Be a Resource: Five Tips for Establishing Expertise

Regardless of your industry or your profit-making status, establishing yourself as an expert brings customers to your door, the media to your phone and visitors to your Web site. But how do you establish expertise?

Be a resource! Read on for five no nonsense ways to stand up and be counted.

1. Provide good content.
Have an up-to-date Web site with content that give people a reason to visit now and then. Articles, opinion pieces, tips, links should all be considered. And keep it fresh. Regularly changing content keeps them coming back for more.

If you manage a doggie day care, include tips about dog care and training, articles on preparing your dog for boarding or fun ideas for doggy birthdays. Or even what doggie moms and dads should look for when choosing day care.

Or maybe you're a massage therapist. Incorporating content on simple stretches you can do at your desk or even extolling the virtues of therapy for people of all ages. When I was pregnant, I sought out resources about pre-natal massage. Had I come across a massage therapist's Web site with relevant content, I'd have been on the phone immediately. As it was, I searched for days before finding a therapist I was comfortable with.

2. Network.
Participating in local organizations like the chamber of commerce or a business leads group is a way to network with other small business owners in your community. Look for a women in business group or even a local Rotary club if you're not sure where to go. Also consider joining industry groups to get fresh ideas from like-minded folks and share resources.

3. Write.
Contribute letters to the editor or opinion-editorials to your local paper. Write newsletter articles for the above-mentioned networking groups. Or start your own newsletter! Collect the email addresses of customers, vendors, industry professionals and colleagues (we call these your stakeholders), you can easily send out a monthly or quarterly email newsletter with tips, articles and opinion pieces.

And, if you haven't guessed already, you can use this material on your Web site and submit them for publication elsewhere. One piece can be repurposed many times, giving you more bang for your buck.

4. Speak.
When you participate in community groups, volunteer for worthy causes and generally get to know people inside and outside your industry, you'll find opportunities to speak are abundant. This, of course, means that you have to overcome your fear of public speaking. With Web resources a'plenty, you can gather advice to help. And practice makes perfect. The more you speak, the more comfortable you are behind the lectern.

5. Tell People.
Finally, just let those in your sphere of influence know that you're interested in writing, speaking and contributing as an expert in your industry. You know what they say, you can't make the sale if you don't ask.

Need a plan? or a writer? or just some advice? Just ask.

- Kelli

Because You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

The visual identity of your company defines your essence. It is the first thing your client absorbs and the image that stays with them. A consistent visual image must reflect personality, values, and ambitions to accurately represent your company. A strong visual identity is fundamental, here’s why:

A strong visual identity highlights and reinforces your company mission. An aesthetic image integrated with key messages will attract clients and keep them focused on the company message behind the image.

Your visual identity sets you apart from your competition. It makes your company different from all others and should reflect your unique qualities and marketing strategies to make the right impression on your audience.

A great example is the FedEx logo, in a world of browns and yellows, FedEx adds a bit of playfulness. And when you're "in the know," the logo and the company are even more memorable. Notice anything?



A strong visual image makes your company memorable and recognizable. As your signature, it gives you a presence and allows your company to literally ‘make its mark’ in today’s competitive market.

Back in the day Swatch watches were "the" thing to have. Even though the logo hasn't changed since its heyday in the late 80s/early 90s, the Swiss design behind the Swatch logo makes the design timeless. Gen X'ers will always have a special connection with Swatch and I'd say the logo is a big part of that.



A visual image must be a consistent brand for company materials. It serves as a reference and signature on all marketing materials including business cards, websites, newsletters, e-mails, advertisements and letters. A consistent visual image strengthens and unites your key message throughout all mediums.

The market place is constantly in flux and visual identity must adapt. Changes in your company message must lead to changes in your visual image in order for your company to stay modern and unified to strengthen the bonds with your audience.

You can chronicle the history of a company like Pepsi through its logos.

And today, the soft drink has a new millennium look:


What do you think? What companies or organizations have a good (or bad) visual identity?

- Amy Miller

Here Comes the Real World!

I woke up four years ago thrilled for my first day of college. Then, rudely enough, I woke up this morning and realized my graduation ceremony is precisely 24 days too soon. Though I technically graduated early after winter term, much like my friends, I continue to feel the pressure of the 9 to 5 “real” world barreling down.

I am just one of many lucky graduates who have been granted a revolving door to our parents’ houses. And I intend to use it. Moving home may not seem like the real world, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Living in real-life limbo these past few months has had its impact on me. I find that my phone conversations with my parents revolve around finances: “wait mom, do I have to pay my own car insurance? Aren’t you still paying my cell phone bill? Please?”

My schedule is lax at best. I am staring at a summer internship that begins at 8:30 a.m. sharp every morning, yet I usually sleep in until 10 a.m. Trust me, in a few more weeks I will start setting my alarm to get into the early-bird routine. And I won’t stay up ALL night, just most of it.

Perhaps the most profound impact living in limbo has had on me is it has taught me to network. Like so many other grads, I was determined to have a job lined up for after graduation. In a fury, I scheduled informational interviews, wrote dreaded cover letters, put together a portfolio and printed mass quantities of resumes.

Fortunately, my hard work yielded results. I met talented professionals, got a feel for the PR market in Portland and I can confidently go into the “real” world with a 9 to 5 at a respected company. So yes, my mom may still be cooking me dinner, but it’s the baby steps that count, right? - Marisa

Marisa Olson has been our PR intern at Verve since March and we've loved having her around. She's done some stellar work, including coordinating reviews of a new product with regional home and garden publications and contributing to a monthly enewsletter. We will miss her, but know she's off to do great work with Waggener Edstrom in Portland, Ore. - Kelli

I Love the Smell of Commerce in the Morning

I love bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation. I love it so much that I can’t stop telling anyone who will listen about the makeup’s silky, feather-light, and yet complete, coverage. The makeup will revolutionize your morning routine forever and I’ve recently turned a handful of friends into believers.

According to the smart folks over at the Church of the Customer Blog, I am a customer evangelist—someone who is so thrilled about their experience with a product or service that they wholeheartedly support the company.

In Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force, bloggers and authors Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba outline the value of building strong customer relationships along with six basic elements of creating customer evangelists.

Creating advocates takes more than just a good product (although, that’s a good place to start). It takes brand loyalty, open dialogue, addressing customer feedback and improving product quality.

A front-page story in a prominent newspaper or product endorsement by an afternoon talk show diva might prompt me to put on my consumerism hat and head to the mall, but in the end, I still trust a good friend with a stellar word of mouth recommendation.

We might not be friends (yet), but bareMinerals is great. You should try it.

- Michelle

(nod to Mallrats for the title)

A Team of Two (Give or Take)

One solo PR pro + one talented designer = one outstanding boutique communications agency.

When Amy and I decided to work together on a more "regular" basis (and not regular as in we remembered to take our fiber...), we figured we needed a cool name. That's the foundation of any good business, right?

What did we have to offer that other boutique agencies didn't? We were young (21 and 27 at the time). We had lots of enthusiasm. We were fun to work with.

Thanks to thesaurus.com, we found Verve.


If you're trying to find a name for your business, you can't have Verve, it's taken! But here are some synonyms:


So that was five years ago. In that time we've worked with a huge variety of organizations in nearly every imaginable industry. Well, that may be an exaggeration. But we've done a lot of cool stuff.

Right now we're joined by Michelle Pera, account executive and Marisa Olson, intern extraordinaire.

We just wanted to give a little introduction. But this blog isn't going to be a "yay, Verve!" blog (most of the time), but a way for use to share our experiences, some insights and tips. We've also got some fun stuff to talk about. So stay tuned!