Want to Change Your Company's Name? Here's How

One question that small business owners commonly ask is how to change their business name. It's only natural for a business to grow, evolve or change direction over the course of its lifetime. The name you hatched in the early days may no longer fit your business' market, activities or brand personality now. The question is: is there an easy way to officially change the business' name without having to start all over again?

From a legal perspective, the process of changing a name is more involved than just notifying your customers and changing your marketing material. However, it isn't as complicated as you might think. The specific steps depend on how you are operating your business: are you a sole proprietor or an LLC/corporation. We'll cover both situations in this article.

How to Change Your Business Name Step-by-Step

How to Change your Business Name: Sole Proprietors and Partnerships

If you have never set up an official business structure with the state and are operating as either a sole proprietor (single owner) or general partnership (multiple owners), then the steps to change an existing business name are pretty straightforward.

First, you will need to cancel the existing fictitious business name (Doing Business As/DBA) with the state or county. You can contact your local government office where your registration was filed to get the appropriate paperwork. Once your original DBA is cancelled, you can file a DBA for your new name with this same office. You can either work directly with the local government office or have an online legal service handle these steps for you.

Once you have the new DBA, you'll need to take care of a few remaining issues:

• Contact your bank to find out if you will need to open a business bank account for the new DBA, or if you can just convert your existing account.


• Check with your county, city or other local office to determine if you need to update existing business licenses/permits or get new ones for the new DBA.


• If you have an EIN (Employer Identification Number), you can review the IRS' bulletin “Do I need a new EIN?” to determine if you need to apply for a new EIN for the new DBA. In most cases, you will not be required to apply for a new EIN if you only changed the business name.


• Notify the IRS of your new name. This can be done by sending a signed letter outlining the business name change to the same address where you file your tax return.

How to Change your Business Name: LLCs and Corporations

If you have registered your business as an LLC or corporation, you have two different options for changing your business name, depending on whether you want to abandon the original name entirely or just operate under a new name for marketing purposes.

Option 1: File an Amendment with the State to Officially Change your Business Name

If you have no interest in ever using your original business name ever again, then the best course of action is to file an Articles of Amendment with the state where you filed your LLC/corporation. This document is used whenever you make any changes to your business, such as changing the name, business address or officers of the company. It's a straightforward document and you can either file it directly with the secretary of state's office yourself or have an online legal filing service take care of the paperwork for you.

Keep in mind that if your business is registered in other states as a foreign entity, you will also need to file Articles of Amendment in each one of those states. And, in some cases you will need to have a Certificate of Good Standing from your state of incorporation/LLC formation in order to file the amendment in another state.

Once you've filed your Articles of Amendment and officially changed your business name with the state, you'll need to look into the following:

• Contact your bank to find out if you will need to open a business bank account for the new name, or if you can just convert your existing account.


• Check with your county, city or other local office to determine if you need to update existing business licenses/permits or get new ones under the new name.


• You can review the IRS' bulletin “Do I need a new EIN?” to determine if you need to apply for a new EIN for the new name. In most cases, you will not be required to apply for a new EIN if you only changed the business name.


• Notify the IRS of your new name. For LLCs, this can be done by sending a signed letter outlining the business name change to the same address where you file your tax return. For corporations, you can notify the IRS on your current year corporate income tax return, Form 1120. Or write to the IRS at your regular filing address and notify them of the name change.

Option 2: Keep your Original Name as the Official Name with the State but File a DBA for the New Name

In some cases, you may not be interested in abandoning your original name altogether, but want to operate under a new name for marketing/branding reasons. For example, you may have acquired trademark rights for the original name and don't want to abandon this property. In this scenario, you can keep your original name as the official name that is registered with the state, but file a DBA for the new name with your local state/county office.

Once you've filed the DBA, you will need to:

• Contact your bank to find out if you will need to open a business bank account for the new DBA, or if you can just add the DBA to the new account. This step is necessary if you plan on accepting checks or conducting other financial transactions under the new name.

Keep in mind that whether you are filing an Articles of Amendment or filing a DBA, you should check the availability of your new name before moving forward with any of these steps. You don't want to accidentally infringe on another business' name or trademark.

Searching the USPTO's online database is a first step toward finding any similar and potentially conflicting names. But, you should also perform a thorough search that includes state trademark databases and business directories. You can have a trademark lawyer or online legal filing service help you with this important search. If your search shows that your proposed new name is available, then go full steam ahead with these legal steps to change it.

A business name is the cornerstone of your company's brand image. If your name no longer reflects your brand, market or products, it's more than possible to change it. Just be sure to follow the proper legal steps to avoid potential issues.

Blank Shingle Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Want to Change Your Company's Name? Here's How" was first published on Small Business Trends

10 Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills

After the years we spend learning to write formally for academia, content writing at first seems a little unnatural, mainly because blog writing lends itself to a certain brevity and casualness in both style and tone. What I've found is true for me as well as other bloggers is that proofreading and editing can also take on a quick, casual manner, often hinging on sloppy.

When you're focused on meeting deadlines and cranking out strong content, editing, proofreading, and refining the writing process can get pushed onto the backburner. But part of producing strong, quality content is ensuring that it's clear of the errors and clumsy wording that tends to seep into writing. Sometimes weeding out those mistakes is simply a matter of getting back to basics, so try refining your writing and editing process with these 10 easy tips.

Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

Ditch the Distractions

Even if you think you're a good multitasker, you're not. Nothing sets you up for failure more than flipping between Spotify, Twitter, your word document, and chatting with coworkers while trying to write. When you sit down to write something, be all the way present and eliminate your distractions. Put on headphones and ignore the incoming text messages - they can wait and your writing will require less editing once you finish.

Determine the Content Format First

Some writers are gifted enough to sit down and produce something great without a clear plan of action. For those of us who can't do that, winging it doesn't always work out well. Before even getting started on a piece of content, decide what the end result is going to look like. Is the piece going to be a list? A guide? A quiz?

Add Editing and Proofreading Into Your Workflow

Adding editing and proofreading into your workflow is a great idea for content teams. It adds accountability and checks and balances into the writing process: you write something, another edits it, you take the feedback and tweak it again, etc. The more eyes you can get on your writing, the better. Though it may sound like a time suck, adding it to the team process eventually becomes a quick and routinized process.

Learn to Spot Your Common Mistakes

Most people tend to make the same mistakes in their writing. For example, I use the phrase “baring that in mind” excessively, as well as weak wording such as “really” in place of more deliberate words. But because I know that, I'm usually able to catch myself as I'm typing it. Read over some of the writing you've done and try to identify common mistakes you make. By simply being aware of them, you're less likely to make them.

Create an Editing Checklist

One way to streamline the editing process is by making yourself a checklist (this is also helpful for reposting content). A simple list of reminders creates fewer editing tasks for you to memorize and a visual of what needs double checking. It can include “have a coworker read” or “cut excess wording,” or whatever editing and proofreading tasks you need to be reminded of.

Try Using an Editing Tool

If you create tons of content and don't necessarily have time to fine tune your editing and proofreading process, there are plenty of tools out there to help. Investing in a software or service that catches technical details, readability, word choice and more can be a hassle-free way of refining your writing. Plus, there are plenty such tools available for free.

Read It Aloud

This is one of the oldest hacks in the book, and though it seems juvenile, it's surprisingly helpful. I mutter nearly every piece of writing out loud to myself before publishing it, and I'm always amazed at how many mistakes I catch by hearing how it sounds out loud. Hearing your writing allows you to understand how it will relay to readers while also exposing any awkward wording that needs correcting.

Take a Break and Come Back to it Later

Sometimes the best thing you can do is walk away from your writing for a while - especially if it's a longer piece. When you're working on something and spend a lot of time staring at it, things start to look jumbled and your focus shifts to just getting the words out. Walk away from the screen for a while and come back with fresh eyes.

Change the Font/Size

I like to do this after the aforementioned break. After a while, your writing can start to look too familiar to catch mistakes. To make yourself more aware of what you're looking at, upping the font size and changing the font can reveal errors in your writing you might otherwise miss.

Get Feedback from Better Writers

One of the things I've found most helpful in refining my own writing is getting feedback from writers who have far more experience and are much more talented than me. Learning from those whose writing you admire is an excellent way to push yourself towards new goals. Many successful bloggers and writers are happy and willing to share what they've learned and give feedback, so try reaching out to them.

Republished by permission. Original here.

Writing Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "10 Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills" was first published on Small Business Trends

As the Job Market Heats Up, Consider These Bonuses to Keep Employees Happy

A bonus is additional compensation paid to an employee. As the job market heats up, the competition among employers to attract and retain good workers is growing. Bonuses may be a way for your company to gain a competitive edge in the job market. This is especially true for small businesses that may not offer the same menu of fringe benefits that large corporations do.

Common Types of Bonuses

Signing Bonuses

When you hear the term “signing bonus” you may think about a sports team. Increasingly, businesses are using the concept to attract the best and brightest. According to the Society for Humans Resource Management, only 31.6 percent of employers offered them in 2002. World at Work in 2011 found that it was up to 54 percent. Typically, signing bonuses aren't paid in a lump sum but over the course of a year or more to ensure that the person hired works out.

Retention Bonuses

These are much less common than signing bonuses. They're made to keep a key employee with the company during a critical project or at other desperate times. I'm presenting this because they exist. However, there's been a lot of criticism about retention bonuses; decide for yourself.

Incentive/Performance Bonuses

As the name implies, these are paid as an incentive to employees to achieve a benchmark in performance. These are common for those in sales, but can be used for any type of employee who completes a project on time and within budget.

Year-end Bonuses

Year-end bonuses are the most common type of bonuses in the workplace. What's going to be paid this year? It's too early to tell, but expect that the range will vary by industry in general and by employer in particular. In past years, year-end bonuses may be small tokens of appreciation paid at holiday time (do you recall the Jelly-of-the Month in the movie “Christmas Vacation”?) or meaningful cash payments (e.g., equal to a month's salary).

Some companies delay the year-end bonus until they've had an opportunity to close the books and see what they can afford. In a sense, these companies are paying a profit-sharing amount to employees who helped with their success.

Other Types of Bonuses

While the ones discussed earlier are the most common, companies can use bonuses for any good business purpose. Some examples:

• Suggestion bonuses are for providing ways for the company to do things better, safer or cheaper.


• Referral bonuses are for suggesting a new employee. The payment is made if the referral is hired.


• Spot bonuses are out-of-the-blue payments for something special, such as a particularly good job by a worker. They function like a performance bonus, but they're not announced in advance to serve as an incentive.


• Task/mission bonuses are also like incentive or spot bonuses paid for a job well done, but typically they are awarded to a team rather than a single employee.

Financial and Tax Considerations

How much to pay depends on various factors. For example, when it comes to a signing bonus, the factors include what you can afford, the level and talent of the employee, and whether there is a scarcity of talent for the position you're trying to fill. A rule of thumb for signing bonuses is 5 percent to 10 percent of base pay for professionals and middle managers.

From a tax perspective, it's easy: bonuses of all types are taxable compensation. Withholding can be done in either of two ways:

• Add the bonus to regular compensation and figure withholding in the usual way.


• Withhold separately on the bonus at a flat rate of 25 percent. (For bonuses over $1 million, unlikely in a small business, the flat rate is 39.6 percent.)

Conclusion

It's good business practice to review your policy on bonuses to make sure you're staying competitive. Then determine the amount you can pay and who on your staff will receive them. Work with your CPA or other financial advisor to make sure you're doing the right thing.

Bonus Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "As the Job Market Heats Up, Consider These Bonuses to Keep Employees Happy" was first published on Small Business Trends

Coca-Cola's Water Replenishment Effort Succeeds – and Fails (Watch)

Coca-Cola is giving back - water, that is. Ten years ago, the company pledged to replenish all of the water it used in its finished beverages. And it has now completed that goal about five years early.

But not everyone is impressed. Advocacy groups have criticized Coca-Cola for only replenishing the water used in its finished beverages, and not the water that it used in the manufacturing process. In the past, groups have also accused Coca-Cola of unethically taking water from communities that were already experiencing water shortages.

The company says that it will continue its water replenishment program, despite completing the original effort early. But will it be enough to actually help the company's image?

Since the company has received criticism about its water use in the past, consumers and advocacy groups were likely to put any charitable efforts in that area under a lot of scrutiny. Only giving back some of the water used, even though that technically fulfilled the company's promise, makes the effort look like nothing more than a PR ploy. And groups have called the company out on it.

Watch Out for the Pitfalls of Corporate Social Responsibility

The company's current predicament illustrates the danger of underestimating your customers and their expectations. The internet provides customers with access to huge amounts of information and gives them the ability to share it immediately. That means businesses can't just assume their charitable efforts and PR pushes will be taken at face value. Customers are going to look into them. So in your own business make sure everything you do to build your brand can stand up to close examination and you'll avoid the pitfalls of corporate social responsibility.

Image: Newsy

This article, "Coca-Cola's Water Replenishment Effort Succeeds – and Fails (Watch)" was first published on Small Business Trends

For Disasters, Cyber Security and More, Millennial Entrepreneurs Seem Best Prepared, Poll Finds

 

Whether its for disaster recovery, retirement or other business eventualities, Millennial entrepreneurs seem better prepared then their older counterparts, a recent poll finds.

Nationwide's Small Business Indicator - a survey conducted by Harris Poll of 502 U.S. small business owners in mid-June - revealed that Millennial small business owners are more likely than any other generation to have a disaster recovery plan, a cyber security plan, a retirement plan and even a plan for their business after they're ready to hand over the reins of day-to-day involvement.

Nationwide's data broke down how each generation - Millennials, GenXers and Baby Boomers - is preparing for each of these scenarios. And the differences in some instances are substantial.

Characteristics of Millennial Entrepreneurs

For example, just more than half of all Millennial business owners (51 percent) have a disaster recovery plan in place. Only 30 percent of Generation X business owners and 29 percent of Baby Boomers have such a plan, the surwv shows.

And while cyber security has been in the news often of late, many seem unaware of the risks cyber security poses to their small businesses.

Yet, 42 percent of Millennial small business owners told Nationwide that they had a cyber security plan in place. Compare that to only 17 percent of Gen X business owners who have a cyber security plan and only 12 percent of Baby Boomers who have such a plan in place.

Business succession is another area where Millennials appear to be more prepared. The same survey found that 61 percent have a plan like that in place. Gen X and Baby Boomer business owners were about half as likely to have that kind of plan in place. Just 32 percent of each generation said they had made these formal arrangements.

One area where most small business owners did have some form of plan for the future or the unexpected in place was in regard to employee benefits and retirement planning.

The data shows that Millennials were more likely than others to offer retirement benefits to their employees, 59 percent saying they did. However, when it comes to benefits of any kind, a lot of small business owners despite their age or generation, seemed to have a plan.

Millennials were also more likely than any other group of small business owners to offer a range of employee benefits  including retirement plans, medical benefits, life insurance, paid leave, disability insurance and domestic partner benefits.

Eighty -four percent of Millennial business owners said they offered at least one of these types of benefits to their employees. By contrast, only 60 percent of Gen X business owners and 46 percent of Baby Boomers said the same.

At first glance, it might seem that the results reveal that Millennial business owners or more compassionate and concerned about their employees than  small business owners then other generations might be.

But on closer examination, researchers suggests other factors might influence the choices of Millennial small business owners when compared with older generations.

This might especially be the case when looking at cyber security plans and plans aimed at ensuring the financial security of their employees and their companies, explains Mark Berven, president of Nationwide Property & Casualty, says in a statement accompanying the data.

“Some of our survey data may seem surprising,” Berven said “But if you think about the risks many Millennials have experienced and grown up with - everything from cyberattacks to an economic meltdown - it makes sense that they would be some of the most concerned individuals out there. They want to protect what matters most to them - their business.”

Millennial Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "For Disasters, Cyber Security and More, Millennial Entrepreneurs Seem Best Prepared, Poll Finds" was first published on Small Business Trends

Stop Looking at My Screen, Bro! HP Sure View Addresses PC Peeping

You go out to Starbucks or another spot to drink your latte and enjoy free WiFi on your laptop, when you notice someone looking at your monitor. At this point you don't know if it is an innocent glance, or someone that is “shoulder” or “visually hacking” the content that is displayed on your computer. The threat of this type of hacking is very real.

To highlight this very problem, Ponemon Institute conducted an experiment in the U.S in 2015, which was later expanded by 3M to include offices in China, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

It has resulted in HP (NYSE:HPE) and 3M (NYSE:MMM) coming together to create the HP Sure View integrated privacy screen.

The visual hacking experiment in the US revealed an undercover white hacker was able to visually capture information in 88 of the cases in 15 minutes or less. This person was able to view five pieces of sensitive information for each case, which included employee and customer information as well as corporate financials. The hacker was only stopped in about one third of the times or 30 percent of attempts, which means in 70 percent of the cases no one noticed it was taking place or did anything to stop it.

In other countries, the rate for the same attempt was 91 percent, the time was the same and the remaining data points were 52 and 68 percent respectively.

The new Sure View feature is going to be available on the HP EliteBook 1040 and HP EliteBook 840, which are aimed at business users looking to protect their information from visual or shoulder hacking by onlookers.

Activate this “Stop Looking at My Screen” Solution at the Touch of a Button

The Sure View solution is a joint development that brings together HP's propriety technology along with 3M's optical films so users can control their privacy at a touch of a button. Giving the user the option of controlling when to activate this feature means there is not a permanent film that is always on. This is extremely important, because even though the technology is effective, it does have limitations and hinders the full capability of the screen.

When the Sure View feature is activated, it adjusts the backlighting and it decreases the viewing angles of the display to around 35 degrees. All it takes is for the user to hold the function key and F2 (FN+F2). The viewing angle and brightness can further be adjusted independently to provide the best results. As of right now, the technology is being used on TN or SVA panels with FHD resolution, but HP says there is no reason it can't be applied to other types of screens in the future.

The best feature of this technology is that it is not an overlay filter you place on the monitor. It is integrated, and you can choose when to apply it, the company says. As with anything that blocks the image on a monitor, the quality may suffer, but this technology hasn't received any complaints so far. It also compensates for any issues with image quality by giving the user the ability to adjust the level of protection, according to HP.

Today's workforce requires a collaborative environment that brings employees together no matter where they are. And increasingly, they are working outside of the office, which brings the issue of security front and center. For businesses that have high regulatory compliances because of the sensitive information they possess, the Sure View technology is just one of many tools small businesses may choose to ensure they are protected.

Security in the digital world requires a comprehensive effort in which every touch point is protected with the latest software and hardware. However, these technologies are only as effective as the strict governance rules put in place by the businesses involved to ensure everyone is following the system that is in place to limit any potential security breach. Sure View technology may be one such technology businesses use in the future as a safeguard.

Images: HP

This article, "Stop Looking at My Screen, Bro! HP Sure View Addresses PC Peeping" was first published on Small Business Trends

What Is Influencer Marketing and How Can It Help My Business?

Influencer marketing is a growing trend and a tactic that you should consider adding to your marketing mix.

While it's unlikely you'll be hiring Kim Kardashian to represent your brand anytime soon, everyone has some degree of influence, and many will talk about your company, products and services, provided you offer the right incentive.

This article will help you understand the ins-and-outs of influencer marketing and how it can help your business.

What is Influencer Marketing?

According to Joe Sinkwitz, founder and CEO of Intellifluence, an influencer marketing marketplace, who spoke with Small Business Trends by phone, the term just means getting someone else to spread your message for you.

Sinkwitz says an influencer marketing campaign can take many forms: blogger reviews, social media mentions, celebrity endorsements and more. In some cases, content is sponsored, meaning that money changes hands. In others, the company sends products to influencers in exchange for a review.

(The FTC requires explicit disclosure of compensation in these campaigns, but that doesn't always happen, so “caveat emptor.”)

Why Should I Use Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing works for three reasons:

Relies on trust. It takes advantage (in a good way) of the trust influencers have earned from their constituency. Trust is valuable currency in a world where peer influence reigns supreme and leveraging it to call attention to your brand, products and services is worth the investment.

Penetrates a niche. Influencer marketing relies not on breadth but depth regarding numbers - a heuristic that says it's better to penetrate deeply into a niche market (where the person has influence) rather than shallowly across a broad market.

Can be cost-effective. Influencer marketing campaigns can garner media attention without requiring a huge investment of resources.

One campaign, for a coconut oil products company, received 218 mentions from influencers across blogs, social media, YouTube, Instagram and other outlets. The only expenditure was a box of sample products sent to each person, as this video reveals:

You don't necessarily have to reach out to hundreds of influencers to run a successful campaign. Depending on your market niche, even a few dozen can tip the scale in drawing consumer attention to your brand or products, bringing them to the forefront on search engines and social networks.

Keep in mind that the shorter your list, the more high-profile it needs to be, so find the most authoritative people in your industry that you can.

Statistics Show Influencer Marketing Potential

A report from Rhythmone (PDF), an influencer marketplace, cites the following statistics as evidence of influencer marketing's potential for success:

• 92 percent of consumers have made a purchase after reading about a product on their favorite blog;

• 69 percent are likely to make a purchase if someone they follow on social media recommends a product;

• 81 percent of marketers who have executed influencer marketing campaigns agree that influencer engagement is effective;

• 65 percent of brands have plans to spend more on influencer marketing in 2016 than in 2015.

“Influencers draw passionate audiences that engage with their content and actively take part in the community conversations that stem from it,” the report states.

That's reason enough to try this approach, don't you think?

How Can I Use Influencer Marketing?

The following five practices, contributed by Intellifluence CEO Joe Sinkwitz, can help ensure that your campaign is a success.

1. Define Your Goals

Sinkwitz advises you first need to define your goals before engaging in an influencer campaign. By selecting the appropriate goal, you can narrow your search when it comes time to pick an influencer.

“If the goal is branding and visibility, finding an aspirational influencer (i.e., celebrity) would make sense given their broad reach,” he says. “If the goal is sales, develop multiple use cases in the form of buyer personas (a fictional person who represents your target market), then extrapolate using tools such as Hootsuite to figure out who is most similar to these personas.”

2. Appeal to a Sense of Authority

Sinkwitz says that you can take the persona approach a step further by appealing to the most authoritative among the group you discovered.

“See who among the group is most authoritative on the subject you're interested in, engage them directly and employ a peer influence strategy, which relies on the influencers to reach out to others in the target market on your behalf.”

3. Rely on the Right Channels

A common mistake businesses make when starting an influencer campaign is relying on the wrong channels, Sinkwitz says.

“A small business selling B2B customer relationship management software probably shouldn't be spending much time trying to increase Instagram engagement, since the buying audience is going to exist more on Twitter and LinkedIn,” he says. “Conversely, the organic tea manufacturer needs to be targeting Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook, considering the demographics in these networks are more in line with the target audience.”

Sinkwitz added that if you sell products on Amazon, you should put ample effort into getting as many reviews as possible there, then promote them on your social network channels, to drive business back to the site.

4. Agree on the Compensation

Pitching influencers shouldn't be a cause for consternation and panic, says Sinkwitz, who added that many small businesses “fret and undervalue their products” when reaching out to potential influencers, thinking it will require “obscene amounts of money and a year's supply of product for coverage.”

“In reality, if you've done your homework on picking the right influencers, the product might be sufficient compensation in and of itself since it would be a valued product in the eyes of the influencer,” he says.

Sinkwitz warns that businesses should not be alarmed if an influencer demands monetary compensation in addition to products.

“Just make sure of what you will be receiving in return,” he says. “Is it a well thought out video and blog post or a simple product tweet? Is the value obtained in keeping with the compensation?”

5. Combine Influencer Campaigns Into the Overall Marketing Mix

Marketing professionals will tell you that no marketing tactic should exist in a vacuum, and Sinkwitz agrees.

“When placed within a chain of other proven tactics, influencer marketing as a concept is almost unfair in its use of psychological triggers,” he says. “Employed correctly, it can stimulate an intense purchase desire among your target market.”

Sinkwitz posits this scenario as a case in point:

“Imagine what would happen if your buyer persona saw her favorite celebrity tweeting about your product, followed by a well-respected member of her community mentioning the positive attributes of your product on his blog,” he says.

“She then sees a friend posting on Facebook about how great the product is and, finally, sees retargeted ads via native advertising channels promoting a discount trial offer of the product.”

A celebrity endorsement combined with an authoritative review, subtle peer pressure from friends and a discount offer would be hard to resist by anyone's standards. Such is the power of influencer marketing.

Other Tips

Consider these tips, in addition to the best practices listed above:

Be generous. The better the “gift” you offer in your pitch, the more likely the influencer is to agree to write or, in the case of video, record a review.

Go beyond the A-list. It can be difficult to get A-listers to decide to look at your product, much less write about it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Just don't limit yourself to them. Bloggers and social networking types further down the “long tail” can be easier to connect with and more receptive to your advances.

Remember that less is more. Don't cover every detail in your pitch. Leave room for intrigue. Often, the product will sell itself.

Allow for personality. Don't place too many constraints around what you're asking the influencer to do. Instead, leave room for the person to make the review fit her style and personality. It will come across as more genuine and engaging that way.

Use Small Business Influencer Marketplaces

One way to find prospects to promote your products is through marketplaces that match companies with influencers. Quite a few exist, although not all are intended for small businesses. These three are:

Intellifluence. Previously mentioned and written about here, Intellifluence is a bit more one-sided than the other marketplaces in that it allows businesses to reach out to influencers but not the other way around. Still, at $9 per month for unlimited usage it's quite a bargain.

Tomoson. For $99 per month, Tomoson lets businesses carry out up to ten campaigns with as many as 100 people.

Famebit. This marketplace allows businesses to get started for free. Endorsements cost as little as $100, and campaign creators can set a budget that's comfortable for them, review proposals from influencers and choose which platform to use for brand promotion.

Influence Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "What Is Influencer Marketing and How Can It Help My Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends