I have been a member of a networking group called BNI for just over a year. One of the things that appeals to me most about the organisation is the ethos ‘Givers Gain’, that in seeking to grow the business of your fellow members, by being generous toward your fellow members, and indeed everyone, you will grow your business.

This is also the underpinning of using social media and social networks as marketing tools. If you give by adding value to the conversations you get involved in, if you give by adding value to those visiting your site/blog, then over time you will gain. This runs counter to how a lot of people have been trained to treat their marketing;
“If we just interrupt enough people enough of the time they’ll buy our product”.
“If we keep talking about our products they’ll buy it”.

I think it’s being made clearer all the time that people are not interested in YOUR message about YOU.
If you have any doubt about this please read this report from Universal McCann.

Another appealing aspect of BNI is that the number of referrals and value of closed business in each chapter is tracked. Whilst it is a friendly atmosphere and we genuinely enjoy catching up with each other we are doing it to grow business, and we measure that to ensure we stay on track. Social Media can provide you with data to tell you what happened to ensure that your on-line marketing efforts are not just window dressing but actually have accountability – something very difficult to quantify in traditional media.

This is why I love Social Media – it is an opportunity to create value for others and by doing that grow our businesses.

It is a chance to reap the benefits of ‘Givers Gain’.

(Image by geofana)

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