There’s a big discussion happening in our online community, The Business Oasis (Note: the Oasis ended in November 2010.) about the ever-popular business topic: “Get out and sell yourself.”
Many of the things I teach in business have to do with organic means of growing your business and building momentum (which I’ll be talking about Friday in a free teleclass.)
However, there are points in your business, especially in the beginning, where you do need to get out and sell yourself. To get out of your comfort zone, meet people, cross boundaries, try new things on.
I’ve done it when I’ve needed to, and even enjoyed it. And, for someone like me who doesn’t like barge in and toot my own horn, I’ve found that networking in online communities can be fabulously effective.
Which is why I was so inspired when I saw Chris Garrett’s latest post on Making the Most of Web Community Building and Participation.
If you don’t read Chris, I recommend you start. He’s on my real watch list- not the 100 or so blogs that I scan occasionally, but someone I really do follow.
And this post will definitely give you the ins and outs of how to network in online communities. I’ve found them to be 100% true in my experience, and as The Business Oasis has come to life. (Note: the Oasis ended in November 2010.)
What have your experiences with online community networking been?
2 Responses
The brilliant thing about online communities is you don’t have to toot your horn, if you truly set about helping people then you demonstrate your value self-evidently. People do remember when you do a good turn and continue to do so 🙂
Isn’t it, though? Relationships built through generous giving plus warmth and authenticity seem to last for years… and decades. 🙂