The Waldo Factor - part 1

Here’s the scene, and I think we’ve all been here: You are at a conference and the person on stage speaking to 1,000+ people is somewhere between adequate and pretty good, but you are thinking he/she is not as good as you. My usual thought is along the lines of “where did they dig up this clown, and why is he/she talking about last year’s hot ideas as if they were new?”

So why is that person on the stage and you are sitting, frustrated, in the audience? What got them up there and not you?

While there are no easy answers to that question, the biggest factor is they are better known for what they do than you are. It may be because they wrote a book or some articles, they had some other speaking engagements, they were recommended by someone advising the event, or maybe they “knew somebody” or probably some combination of these and other factors. Somehow they were able to get in front of the right people at the right time and get the speaking engagement.

Regardless of the factors that created the situation, the fact is they are on the stage and you are in the audience. People are looking at and listening to them, and you are one of those faceless people in the crowd. Again, we've all been there.

Think of the person on the stage as Point B, and you as Point A. How do you get from Point A to Point B?

In the book series Where's Waldo, a tall guy with glasses dressed in blue pants, a red and white striped shirt and matching hat is always somewhere in a scene so crowded with other things and other people that it is hard to find him. The reader’s (really, viewer, as there are no words) job is to find Waldo.

In the speaking scenario above, the only one easy to find is the person on the stage. Unless you are wearing a red and white striped shirt with a matching hat, you will be hard to pick out in that audience. That's not usually the way you want to stand out in a business crowd.

Your job is to intellectually stand out and stand apart in your business niche, and to be easily found by those who need to find you because of your expertise. Then the people you want to meet and know will have an interest in knowing you and having as part of their online and offline network.

Growth in any market niche is predicated on building relationships with key influencers in that niche, and then becoming an influencer in that niche. Those influencers can include prospects, partners, press, investors, C-level execs and others influential in your market.

To build the relationships and maximize your presence, you need to develop credibility in your market, then build your visibility. Visibility without credibility has no value or worse, negative value.

Credibility is developed by being good at what you do and working at getting better,  being among the best at what you do, and adding value to the community. Then you find ways to share some of your knowledge and opinions with others.

Once you start this process, you are already creating visibility, but it is necessary to continue to build your knowledge base as you expand your visibility. Markets evolve and you must evolve with them to retain your credibility.

Traditionally we have face-to-face events for networking, seminars and conferences where we share or receive knowledge, publications where we read, write or be quoted. These are still excellent venues.

But wait!!! There's more!

With the advent of web 2.0 tools, we have the ability to either bypass traditional methods or enhance them by incorporating them into our web-based activity.

For business professionals, LinkedIn has become an incredibly valuable tool for developing credibility and visibility. Your ability to stand out in a crowd is now predicated on your ability use both the traditional and web-based tools and coordinate the activity between them to make you among the most “findable" experts in your niche. Think of it as "findability".

So here is the initial equation:

credibility + visibility = findability.

There are several examples and one great example is Steve Ressler, founder of GovLoop.

Steve was a government IT analyst and program manager at the Department of Homeland Security. While working for the government, on his own time he co-founded Young Government Leaders, which has become a great networking venue for the next generation of public managers.

Then in 2008, Steve started the online community for Feds, GovLoop (by for and about Feds - the Facebook for government).

Steve's use of social media, which also led to being featured in traditional media, is a great example of what can happen if you develop an expertise and share your ideas. Along the way he won acclaim and awards from industry groups and trade publications, leading to even more visibility.

Steve stays active through GovLoop, Young Government Leaders and mainly by sharing ideas in as many forums as possible.

None of this happened overnight for Steve, and it all required hard work.

We don't all need industry-wide visbility, but most of us need visibility within a defined niche. And the tactics to gain that visibility are basically the same:

1- be good at what you do and work hard at staying good;

2- find the venues where those in your niche congregate, both online and offline venues, and get involved;

3- participation in these venues involves helping with events, working in special interest groups, developing and sharing ideas, commenting on other ideas, etc;

4- always be on the lookout for ways to share with others who would be interested.

Credibility, visibility and findability are truly keys to success.


IF you need assistance in developing and implementing a plan to raise your findability, send an email to markamtower@gmail.com . 

Top Priorities for Maximizing Your Presence on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a destination of choice for business professionals online, but there are still many not taking advantage of what it offers.

LinkedIn now has well over 100 million registered members, approaching 1 million groups (as of 2:23 PM  on 7/11/11, 982,417)- 6,022 groups that have something to do with "government", and a ton of ways to make yourself known.

But most of those 100 million members are not leveraging LinkedIn in ways that will pay long term dividends. Inactivity by many, spam messages from many others, groups that remain un-managed or poorly managed, it seems like a waste.

However, for those who seek to gain some recognition on LinkedIn, here are a few tips to stand out & stand apart.

First, fill out your profile to 100%. Use short sentences and short paragraphs and make it interesting. Don't simply cut & paste your resume. Also use a professional picture, not a family photo, or one with a pet. Edit and update your profile regularly, at least twice each month.

Second, the way you fill out your profile should define the audience you wish to connect to- so make certain you state clearly what you do and what your niche is. Your SUMMARY" area is best for this, although each job description is also important.

Third, join pertinent groups and participate in them. Joining a LinkedIn group is like joining an association- there is no value unless you participate. Comment on or start discussions, ask and answer questions. There is no harm in joining groups then leaving if you don't find them useful.

Fourth, remember this is a network for professionals, so act like one. Avoid flip answers and don't make fun of people who ask seemingly silly questions.

Fifth, if you have a paid LinkedIn membership, monitor those who view your profile. often these are people you may want to connect to.

Sixth, if it is your company, start and manage your company profile. Make it, like your summary, readable and interesting, and clearly state what your company does. Avoid platitudes.

Seventh, tie your LinkedIn profile to your company web site and to your email signature.

Eighth, if you blog, post the link to LinkedIn. There is an app which allows you to have your blog show up on your profile.

Ninth, use the Twitter-like update box at least once a week. You can also connect this directly with your Twitter account if you tweet.

Tenth, check your account in the early AM and the late in the day. You don't need to monitor your LinkedIn account throughout the day, but you should check it once early and once late.

This post is meant to offer a few tips that work if you use them and feedback is always welcomed.

What's in a name?

A name, in this or any market, can be a significant web traffic driver if used properly. The name of your web site, blog and micro-site(s) are critical for lead generation on the web.

In my monthly column at WashingtonTechnology.com in Dec, 2009 I addressed the concept of "intellectual real estate"- defining your position within the market. The article is here:
http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2009/12/03/amtower-dec-09-column.aspx?sc_lang=en

Defining and defending your market position is how you differentiate yourself in this or any market. It is, or should be, your competitive advantage, and it must be actively defended.

In my most recent WT column- http://washingtontechnology.com/Articles/2010/03/25/Amtower-WT-April.aspx
I discuss two tactics you can use to define and defend your niche: blogging and micro-sites. A micro-site is a mini-web site, usually just a landing page, which allows you to discuss one subject and then direct visitors to register for an event, get more product or service information from your home page, to take some action.

Both blogs and micro-sites allow you to
1) define a position
2) show thought leadership for that position
3) drive qualified traffic to your main site
4) help you start to "own" that niche in the market as the blog and/or micro-site becomes more pervasive.

Blogs are more robust and require more regular content, but micro-sites also need to be updated with new products, services, white papers, etc.

Micro-sites require separate urls. Because your company already has a web site, and a url that reflects the company name (but probably not the niche you are defining), I strongly suggest you buy the url for the micro-site that targets the niche specifically. While most .com and .net names have been snatched up over the years, the aftermarket for urls is booming now that .com's are truly running out.

Recent searches at Afternic.com and BuyDomains.com (think of these as the eBay for urls) show hundreds of names available starting with "Government", "Federal", "Gov" and "Fed." Think FedSecurity.com, GovNetworkSecurity, FedFacility.com, and on and on.

Think also of the hot topics in our market: telework (after the big storm last month this is really hot), network security, cybersecurity, training, safety, facilities, government managers and executives, the stimulus program and more.

Do your products and services target these audiences? And if so, are you maximizing your web presence to drive as much traffic as possible to your main web site where you can convert the leads to customers?

Carefully consider using micro-sites and blogs to enhance your web marketing program.

Twitter, and Blogging and LinkedIn – Oh My! Why to leverage social networking tools for smarter, faster and cheaper B2G marketing.

The basic goal of marketing is to get attention from a targeted audience, then to influence that audience in some positive (positive for you) way. If your job includes growing your pipeline and growing your business, gaining and retaining customers, growing your overall influence in your niche, and do so in a cost effective way – you need to read on.

If your job is to make sure you keep pace with your competitors or set the pace for your niche, you need to read this.

If you could reach key people in your niche, at least in part, with readily available tools that you can use yourself, would you seriously consider using the tools?

Oh, and did I mention they have a minimal cost?

LinkedIn, blogging and Twitter each represent low-cost and no-cost tools that allow you to reach and interact with targeted audiences.

While there is no doubt that social media has changed the marketing landscape, there are still many doubters and very slow adopters. And even for many of those who have adopted one or more of the social networking tools do not use them to anywhere near the full capacity.

In fact, many sign up and then sit and wait for something to happen.

I still have conversations with people who still maintain that LinkedIn is only for those seeking work, that blogging is for those who have way too much extra time on the hands and that Twitter is for Twits. These people, and their companies, are way too busy for peripheral activities like LinkedIn, blogging and Twitter.

As other media venues stagnate or shrinking, each of us still needs to reach key audiences. The information gathering habits of many in our market have changed and we must change with them.

I am only highlighting 3 tools here but there are many others in use and some just coming along. Webinars, podcasting, web radio and video, FaceBook, GovLoop, TFCN and many others are out there offer good-to-great value for those who leverage them properly.

Being on LinkedIn is no longer simply a ‘nice to have’ activity. If you are not there, you are in a rapidly shrinking minority. LinkedIn is a great venue for identifying key government influencers and those trying to sell to them- resellers, SIs, manufacturers and others. The entire roster of the top 100 contractors (the Washington Technology list) is represented on LinkedIn, as are most of the top GSA Schedule contractors. Overall there are over 50,000,000 professionals on LinkedIn. While not all are overly active, there is enough activity to merit your active participation.

In order to begin to use LinkedIn properly, your profile needs to be filled with enough information to get the attention of those who view it. I will address this at my December 7 B2G Social media event – see the link at the end of this post.

As of today (11/27/09) there are exactly 3,100 groups that have something to do with ‘government’ on LinkedIn. Aside from those, there are niche groups covering all manner of subject matter from various technologies, products and services. When you identify the right groups to join, you can share your thoughts, do research and otherwise participate in the discussions germane to your niche. Participation here raises your overall visibility in your niche and display an area of expertise.

Cost of participating on LinkedIn? $0. While there are paid levels for those wishing to use more tools, basic participation is free.

According to blogging diva Debbie Weil, blogging is different from conventional web sites because blogs are interactive, conversational in nature, created via an instant publishing platform (no IT staff required), offer an involvement factor that web sites lack, and can create a thought leadership position for the blogger. Web 2.0 thought leaders David Meerman Scott and Chris Brogan lead with their blogs. They post regularly (and intelligently) and both have developed massive followings as a result.

Blogs also allow you to truly position yourself as a niche master or thought leader in a specific niche. This occurs not by regurgitating information from other sources but by evolving your own thoughts on the niche and commenting on the positions of others as necessary.

Cost for blogging? There are both free and paid blogging tools, but even the paid ones are not expensive. Select the one that best suits your needs.

The one I personally have the hardest time with – Twitter is becoming clearer to me all the time. Chris Brogan’s blog on Twitter is a great place to start: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/ .

The first issue with Twitter for B2G is ‘are there really enough people in the government market using Twitter to make a difference?’ While open for debate, perhaps the best answer is the number continues to grow. The publications, service providers, many thought leaders and government contractors are officially tweeting on a regular basis, as are many government agencies.

Following some of the publications (WashTech and others) on Twitter allows you to get instant news updates, calendar reminders and more.

Twitter is becoming more and more widespread in B2G marketing and it can no longer be ignored.

Cost for tweeting? Twitter is free.

So why should you bother to engage in using these social networking tools? If your job includes growing your pipeline and growing your business, gaining and retaining customers, growing your overall influence in your niche, and do so in a cost effective way – you need to start using these tools on behalf of your company.

If your job is to make sure you keep pace with your competitors or set the pace for your niche, you need to be here.

If you need to know more, please consider attending our upcoming event on December 7 in Tysons Corner, Virginia:

http://www.governmentmarketmaster.com/events.html