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Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You're only a stranger once.

What Do You Want to Contribute as Social Media Community Member?Yesterday

Building a Community

The irony is that so many of us work alone, yet we build communities. That thought struck me boldly when this week I heard three people say how much they were looking forward to working in an office with people.

That got me thinking that an essential part of knowing how to built a community is understanding what it means to be a community member.

On Monday when we were talking about how social media can help us build a better business, Richard Reeve beautifully wrote this post for me. He described his contribution to a community “barn raising.” He said …

When asked to come and help raise these boards, it means:

2. Ask clear questions not only of what our team will do, but how it will fit into the overall scheme of the raising, so as to maximize the remaining sunlight.

3. While staying focused on the assigned task, realize that things seldom go as planned, so keep a flexible attitud

How to Share the Vision and the Plan with a Business-Building CommunityDecember 3

Goals, Dreams, Visions, and Plans

Raising a barn is a spectacular goal. Getting a community to help makes it easier and harder. It’s important not to confuse goals with dreams.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery,
author of The Little Prince, said that.

Char Polanosky explains what that means.

To raise a barn or build a business with a community is a social collaboration. It competes with all of the other wonderful and pressing things in their lives. To capture their time and attention, we have to offer something that is smart, compelling, and easily fit into their lives — irresistible.

Share the Vision and the Plan

When the time comes to build, we’re not going to find a community who magically knows what to build and where to put their skills to work. A critical stage in social leadership is being ready for the community when they’re ready to help.

We have to be able to explain — what we’re building and what roles they might play.

Share the Vision

We gotta know the vision before we can share it.

The Mic Is On: We’re Talking About How to Get Blog CommentsDecember 2

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

How Do You Get People Talking on Your Blog?

Social media. Even the name means more than one. It’s about conversation. Of course we want people talking on our blogs. How do we get people talking on our blogs?

• Is it the way we write?
• Is it the length of the posts?
• Is it the questions we ask?
• Is it the topics we choose?
• What’s the secret? Is there one?

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing

How Do You Get a Community to Help Build Your Business?December 2

Why Would Social Media Folks Help?

Raising a barn needs a leader, a plan, and a community of people with skills.

The beauty of enlisting a social media community from the start is that communities only have time for ideas that will work.

When we reach out — talk to people — about our compelling idea, the social media community responds. They let us know what works for them and what doesn’t.

If the idea we have to offer is truly compelling, the folks we’ve formed relationships with can offer us help more than we’d ever imagine. Why? Social media folks participate for many reasons. Here are just a few.

• Some will be inspired by the idea and want to make it a reality.
• Some will want to work us and the folks who take on the project.
• Some want more experience and new skills a project can offer them.
• Some have skills to offer and like to teach what they know.
• Some will want to save us from the mistakes th

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: How to Get Blog CommentsDecember 2

JOIN US TONIGHT AT 7PM

How Do You Get People Talking on Your Blog?

Oh, and bring example links.

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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