Philosophy

Share – Engage – Connect

Share: Let’s face it. The fact that social media even exists is due to the “share factor.” In her article, Witness Me, Claire Wagner nails the topic with laser precision. We want to let the world know we’re, “having a foot long sandwich from Subway.” Why? We’re social. It’s embedded in our DNA. Call it bragging, call it dependency, call it whatever you want.  A large percentage of the population needs to express to the rest of us what we’re doing or thinking at that exact moment. I’m just as guilty (Why else would I be writing this?).  I need to get my thoughts out, and let’s be honest, sometimes (and some places) are not the best to tell the world what’s on your mind. Even social media has its unwritten rules, however most things are fair game most of the time.

Engage: My favorite of Stephen F. Covey’s 7 habits is Be Proactive! I mostly write for entrepreneurs and the business types in our world and we all know it’s a reality that business does not take place unless there’s an engagement. You must engage your customer.  It’s a little known fact that viral marketing doesn’t actually take off on its own. There is no Field Of Dreams on Facebook, twitter or on your blog. You must build it, then you must engage. In the beginning it’s as easy as asking your friends to support you by clicking the “Like” button or following you on twitter. You’ll quickly run out of friends to ask and then what? You ask those few who found you by accident or who were led to you by your faithful friends. That’s when you make new friends through engagement…which leads me to point number three.

Connect: The heart of any effectual marketing, anywhere, is to connect. I once read in, Marketing Your Services – A Step-By-Step Guide for Small Businesses and Professionals (by Anthony O. Putman, Wiley, 1990) that, “Effective marketing concentrates on one thing only: the relationship between your firm and its market.”  It was true in 1990’s and it’s still true today. We must connect from the heart. What’s different about today is, when starting out, you need to make a connection as a person too. As Brad Closson  says in his blog Put On Your Velcro, “Real, genuine connections are the lifeblood of networking.  Give your fellow networkers something to work with.” In essence, give them something to connect to.

So whether it’s a networking opportunity, a new client, a potential employer or a future best friend, connect with people and make the connection strong. Do this through actively engaging your audience and build a fellowship by sharing what you have to offer.  What do you think? Have a philosophy of your own?  Use the comment section below to let me know!