Why Connection is the Name of the Entrepreneur's Game
I met this fabulous muse, Gwen Bell, blogger-editor-ladyabouttown, last year because I felt compelled to tell her she had rad style at the cocktail party at BlogHer 07. This moment spawned a conversation that has continued since then in order to expand both our universes. Today she dropped a little note on kirtsy letting people know about a post I had written on BlogHer 08. Cue the traffic.
Why do I share this with you? Besides a big huge thank you to Gwen for her support, it is important for those of you making a go of it in a non-traditional career to know this: technology is your friend. And, somewhat ironically, it can make you friends as well, as all of us at BlogHer 08 can attest. There shouldn't be anything extraordinary about this little story because social networking and technologies of that ilk are, quite simply, the best way to move ahead as an entrepreneur.
Read on for the applications you can't afford not to know about and use. Pronto:
image: gwenbell via flickr
Set yourself an afternoon or a day and get yourself set up on these puppies:
- facebook. I resisted this one a long time. Finally a book group insisted that this was the easiest way to set up meetings. And- they were right. Through facebook I have found countless old friends and classmates as well as contacts from professional conferences. Post your events, put up a page for your business, and even end up with a college networking group in your own town like I did. just don't get sucked into tons of time-sucking applications. Stick to the basics like:
- twitter. Yes, as I've said, I was a twitter nit-wit until last year and most of this year I didn't really get the benefit. You won't either, until you experience the instant joy of twittering "new blog post+blog post url" only to get a great comment a few minutes later. Or until you get the coolest and most timely site suggestions and blog posts from your contacts popping up on your twitter. Plus, it is satisfying to share a moment that needs sharing, like recently, when a gas pump dispenser swung around and hit me in the face.
- kirtsy. and any other the other online news voting sites like digg, stumbleupon, mixx, del.icio.us. I'm quite the fan of kirtsy not only because I met a few of the editors at the conference and loved each one of them, but also because I delight in supporting content that is aimed at, written by, and considerate of women. Women are great at getting each other's backs. Kirtsy bloggers you like and build a big tub of online love.
- comment windows and trackbacks. I know it can be a little scary that first time you have to fill in windows with your name, e-mail, and web address, but commenting on other people's work is essential. Not only because of traffic, but because commenting means you are reading other bloggers and creative people's thoughts and work and giving a (hopefully!) thoughtful response. No matter what field you are in, there are bloggers who are part of it. Get into the conversation with them, and this applies to all media here. There is nothing more inspiring than good material on your type of business or art, except maybe a great comment. If you give that gift to a blogger whose work means something to you, it is more likely to come back around. With a trackback, you make it easy to link your response post with the original. Paste the trackback into your trackback window- it you're on TypePad, as I am. Otherwise check if you program accepts and creates TrackBacks and do the tutorial.
- a real life. Ok, maybe it's a bit of a pun here, but using the technology to create change in the real world is the ultimate success story. The purpose of online community is to create connection, so make your online life an extension of and a support for your offline one. A great example: Hope Notes. Ways to create this that i like: my Leads Club- a weekly real live women's networking group. Amazing support. Meetup is also great for organizing special interest meetings. A new one I have recently found out about is Qlubb, which helps offline groups create an online presence.
It really is your community to lose by not putting yourself out there. As a director of Leads who recently visited our group pointed out, when the economy is tricky people refer to those they know and trust. In a rich and flowing economy it is easy to forget to build relationships with your audience, clients, and network. It sometimes has seemed in the last ten years that clients were just piling up on our stoops. Even when this is the case, you still want to make contact with like-minded and inspiring others. I am grateful everyday for mine, many of whom I got to see at BlogHer this year.
Technology has never made it easier to put your content in front of an audience than it is right now. So say what you've got to say and let us know, we are listening!
Caroline, thank you for this lovely post. I'm honored you mentioned me!
The thing about being an entrepreneur is that we're always "on" when we're in public. I see every opportunity as a moment to connect. The cab driver, the waiter, speakers at events, whatever. We never know when we're going to be able to serve or be served, so it's best to always be prepared. Following up with the services you mentioned is crucial to keeping the relationship growing, I believe. <3
Posted by: Gwen Bell | 23 July 2008 at 09:39
Yes, Gwen totally rocks. Twitter, I'm not so happy with since I lost all my followers...
que sera!
I must go to bed!! It's 4am!~!!
Posted by: holli | 24 July 2008 at 02:08