Starting a business is tough because you have various different things you have to worry about when setting up. If it’s an online business, then choosing the right hosting, domain, CMS, marketing strategies, and tools can be tricky. It doesn’t help that you have so many options available because I believe the more options, the more confusion. However, the good news is you don’t have to go at it alone because many people have probably been in the business longer and way before you. It’s actually funny because many successful bloggers have developed courses for those looking to get started in the industry but you have to know what to look for when starting to differentiate between credible and those looking to make a quick buck.
If you are looking to start an online business, then you have to know how to find a mentor, which can be in the form of simply following a blog to find the information you’re looking for or even contacting someone in the industry. Let’s look at a few ways I learned how to blog and what was important to me when choosing a mentor to follow.
Niche & Relevance
The most important factor when choosing a mentor is relevance. You want to make sure the person you choose to follow and provide the value you need is relevant to your niche. This will ensure going forward that the information you get will keep providing value. For example, if I’m trying to learn about “online marketingâ€, then what good is a mentor in the automotive industry? The point I’m trying to make is the more relevant the niche and mentor, the higher the value they’ll provide me in my business. Now the question is: How can you find this person?
The answer is simple…
If I’m a newbie, then I’ll use Google to find the right people and doing a quick search will provide me with more than enough information. Next, if I’ve been somewhat involved in my industry, then I’ll probably know EXACTLY who is an authority in my niche. However, the point I’m making is make sure who you choose is relevant and of authority in your niche.
In the next section, you’ll learn how to find authority mentors in your niche.
Understanding Authority
If you want to be the best, you need someone who is the best in the industry as your mentor. Reaching out to people of authority is NOT difficult because they’re more than willing to help. Why? They, at one point, were beginners and had a mentor so they are willing to help anyone trying to get started in the industry. However, it’s important you choose the right person to reach out to so here are a few ways you can find a blogger’s authority…
Google Search – You can do a quick search in Google because those with authority will often be mentioned even within the search results. For example, here’s a screenshot of the results when searching John Chow…
You’ll notice other bloggers are mentioning John Chow and there are approx 390,000 results in total when I do a search using quotations.
Forums – I love IM forums because authority bloggers are always mentioned. Head over to WarriorForum.com and do a quick search “John Chowâ€. There are hundreds of threads mentioning John Chow, talking about his products, experience, and expertise. However, be sure to find niche relevant forums where you know people will be discussing the blogger.
Social Profiles – A very quick way to find out about the blogger’s authority is to check their social profiles. I’ve noticed people with authority have huge social followings and this will tell us a lot about their credibility. For example, check these “3†authority bloggers…
- John Chow – 100,000
- Neil Patel – 141, 000
- Zac Johnson – 44,500
From the examples above, you can get a good idea of their reputation. People only follow those who can provide value so you know all “3†above have credibility in the niche. Obviously, you’ll be looking for authority people in your niche and when searching, visit their social profiles to get a better idea of their reputation.