Spreading the Word
It’s difficult to build up
a business profile when you’re first starting out.
You may have a great
product or service, but if nobody knows that it’s out there, then nobody is
going to place an order.
You may be the most
energetic and enthusiastic person, with fantastic ideas, and a new business
model, but it is unlikely that anyone is going to stumble across your business
by chance.
It’s vital to spread the
word, but advertising costs money, which can be an issue if you haven’t had
time to build up your customer base – It’s a chicken and egg situation…
Networking
Since I began “Dr D’s” in
February 2011 (a shocking 2 years ago!.. Doesn’t time fly?) I have called on
the help and good will of friends, and some of those connections have led on to
other things. I have been so pleased that people are willing to support me, and
point me in the direction of things that might offer interesting opportunities,
or introduce me to people who may be interested in my services.
These networks of personal
connections, stemming from some of the fabulously supportive people that I know,
have led to some really interesting bookings and work opportunities. Not least
of these was my route into working with the BBC, which has established yet more
friendships and professional connections, which I hope will branch out further
in the future.
It really is empowering to
know that there are people out there who feel that what I have to offer is
worth talking about with their friends and work contacts, but I didn’t want to
be a burden to those important people in my life by continually nagging them.
Facebook Friends and Social Networking
I didn’t want to become one
of those ‘friends’ who is always on the ask, always wanting something for their
own benefit, so I had made it a policy not to fill peoples’ timelines on
Facebook with constant requests for support.
This weekend I decided to
take the the drastic step of breaking with that policy, and sending out invites
for my personal friends to ‘like’ my business page for “Dr D’s”.
I have seen a huge increase
in the number of people seeing my posts on the Dr D’s facebook page through a
‘viral’ rather than ‘organic’ source (as a Biologist, I find these terms a
little disconcerting!). This means that friends of friends are seeing my page
as a result of those extra ‘likes’!
A Big Thank-you to People Power!
I would like to take this
opportunity to say a huge “THANK YOU” to the friends who accepted the
invitation… ‘Likes’ on my business page have jumped from 69 to 90 this weekend,
and nearly 400 people have seen the page!
Your continued support and
faith in me is very much appreciated, and I promise not to keep pestering you… too much!
