As a business owner, you do not simply tape a flyer to a lamp post and expect the world to beat a path to your door. We live in the era of “content marketing” which demands more than ever from you to establish and expand a credible presence. That almost always requires having a modern online identity.

We often hear how essential repetition is for building a brand and staking a claim in a crowded marketplace. Yet what matters most in networking conversations is exactly that… it’s the quality of the conversation. People want to engage in dialogue, not fend off a canned mini-speech or sales pitch.

How can you do this? Ask yourself these 5 questions to simplify what you say and make your message worth hearing.