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Old Colony Elder Services employees hold drive to help those in need in Brockton and Plymouth

Avery Moore, Lenilda Carvalho, Mirchelle Ange-Laveus and Frank Faria from OCES’ Brockton office gathering personal care items for delivery to MainSpring House.

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities, are helping to support those who are experiencing homelessness this holiday season.

Led by OCES’ Protective Services (PS) and Money Management Program (MMP) team, OCES staff collected donations of socks and personal care items in an employee outreach drive held at OCES’ Brockton and Plymouth offices. The donations were delivered to MainSpring House shelter located at 54 North Main Street in Brockton and New Hope Chapel located at 89 Court Street in Plymouth.

“Each year, our Protective Services and Money Management Program team holds a drive to collect needed items for individuals experiencing homelessness in our community,” explained Teresa Kourtz, LSW, PS/MMP Director, who led the drive. “There are a number of people facing uncertain circumstances who are in need of emergency shelter. We strive to help by providing personal care necessities to those who don’t have ready access to these items.”

To learn more about MainSpring House, visit helpfbms.org. To learn more about Plymouth New Hope Chapel, visit www.newhopeplymouth.org.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 26 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of elders and people with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency has 247 employees and operates more than 15 programs serving older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.

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To Celebrate 75th Birthday, Artist, Priscilla Beadle Makes 52 Necklaces in 2017

Priscilla Beadle

To celebrate turning 75, many people choose a relaxing vacation or a great party; some people are happy just to make it through the day. Priscilla Beadle, Hull MA artist, challenges herself.

Inspired by a friend who was fascinated by the 52-drawer apothecary chest in her studio, Beadle decided to create a one-of-a-kind beaded necklace each week in 2017. Each neckpiece will originate from a different drawer. “I consider this an adventure fantasy trip,” enthuses Beadle. “Do I think about slowing down for 75? Do I think about maintaining? Or shouldn’t I speed up for a year?!” she laughs. “The fact I’m turning 75 makes me want to speed up!”

An English major in college, Beadle has lived her life by Robert Browning’s line, “…a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,/ Or what’s a heaven for?” This quote is the driving force behind all Beadle’s difficult and exciting endeavors. “It gives me permission to push myself,” she says. For her, this challenge is self-motivating as it produces a real accomplishment each week. “Sometimes you just have to push yourself to grow, stretch, and do things for yourself,” Beadle advises. She has already begun to write a maker’s journal that she will keep throughout the year.

Adding to Beadle’s motivation, her large vintage apothecary chest has 52 drawers; seven square drawers arranged in seven rows, with three large drawers at the bottom. Purchased in Hong Kong, the inspirational 1940’s era Elm wood apothecary chest is more than seven feet tall, four feet wide, with each drawer going 16 inches back.

“I’m going to start in the upper left corner drawer and work my way through every drawer, from left to right, top to bottom,” confides Beadle. She uses the chest to organize her vast collection of beads based on color and material. Each drawer has three compartments. The first necklace of the year will be drawn from Venetian glass beads which have been divided into silver/gold, blue/green, and red/orange groups. The second drawer has different color Venetian glass; black/white; purple/yellow; and multi-colored. The last drawer of the year contains faux amber—cherry, butterscotch, and yellow mock amber—resin beads from Indonesia.

Beadle keeps clasps and centerpieces in a special cabinet, not in the drawers. Center pendants can be made of glass, jade, silver, brooches, semi-precious gems, and oddities such as extraordinary buttons or other upcycled adornments.

Creating bead jewelry art since 1993, Priscilla Beadle first found inspiration for her bold, eclectic designs in the bazaars of Tibet and Nepal, in dusty shops in Beijing, on remote Indonesian islands reached by catamaran, in beautiful Bali, and in verdant Indochina—Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Each Beadleful design starts with a centerpiece—add whimsy, color excitement, texture, chunky beads, a fabulous clasp—a collectable necklace is born.

Priscilla Beadle returned to her hometown, Hull MA, in 2011. For 34 years she had lived in California, eleven in the historic mission town of San Luis Obispo. She brought her business, Beadleful, with her and crafted a comfortable studio for her work on the ground floor of her home. The spark of Beadleful ignited when, after 23 years in the corporate world, Priscilla retired in 1993 to accompany her husband on his job assignment in Hong Kong. Southeast Asia became her handicraft fantasy world as she hunted for beads: –odd, large, ethnic, contrarian beads; antique or contemporary glass beads; rare and unusual colors; textures that lead to touching. Whether traveling the world or stalking New England galleries, successful bead hunting inspires the bold eclectic designs that characterize Priscilla’s unique necklaces and bracelets.

For more information or to arrange a studio tour, please visit https://priscillabeadle.com/

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Content Marketing and PR Opportunities in Commercial Construction

Perhaps no other business offers more marketing and PR opportunities than commercial developments. Yet surprisingly, many companies don’t take advantage of the myriad of media and marketing opportunities the natural course of doing business presents. PR Works has worked with one company that certainly fell into that category.

A Massachusetts-based general contractor, the company had a well-earned niche in rehabs and new construction for assisted living and nursing homes, as well as in educational, institutional and hospitality. Better yet, the majority of customers were repeat business. The owner wanted to take the company to the next level but wasn’t exactly sure how. PR got the ball rolling.

Part of the strategy was taking advantage of the built-in PR opportunities every commercial construction project offers:

  • Winning a project
  • Starting construction
  • Significant project milestones
  • Project completion
  • Growth and additional personnel

Each of these happenings presented an opportunity to issue a release, with photos, to the local media and trade publications. These releases were easily repurposed into content for company website, social media sites and e-newsletter. Coverage from press releases also was repurposed into content for the latter.

This approach translated into coverage in major regional newspapers and magazines—Providence Journal, Boston Magazine—and trade publications—High Profile Monthly, New England Real Estate Journal.

This coverage was often featured in the monthly e-newsletter with a message from the owner about goings on with the company. With this kind of content and a 20 percent open rate (4,000 are on the e-mail list), the e-newsletter developed a following. In fact, it was not uncommon for the e-newsletter to generate requests for proposals from former clients and prospects.

The company’s good work remains its best marketing. Yet letting their mailing list know what’s going on with the company played a role in their growth and success:

“Over the past 10 years, over 87 percent of our revenue (a time in which we grew from over 1,000%) has been derived from clients we have worked with in the past, ”noted the client.

Are you ready to make headlines and process the warm leads generated by them?

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LinkedIn’s Treasure Trove for Small Business Owners

(This Huffington Post article included quotes from Steven V. Dubin.)

 Tavis Bucklin Author/Journalist, Huffington Post

For me 2016 has been a year of invaluable connections. The professionals I’ve connected with, and the people I’ve collaborated with through LinkedIn, have brought me closer to reaching some of my goals much faster than I had anticipated. That said, a LinkedIn resource I have yet to use to it’s full potential is LinkedIn groups.

I have received advice and have found great content in various group in the past, but, I couldn’t help but wonder what would be possible with an active group of entrepreneurs dedicated to helping one another with advice, and in solving problems when they needed it?

I decided to ask other entrepreneurs about their experiences and I quickly realized how powerful LinkedIn groups can be and decided to start ENTREPRENEUR Life Line.

To prime your enthusiasm for 2017, and to align your thoughts with how you can use LinkedIn groups, I have some great ideas from some amazing entrepreneurs.

Support

“I am part of a private LinkedIn community of change makers who are all women.

Within the group are Fortune 500 execs, authors, and even speakers from The Makers. It is a community of support, inspiration and change making.

When I joined the group, I had about 60 clients and $15k in revenue. In less than 6 months with the support of my group we have connected with thousands of women, are on track to hit $200k, increased my pricing of my coaching by 300% and am now on a college speaking tour to 25 Universities.

The group shared press contacts with me, taught me how to market to parents (because many are fabulous moms), urged and helped me apply to be a Ted Speaker, offered input on my pricing structure etc. It has been life changing and has allowed me to change the lives of hundreds of other girls.” -Rachael Bozsik, CEO and Founder of The Brand Girls

Insight

Audience insight. Join groups tailored to your target audience and get a glimpse into their interests, needs, and common questions.

“The biggest benefit I have experienced from being a LinkedIn group member as an entrepreneur is feedback from other like-minded entrepreneurs and successful business owners. As most entrepreneurs know, a lot of times you are on your own. This includes getting feedback on ideas and projects you’re looking to launch. Being a member of various LinkedIn groups, I’ve found that being in a group setting with other like-minded individuals has helped me to solve problems faster and move my business forward. At the same time, I’ve found that it is very empowering to be able to also give back and help answer questions other members might have as well.” -Christian Karasiewicz, CEO and Founder of Social Chefs

“The biggest benefit I have experienced being a member of these industry LinkedIn groups is the great input I receive from group members when I am considering new features or capabilities to add to our software. We do ask our customers for feedback, but extending beyond our customer base for input is vital so that we are expanding our product to meet the growing needs of all event professionals and not just our customer base, which is a small sampling compared to the number of events professionals on LinkedIn.” -Jeff Kear, Planning Pod

Advice

This is where the power comes in. Getting advice from professionals that can help when you need it.

“The advice I get from being in a LinkedIn group, has been amazing. This weekend another member asked the group for advice on ways to obtain new clients. I read all 35 responses and implemented them today, and by lunch time I had an appointment to meet with a possible new client.” -GinaRiley Clearview Bookkeeping, Inc.

Collaboration

“In my experience, the best value of working in a LinkedIn group is the collaboration in brainstorming. As a start-up, I look for many ways to grow my company into new fields, and the LinkedIn groups are great inspirations.” -AJ Saleem, Academic Director, Suprex Tutors Houston

Peers

Learn from your experienced peers. Group members share insights, and you can learn a lot by reading through fellow members’ posts.

“Our company, Scorely has learned about creative marketing tactics from participating in Linkedin group discussions. There was a post about using a feature on Facebook that we weren’t previously using that helped our conversion rate triple. The groups on Linkedin have helped us grow much faster.” -Shawn Porat, Co-CEO of Scorely

Validation

“I follow comments on groups avidly as it gives me an indication of whether what I am doing is right or if I need to change things. Additionally as many people of groups share my interest areas I get more honesty than from closer connections.” -Armin Hierstetter, CEO of bodalgo

Extend your network

One of the great benefits of getting involved in Groups is the extended networking opportunities you are exposed to beyond just your inner circle of current colleagues and friends. By actively participating in discussions – sharing your thoughts on a new development in the industry, or about a new way you have managed to solve a particular problem – you’ll build yourself a reputation within that particular industry.

“LinkedIn has allowed me to quickly establish connections in areas, both geographical and corporate, I could never have before. Thanks to LinkedIn groups, I could connect and meet with influential people across multiple continents in specific industries. Something like this would have been impossible just 10 years ago.” -Ron Ben-Zeev, entrepreneur, professor, and founder of World Housing Solution

“LinkedIn groups are invaluable, especially alumni groups for companies and organizations. That’s how I’ve managed to establish a roster of talent at my company.” – Mark Organ, CEO, Influitive

“A reporter, Jessica Silver-Greenberg with the Wall Street Journal found my LinkedIn profile. She was researching a piece on the role Native American Indian tribes play in the payday loan space by employing their sovereign nation status.

The result? A portion of my comments made to Jessica resulted in a quotation attributed to me and my consulting company. Following this, Allen Parker, a tribal consultant who read the Wall Street Journal front page article, reached out to me in order to collaborate on a tribal lending online company. I made tens of thousands of dollars in referral fees.

More? A lender received a letter of termination from their bank. Basically, they had 15 days to find a new bank willing to service their $150M online loan portfolio. Via LinkedIn, the lender found me, reached out and I secured a new bank for them. My fee? $40K; took less than an hour of my time! 2 phone calls.” -Jer Trihouse, Trihouse Consulting

Establish yourself as an industry leader

By regularly posting insights and great content, you’ll be seen by your peers as an industry leader. If that is a little far off from now, you will at least boost exposure for your profile: according to LinkedIn, Group participants who comment on a discussion get four times the number of profile views.

“I belong to a number of small and mid-market business groups. As I’ve established an authoritative and objective voice (posting “how to” articles and trend pieces) about advertising and marketing for this niche, I have become that guy who know his stuff and understands our challenges. More importantly this had lead to new clients!” – StevenDubin, PR Works

Reach

Reach new audiences. Posting in groups can spread your company’s name and content to an audience who otherwise may be unfamiliar with you.

“Content marketing is a big part of SEO these days and getting your content in front of the right audience is key. LinkedIn groups provides an avenue to do that and also to see what others in your niche are writing and talking about.” – Matt Herrera CEO –Fiolpy

Networking

With professional groups, you’ll be exposed to a wide range of professionals you otherwise might not come into contact with. When they interact with your post, you can send them a friendly message to connect and discuss the topic further. It’s a more personable way to acquire new connections across cyberspace.

“Recently a LinkedIn group membership helped me obtain a speaking gig at last year’s Global Big Data Conference in the Silicon Valley. It turns out that the conference organizers were browsing through various data science groups on LinkedIn looking for group members with impressive credentials in the local area who would be willing to speak.” -Matt Bentley, Founder, CanIRank

“LinkedIn Groups have been extremely beneficial to me for networking purposes. For example, I’m a member of a group called Copywriters International, where I have both found writers to work on my sites, and found freelance writing jobs for myself.” -Eric Brantner, founder of Scribblrs.com

If you are ready to maximize the groups you are part of, be active, bring value to the group, help those that ask for it when you can.

Remember -in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. One small piece of advice that may seem trivial to you may help others in a BIG WAY. On the other side of the coin, you will have a support when you need it most.

Let’s DOMINATE 2017!

LinkedIn’s Treasure Trove for Small Business Owners

 

Get more LinkedIn and PR/Marketing insights –

Steven V. Dubin, 18 Main Street Extension, Suite 409, Plymouth, MA  02360

office – (781) 582-1061,email – SDubin@PRWorkzone.com

Connect on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenvdubin

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Rodman CPAs Offers “Preparing for Year End” QuickBooks Seminar January 17th

Rodman CPAs, a full service tax and accounting firm serving small, mid-market, and multi-generational companies throughout the greater Boston area, is offering a “Preparing for Year End” QuickBooks seminar, on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at their office at 51 Sawyer Road, Suite 610 in Waltham, MA 02453.

The seminar, which includes time for registration and a Q&A session, will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the firm’s classroom. Refreshments will be provided.

Rodman CPAs’ Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisors will cover a number of topics including: Preparing for year-end; reconciling accounts; reviewing and adjusting accounts receivable and accounts payable; 1099s; sales and use tax; and backup procedures.

Rodman CPAs has been a member of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program since 1999. Having provided hundreds of small to mid-size companies with training and consulting, Rodman CPAs’ Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisors team, Kathy Parker CPA, Leah Shanahan CPA, Janine O’Connor EA, Christine McGoldrick and Kayla Luther, provide superior services and expertise to meet the accounting software installation, setup, and training needs of businesses.

The fee for “Preparing for Year End” QuickBooks seminar is $45. To register, visit Rodman CPAs website, http://www.rodmancpa.com/quickbooks-seminar-series-preparing-for-year-end

About Rodman CPAs

Rodman CPAs provides tax advisory, accounting, and business strategy to small and mid-sized emerging and established businesses. Named one of Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for, and one of the largest accounting firms in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal, Rodman CPAs offers an innovative and strategic approach with the personal touch of a smaller regional CPA firm. For more than 50 years, Rodman CPAs has been specializing in customized accounting and tax solutions that improve business performance, processes, financial operations, and information technology.

The firm serves as a true business partner, helping clients perform and succeed during each stage of the business lifecycle. As domain experts in alternative energy, the “Green Team” at Rodman CPAs works with renewable energy producers and businesses throughout the U.S. offering tax advisory, financial, accounting services, and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) studies.

Rodman CPAs is an independent member firm of BDO Alliance USA, which enables them to expand services to clients by accessing the resources of BDO USA, LLP and other Alliance members, ensuring greater flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

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“Music and More” Offered by Old Colony Elder Services. New Program Supports Local Memory Cafés

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth county and surrounding communities, has launched a “Music and More” program to support local Memory Cafés.

With a grant from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), OCES developed the “Music and More” program to support Memory Cafés, where individuals with dementia and their caregivers can go for socialization and relaxation in a safe, supportive environment. OCES is currently working with three Memory Cafés, which operate out of the Pembroke Council On Aging (COA), the Middleborough COA and Express Yourself! through Road to Responsibility in Marshfield.

As part of “Music and More”, OCES has partnered with Old Colony Hospice and South Shore Conservatory to provide music and habilitation therapy presentations at the three Memory Cafés. OCES also provides complimentary activity books and DVDs at each Memory Café as well as refreshments during the presentations.

“Memory Cafés provide a safe and welcoming environment for those with dementia and their caregivers to gather, connect with peers, and enjoy music and refreshments,” explained Chris McClaren, Community Programs Director at OCES.  “We are delighted that our Music and More program can enhance the visitors’ experience.”

The Pembroke, Middleborough and Marshfield Memory Cafés are held once a month and are free and open to the public.

For more information about a particular Memory Café, call the location directly: Pembroke COA 781-294-8220, Middleboro COA 508-946-2490 or Express Yourself! 781-536-4983.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 26 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of elders and people with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency has 235 employees and operates more than 15 programs serving older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.

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Plans and general information on medical marijuana dispensary in Sandwich to be discussed at forum on Thursday, December 29

Tim McNamara of Holistic Health Group

SANDWICH, MA…

Holistic Health Group, Inc., a Massachusetts non-profit applying for a medical marijuana dispensary to be located on Route 130 in Sandwich, Mass., will host an information session on its plans on Thursday, December 29, from 6 to 8pm. The forum will be held in Room 2 at the Sandwich Public Library, 142 Main Street, Sandwich, Mass., in the lower level.

“Based on my conversations with people in town, I find there are still a lot of questions about what a medical dispensary would mean for Sandwich,” said Tim McNamara, COO and security officer of Holistic Health Group, Inc. “Our intent is to begin an information exchange with people in town early on so that we can incorporate specific community concerns into our business plans, while also making sure people hear accurate data about the medical and economic benefits dispensaries have brought to other communities.”  McNamara owns a law office in Sandwich and resides in the neighboring town of Mashpee.

Holistic Health Group will be one of two groups applying for the only medical dispensary license permitted by the Town of Sandwich’s by-laws. McNamara said his group entered the process because his management role and presence in town can ensure the character of the Town is respected, that Sandwich businesses and workers will be the beneficiaries, and, most importantly, his continued availability will ensure town officials have an accountable officer on the premises on a daily basis.

The event will also feature two guest speakers. The first is Steve Mandile of Veterans for Alternative Healing, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on getting veterans access to medical marijuana for PTSD and also pain management in lieu of opiates. The second speaker is Sandwich resident Ellen Kurtz of Sandwich, a certified nurse practitioner who will discuss her experience in recommending marijuana to patients.

“It’s really just the beginning of what is will be a very long approval process. This informational session will provide an outline of what’s to occur over the next 18 months,” said McNamara. “We will also be accepting resumes from people looking to get a job in what will be a growing industry for the next several decades.”

For information on the medical marijuana business in general Massachusetts, inquiries are directed to the company’s general email address at info@holistichealthgroup.org.

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Lead generation. Finding the next franchisee.

Warm Zee prospects are the Holy Grail for franchisors.  But how do you find them, court them and onboard them?

Many lead generation sources have disappointed and underperformed. From online franchise portals to overly optimistic franchise brokers to informational seminars, lead generation often seems like a fleeting target.

But what if you were seen as “the authority”?

What if you were “editor” approved and receiving third-party credibility from achieve press coverage?

“Public relations gets new prospects to raise their hands for more details.  They are already enthusiastic about our story and business model,” noted Kevin Dubois of Lapels Dry Cleaning.

Between Rounds Bagel Café’s Jerry Puiia asserted, “Publicity has not only generated warm leads but supports Zee relations as well.”

How do you create news?

In a nutshell, news and coverage is about –

  • Taking a bow for community outreach
  • Rolling out a new product, service or way of doing business
  • Touting a new key staffer
  • Celebrating a new location (and coaxing interest from prospects from concentric regions)
  • Announcing capital raised
  • Alerting of milestones  (Examples – #s served, # lifestyles transformed, # Dreams attained)
  • Industry tips (Seasonal and more)

The challenge is to identify and develop newsworthy opportunities that can be merchandised to the press in the form of news releases, preferably on a twice-monthly or more frequent basis to keep your name in front of your various audiences.

News releases are often the catalyst to more expansive feature coverage.

In addition to sharing your news releases with both the traditional press and online media, this original content should be repurposed to social media, your website’s newsroom and/or blog.

Ready for headlines?  Ready for leads?

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6 Low Cost Small Business Marketing Ideas

Small business marketing doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but it does take time and effort to develop and execute a full range of low-cost or no-cost marketing tools.

Develop a marketing strategy

Before spending a dime on marketing, you need to be clear about your business goals and ensure your marketing strategy supports those goals. “Every small business owner should ask themselves what is the main object that their business is trying to achieve from their marketing strategy,” says Lisa Chu, owner, Black N Bianco. Once you define your business goals, you can create a marketing plan that supports those goals.

Research the competition

Before you develop a marketing strategy, make sure you research the competition. This will help you define your target audience as well as your business’ strengths and weaknesses, Chu says, and it will help you explain to potential customers your unique value proposition.

Once your research is complete, use that information to develop a road map for your first marketing campaign. There are a number of free and low-cost marketing tools you can use to execute your plan, including cultivating speaking engagements, asking customers for referrals, encouraging bloggers to share information about your product and using LinkedIn to connect with potential clients.

Now that you have a plan and researched the competition, here are 6 [cheap] marketing ideas to get in front of potential clients without blowing your budget:

  1. Volunteer for speaking engagements

Show off your expertise and find new clients by offering to speak to business audiences at the local Chamber of Commerce or fraternal organizations such as the Lions, Rotary or Kiwanis clubs. “Getting yourself in front of a crowd is a powerful way to establish yourself as an expert,” says Steven Dubin, president of PR Works. Rather than being a sole speaker, Dubin suggests working with a local organization to put together a panel of speakers on a specific topic. This will help you create an informative discussion rather than a sales pitch. Partnering with other speakers will also bring more people to the event since each speaker would invite their business contacts and friends. Dubin estimated that about 20 percent of his business comes from speaking in front of local groups.

  1. Develop engaging talking points

Develop clear, concise and entertaining message points to use in your presentations and marketing materials. Those message points should focus on the emotional aspects of your product or service, Dubin says, rather than the product’s features or benefits. A personal story is more likely to move a customer to buy a product than a list of features.

For example, he says, Emerson Bearing is one of the largest U.S. importers and resellers of bearings yet that isn’t what the company focuses on when it promotes its products. Instead, its message to consumers focuses on trust (Emerson Bearing is a second generation business that has been around since 1957), convenience (Emerson Bearing provides one-stop shopping with more than 3 million types and sizes of bearings to choose from), and customer service (knowledgeable sales staff is available to help customers choose the right bearing for their situation and budget).

  1. Connect with bloggers

Get someone else to tell potential customers about how great your product or service is by developing a relationship with an influential blogger in your industry. “When an influential blogger writes a glowing review of my product it helps increase my brand awareness,” Chu says. Entice bloggers to write about your products by offering incentives such as discounts and giveaways for their readers, she says. However, she warns, finding the right blogger to connect with takes time.

Create a list of blogs in your industry, research each one to get a clear understanding of their audience and what they write about, and then use that information to develop a relationship with the blogger.

  1. Don’t underestimate referrals

Current clients, friends and business associates can also help tell your story to potential customers. Don’t be shy about asking them to refer clients to you. Offer an incentive for successful referrals, such as discounts on services, a gift card or a gift certificate to a local restaurant.

  1. Leverage LinkedIn

Small business owners typically focus on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and they often forget about the power of LinkedIn. The platform offers access to a number of discussion groups focused on a range of topics, including regional business networking, niche industries and entrepreneurs, Dubin says. Join the discussion groups that fit your industry and then share news, updates and trends to establish yourself as a thought leader.

For instance, Dubin says, one of his clients specializes in high-end flooring, so that company’s CEO joined a number of groups related to commercial construction, facility managers and manufacturing. That CEO received a number of sales leads through LinkedIn by sharing legitimate news and trend information with the discussion groups. If you can provide answers to the kind of questions your targeted audience cares about, Dubin says, you can become a resource when they are ready to buy.

  1. Create a monthly newsletter

One of the best ways to stay in front of your clients and potential customers is by sending out a monthly online newsletter that focuses on one piece of useful information each month. Most small businesses think that to create a newsletter they must provide six links to stories around the Internet but all they need to do is focus on one useful topic each month, Dubin says.

Businesses need to be in front of their clients and potential customers all the time, he says. You can’t predict when the customer will have an immediate need and be ready to buy. A monthly newsletter with helpful tips is a good way to have regular, ongoing and positive contact with prospective clients.

For more information contact Steve Dubin, office – (781) 582-1061, email –SDubin@PRWorkzone.com.

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