Build a valuable netword

When I was in Kindergarten, my mother worked at a resort with a swimming pool. My father wanted to teach me how to swim, so he was treading water in the deep end of the pool, and I was to jump off the diving board to my father. I can remember distinctly how scared I felt, and then my dad said something that gave me the nudge I needed, but terrified me to the core. He said, “Jump.” 

Creating a network and even writing a blog can be terrifying; we might feel a little exposed. I am sitting here in the deep end, and I am telling you “Jump.”

When the Internet was in its infancy, I was working at a print shop. There was this group of people that my boss would meet with every week. It was a networking consortium of sorts that would pass business off to each other. My boss had to pay $150.00 a month for this networking group; I thought it was great, because I would go and get lunch out of the deal, but the most important aspect of the group - we got business.

The purpose of networking is to expand your voice. When you get with likeminded individuals you can bounce ideas off of each other, create bonds with people and get helpful insights. However you must be open to constructive criticism, as well as be open to giving constructive criticism. 

A good network partner will give you constructive criticism, because they want you to get better, consequently, you should want members of your network to get better, so if you have constructive criticism, you should share. 

Let me warn you however, don’t dress down your friend in front of their community. If there is something that is a flagrant misuse of the English language, or an error in formatting, or you fact checked a blog and found it in error, and it might embarrass them in any way - comment to them privately, don’t ruin your own community by being that Jackwagon that points out everyone’s faults - don’t be mean; people will start pointing out your faults.

One of the best way for us as bloggers to develop our valuable network, is to search out other blogs, and sign into their mailing list, make a comment, and then ask them to look at your blog. However this requires you to start the conversation. Make reading other’s blogs an important part of your day. 

As a personal note I try to make at least one contact a day, but I recognize I need to do more, and so I need to make a goal, and stick with it.

Now when I say build a valuable network, this is more than just a regular network. What I mean is this: If you are a blogger that focuses on Politics, a valuable network partner might not be one who is a fashion blogger; conversely if you are a fashion blogger will you find anything really interesting in the blogs of a writer in politics. I am not saying they will not be important to you, and that you will not find anything interesting in each other’s blogs: I am saying don’t make your entire valuable network something other than your blog focus.  As a blogger, you are your own brand - that brand is either strengthened or weakened by your network. 

Finding Your Niche

When I was a kid, I used to listen to “old radio programs.” One of the programs I would listen to was Abbot and Costello. I would listen to them, and I would just laugh till I could not breath. So this morning while coming to work on my bicycle, I was remembering their skit on finding a niche.

Abbott:    You should find a niche for yourself.

Costello:  I have an itch.  I even had a seven-year itch once.

Abbott:    What happened?

Costello:  I scratched real fast and got rid of it in three-and-a-half years.

Abbott:    But I don't mean a niche like a niche when you have an ITCH!  I mean a niche like a niche when you have... a notch.

Costello:  Oh, you don't mean a nitch like a nitch when I have a nitch, you mean a nitch like a nitch when I have a notch.

Abbott:    Right.

Costello:  I don't even know what I'm talking about!

So what does it mean to find your niche: You need to find something you know something about. Blogging is about producing a lot of information, and to be a successful blogger, you need to blog a lot. If you are going to spend time working on a blog, make it something you know something about.

I was listening to the radio on my day off, and the morning show was talking about finding something you want to do. Their suggestion was to remember what you used to like when you were a kid, what you spent time doing and how it made you feel. 

I loved technology when I was a kid. I was in grade school when Star Wars was released, and I wanted to build a light saber and a phaser: No I am not going to write about being a Jedi. However, I have been attracted to technology ever since. 

I loved talking to people, and I enjoyed listening to other people’s problems. In Jr. High School would hold “session” three times a week, and listen to my classmates tell me about their problems. I would listen to them talk about their boyfriends or girlfriends, problems at home and how much they hated school. So I loved to hear peoples problems. 

Now these things would indicate that my “Brick and Mortar” would be the best fit for me, I sit here everyday listening to people’s problems with technology and I work to fix them. Let me clarify, it is not the job that I have an issue with, it is the company for which I work. 

So with this information, I should have a tech blog. Tech blogs are a dime a dozen. Because I don’t want to be a needle in a stack of needles - I like to stay away from a tech blog. Which brings me to my next point

Now the second thing we need to look at, is not only what interests you, but what are you good at. Everybody knows something. Some of us know more than others, so we also have to do research. I love food, I use to be a restaurant manager, so I know a little about food, and right now I am doing the Palio Diet. I could blog about food.

But the thing I really enjoy is teaching people something they did not know. I am a father, and I have been a substitute teacher, I have held training sessions in the Navy and as a manager, I would thrive in teaching. It is always a great joy for me to hear in that person’s voice, or see in that person’s eyes when they get what you are trying to convey. 

So with this process I love to teach, with a focus on technology and helping people. With this information, I would say my niche is teaching. 

So now we can try to carve out our niche… or our notch. 

Come back tomorrow and we will have part 2