Blog: Derek Mehraban

National hoopla centers on Detroit this weekend, as it hosts the NCAA Final Four championship. Derek Mehraban, CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing (and MSU basketball buff!) will be playing up the region's home court advantage, starting with how companies can adopt MSU's winning game plan.

Derek Mehraban - Post 2: Time to Connect in the Motor City

Detroit is a big, big city. Detroit is Motown surrounded by suburbs. The 'burbs I grew up in. With so many people scattered across Detroit, how do you connect with them? Online and In Person. Let me show you.

My good friends Terry Bean and Charlie Wolborg have a little group with over 3,000 members called Motor City Connect. Motor City Connect allows you to build an online profile, interact on message boards - including an active job posting board - and attend events around the Detroit area to network with other professionals. Join Motor City Connect and you will have an instant network of local connections from around the entire Detroit area (including Ann Arbor.)

Notice I mention connecting both online and in person. They go hand in hand. You can attend networking events. You're welcome to attend a group I started in Ann Arbor called LA2M - Lunch Ann Arbor Marketing, but you also need a strong online presence on sites like Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter, to get your name out and allow your connections to refer you to someone who needs your help.

To get you started with promoting your personal brand online, my digital agency created a service and web site called Social Harbor. Social Harbor builds your online profiles at Linkedin, Naymz, About Us, and Social Harbor. We also build company profiles that include a map, link to all employees, and work to drive traffic to your business.

Social Harbor has been working for companies like Dickinson Wright, Plante & Moran, and Bank of Ann Arbor  - to drive traffic to their businesses and gain recognition for their staff. It works.

To see if your online presence is up to snuff, Google yourself. Are you found on page one of Google and Yahoo! search results? If you are nowhere to be found, or if the information is not what you want people to see - contact Ingenex Digital Marketing at 734.272.4698. We can help you be found, and give you an online presence you will be proud of.

GO STATE!