also helps you in other ways as well. You form lasting and beneficial relationships with others, both personal and business. You learn more from the experiences of others and you might also learn more about yourself and what you really are capable of. And that, my friend, can be the biggest reward of all!!

About the Author
I am married for 18 years with two children and we live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. We are very family-oriented and I have always been a stay at home Mom. My two boys are 16 and 9. I have been looking for a home business for years and when we got our first computer and went on the internet I knew that was what I wanted to do. I have been on the net for about two years and am learning more everyday. I have a free resource site, My Own Ezine, and also publish an ezine called My Own Ezine. I recently started writing articles and am doing very well with them. With my website and ezine I hope to help other netprenuers start or build their online business.