Image Building Tip #10 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Place well-written articles online

Articles rich with keywords and placed with online article directories are a great way to spread your expertise virally. Article directories are a great source of information for bloggers and others looking for content for their posts. Your bio information, included with every article, is now showing up in several different locations online increasing your chances of being found. There are hundreds of article directories to choose from. I suggest placing your articles with the top directories according to Alexa and page rank.

Image Building Tip #9 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Create an email signature

Having a complete email signature is like running a free advertisement every time you send an email. Include your name, company name, address, phone numbers, website and/or blog link, tagline and a few social networking links (i.e. Follow me on Twitter). I also include a message at the bottom of The Mom Entrepreneur signature. Currently, it says: Enter to win the Business Baby Shower, a contest that celebrates entrepreneurial moms.

Image Building Tip #8 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Write a professional bio

Your bio should outline your experience, credentials and anything else you feel is important for your target audience to be aware of. This is especially important when trying to establish your personal brand. Use this bio, tweaking as needed for the different social networking sites, on your blog, website and anywhere else your profile appears online.

Image Building Tip #7 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Dress to impress

The way you dress says a lot about who you are. Balance your individual style with clothing that will appeal to those you are trying to impress. Be aware of colors and how they influence people. For instance, research shows that a sales person who wears a dark blue suit during a meeting will have a higher closing rate.

Image Building Tip #6 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Ego surf regularly

Have you gone ego-surfing lately? Your online image is just as important as your printed image. Take time to Google your name. Hopefully all listings are positive references. If you find inaccurate or damaging information on a site, you have options for correcting it according to William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson, co-authors of Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand (affiliate link). In cleaning up negative online references, Arruda says you can either vacuum up the dirt or sweep it under the rug: “When you can’t ask a site owner to make the content go away, burying the hurtful content on page 37 of search results is the way to go.”

Image Building Tip #5 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Establish a network

A great way to boost your image is through a network of opinion leaders, peers and other industry professionals. Consider this group of people your business “friends”. Keep them updated on news and events, and reach out to them at least once a quarter to say hello. This group also serves as a lead source. If they like and respect you, they will tell others about you and your company. This results in qualified referrals; people and companies who want to do business with you.

Image Building Tip #4 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Publish an article

Publishing articles is a great way to boost your credibility. Start locally by identifying publications that influence your target market. Inquire as to their submission guidelines. Most local publications welcome educational and informative content from professionals in the community. After publishing several articles locally, expand your horizons to regional and national publications.

Image Building Tip #3 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Break down character traits into goals

Yesterday, we discussed listing six character traits for defining your personal brand. After you have completed your list, break down each trait into a goal. From there, begin outlining in detail how you will achieve each goal. For instance, if one of your character traits is "accomplished", you may decide you need to win an award to reach this goal. List awards you are qualified to compete for and devise a plan for winning them.

Image Building Tip #2 for Mom Entrepreneurs - List your character traits

Yesterday, we discussed developing your image in the industry. Today let's elaborate. Create a long-term plan that discusses your image building goals and how you plan to achieve them. List six character traits you would like your customers and/or target market to use when describing you. This is the beginning of building and defining your personal brand.

Image Building Tip #1 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Build your image

Developing your personal image in an industry is crucial to your long-term success. Whether you are a writer, published author, manufacturer, service provider or other professional, starting early ensures recognition of your accomplishments. This in turn helps you build credibility in your respective industry, and creates awareness of your products and/or services.