The investment I made into building a network (I shared a bunch of real world examples about building a network yesterday)
You never know where something simple will end up helping you in building a network. Putting others first–and forgetting about yourself–does not only build a big network, it also builds a strong network. When you invest in other people when building a network, they are as loyal to you, as you have been to them. The’ll be happy to share your stories. They will be delighted to promote your projects. Your network will volunteer to help you accomplish your vision. They will want to assist you in reaching your ambition.
Building a network: it doesn’t take much to get started
Why? Because they know that you have done or will do the same for them. In the end it’s not about how many followers you have on Twitter, how many business cards are in your rolodex, how many hands you’ve shaken at networking events, workshops and other gatherings … it’s about the relationships behind those numbers.
Case in point – Every Thursday, starting in January, has been #ThankYouThursday for my followers on Twitter. Why? I read another book by Gary Vaynerchuck (@garyvee) called “The Thank You Economy” and since the beginning of this year, I spend a few minutes every Thursday morning scheduling quick ‘Thank You‘ tweets to my new followers on Twitter in TweetDeck. It doesn’t take much time and it’s been interesting to see the reactions I’ve gotten in this social media campaign.
I’d rather have a dozen enthusiastic people in my network, who are real and strong relationships, than ten thousand likes on Facebook, that don’t care about me or my work.
Check out tomorrow’s post – we’ll look at how you go on building a network, once you’ve gotten started.
