by thomas hawk from flickr
We talk a lot about “building community” here at the High Velocity Blog. But in speaking with people each day, I still get puzzled looks about what it really means. Or why it should be important to them.
In this post, we will begin to examine this concept, and cite reasons why it is something that should be important to you and your business. But I must say, this is a concept that is fluid. It is a concept that will likely mean something a wee bit different in six months…
But no worries, we at the High Velocity Blog will continue to update you as it’s meaning evolves. But for now, here are a few reasons why you should seek to build community, to grow your circle:
- Building community allows you to form deeper relationships with people that you can turn to for help someday when you need it. This can range from investing in your new start-up to putting you up for the night when you are on the road…
- It allows you to form a posse of people who will tell all their friends about you, and share what you say and do. In some cases, every chance they get! These are the people who become your raving fans…
- It affords you access to your own ready-made think tank, a place to get real honest feedback. And fast. All you gotta do is ask…
- Building community increases the public awareness about you, positions you as an expert, and establishes you as someone of influence.
- It allows you to create a circle of friends and fans that are churning and talking about you, marketing you and your business – and making you money – ALL whilst you sleep, work, or play.
[Stay tuned to this blog as we will ultimately publish an individual post on each of the concepts listed above.]
Starting to sound appealing? Seeing the potential benefits? If so, good! And what are some initial steps to start building a community? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Be a connector of people. Here is an example of something I organized to help people connect.
- Serve first, sell last, if at all.
- Understand that building community is NOT just growing your network on social media. It’s getting out and connecting with real people too. It’s making a speech about something you care about to a local association. It’s publishing an article in a trade journal.
- Serve your competition, and you won’t have any.
- Change your thinking, and recognize that marketing is now a two-way conversation.
- Care about people. Help them, push them to succeed.
If you take the six concepts above and put them into practice, you will begin to see a dramatic change in how you attack your marketing, and more importantly, how you are perceived in the marketplace.
So, stay tuned. We will publish posts on each of the items listed above as we continue our examination of what “building community” really means.
Tell us what you think. Any additional ideas?
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