I am now going to take you deep inside the world of social networks. As I have said throughout, the technology is just the enabler. Once you understand the context of what is happening and the opportunities for you to create a source of income through your activities, the technology will purely be a medium through which you achieve your desired result. Do not get hung up on the technology, although you must become its master.Success is the by-product
The most critical aspect of being a citizen in the world of social networks will be your ability to contribute to others. Success is the by-product – the result of being a team player. If you target success and have that as your only reason for spending time on a site then you will never achieve it. Success comes because of your willingness to share, listen, help and contribute to the success of others.
In many ways the online world is no different to the offline world. If you moved home into a new town or village, you would not broadcast a message from a bar stool and dish out your business card. You would find a bar or club you liked, quietly sit down, listen, observe and, when ready, you would begin to have conversations. I would guess that you would ask many questions of the existing residents. You would ask them who are the good people to know in the neighbourhood. When you needed a supplier, such as a decorator, electrician or plumber, you would ask for recommendations. The supplier who has a good reputation would be offered to you, due to trust and respect for how he/she has contributed to helping others when they were in need. It all seems so obvious, yet why do people act so differently online? I will look at some of the dangers of broadcasting and tell you how others have offended people. I don’t want you to fall down at this first hurdle. Impatience to gain a result can be the death of your reputation inside a social network.
Relationships first, commerce second
I think that most of us know that the best and longest-standing clients we have are people that we get on well with. Building trust, enjoying their company, understanding their challenges and caring for the whole person not just their business interests, builds a solid foundation for commerce. Building trust takes time, it has to be earned and it cannot be bought. In the twenty-first century we are all saturated with places to go to find people with skills. The internet, especially Google, provides all we need to be able to search and find someone with the skills we are looking for. But that is not enough now; it takes more than that to feel safe when making purchasing decisions. The world of recommendations and referrals to people we trust is as old as commerce itself. The internet, however, changes the landscape by being so transparent and so readily available. What people say about you online can literally feed you. People will become your advocates and refer others to you because of the relationship they have with you, not just your skills. Your future is no longer about self-promotion. Your future happiness and financial stability will be strong because of what people say about you, not what you say about yourself.
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Extract 1: A Changing World - The Individual Capitalist
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Extract 2: Contribution Currency
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Extract 3: Building Attraction and Being a Magnet
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Extract 4: Leveraging Social Networks For Your Business
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Extract 5: Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me
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Extract 7: Like Me: Creating Your Social Networking Footprint
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Extract 8: Follow Me: Creating Social Transactions
| This is an extract from Know Me, Follow Me, Like Me, a book by Penny Power and Thomas Power, who founded Ecademy, the UK's first social network for business, in 1998 with her husband Thomas Power. The Ecademy community now has members in over 230 countries and encompasses over 5,000 clubs and networks
Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me by Penny Power and Thomas Power is published by Headline Business Plus at £14.99. |
