Summary: As your business grows, your experience in your field improves as well. Learn how to use that to your advantage. Year One – Network Every Month Attend at least one event a month in your industry. Not only will you improve your knowledge and skills, but you will extend your network. Here are a few examples of events you could attend and how you should use them: Conferences Trade shows Meetups As I said, these events are an excellent opportunity for you to talk to people and extend your network. But, here’s something I noticed. About 95% of people fail to make meaningful connections because they don’t follow up. So, if you had a great conversation with someone at a networking event, send them a note and remark on your interaction. Mention how you enjoyed talking with them. If you’ve offered to connect them with someone else, then you should follow through with your promise. Networking isn’t over the minute you walk out of the event. It’s a continuous process. At the end of the first year, you will have improved your knowledge and skills. You will possess not only the vocabulary but also the ins and outs of how your industry operates. Most importantly, you will have new, meaningful connections with experts in your industry. A wise man once said, “Your network, is your net worth.” Don’t take it lightly. Year Two – Start a Blog Start writing content on trending topics in your industry – it’s a great way to make yourself known. Write on your blog or even write guest posts on other sites in your industry. If you don’t have a blog or if you don’t have enough name recognition to land guest writing opportunities, then you can publish your content on LinkedIn Pulse. Be consistent. If you want to be seen as an industry expert, make sure to post content regularly. Set a day each week or month when you publish new content and stick to the schedule. Make sure your articles are unique, helpful, and add value to your audience. As a rule of thumb, make sure your posts are at least 1,000 words or longer. Ideally, they should be around 3,500 to 5,000. These should be evergreen pieces that last the test of time. How to guides are a perfect example. Year Three – Publish a Book Publish a book and start presenting it at events in your industry. Believe me, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. You can take your first 12 blog posts and re-purpose them as a print book, eBook, and audiobook. Wait a minute. Aren’t print books dead, you might ask yourself. Far from it, and there’s another advantage to physical books. Even if you don’t sell any, they will become your new business card. A print book will separate you from most people in your field. Just imagine going into a job interview and handing an employer a physical copy of your book. Or imagine what people will think when you’re talking about your side business, and they come to find out you wrote a book in the space it works in. There’s no question that you will make a lasting impression. Use IngramSpark and CreateSpace to self-publish the books and have them available on Amazon, bookstores, and libraries. Focus on using your book as a tool to make money. Website: http://ianbalina.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaryofamad... Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/diaryofa... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ianbalina/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/diaryofamademan
