A big part of being referrable is being top of mind. If people aren't thinking about you then they're probably not referring you. So how can you stay top of mind?

This really fits into the consistent follow-up category pretty neatly as well. Many sales and marketing professionals will tell you that it takes 7-10 impressions to really get someone's attention. So meetings someone one time at an event and exchanging business cards isn't going to do it. Depending on how you're counting that's only 1 or 2 impressions.

Perhaps the easiest ways to get consistent positive impressions over time is through a thoughtful e-mail newsletter and through social media. This is a truly powerful combination. Neither is particularly intrusive as long as you're doing a good job of adding value and sharing good, useful information.

Want to get some more ideas of how these tools can help you stay top of mind, extend your brand and become more referrable? Join us at next Monday's NetStorming event (July 11th, 2011) and hear what Jonathan Gessinger of Emma and Matthew Parente of Aperio Marketing have to say on the topic with their presentation: "Email Marketing and Social Media - Wonder Twin Powers, Activate!"

Hope to see you there.

Happy Networking!