I just read read a blog by a fellow Active Rainer that asked: What is the most effective blogging approach for networking? While making a comment to his question I thought about it, and realized that this is something I could write a blog about!
My personal belief is that blogging is not the end all, to our marketing efforts. To blog just for the sake of blogging is a waste of time. Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful forum to express ideas, and to provide useful information to our peers. But, more important though, it is place to reach out to potential customers and provide insight about our industry in a non threatening manner.
Information is everywhere and online! Want to check the price of a house listed with a Realtor? Wanna know what your neighbor paid for his house? How about a question concerning Radon? Somewhere out there is an answer! Blogging provides us (industry experts) the opportunity to disseminate all the information that consumers are overwhelmed with.
To maximize we need to integrate blogging with face to face, belly to belly networking. I belong to a Business Referral group called Business Network International (BNI). It is a structured group that meets once a week, early in the morning with the sole purpose of passing qualified business referrals.
In total we have about 25 members that meet every Thursday morning at 7:30 am. Within the group there is another blogger, a lady that owns a consignment clothing store Sandy's Stuff For Women. Sandy and I also belong to another local networking group that is called Certified Networker where there are more bloggers... and the spider web unwinds!
The impact of integrating blogging with personal face to face interaction with others in your community is powerful and I believe very effective!
When I first moved to Toledo, Ohio, I hardly knew anyone. Now after 12 years in this networking group over 70% of all my business can be traced through our chapter. What I mean by that is that I have second, third and fourth generation referrals that have come through original referrals from our chapter.I suggest that you search out local networking groups within your own areas and let you blogging complement belly to belly meetings. To find out more about BNI click on the this link Business Network International.
Thanks,
Rick
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