People are desperate to connect.
After the world dramatically shut down this year, people began relying almost completely on online platforms, essentially overnight. To stay connected. To meet up. To host meetings. To conduct sessions. To offer classes.
Entrepreneurs are desperate for customers and clients.
Yesterday a Facebook "friend" posted a link to her website in a comment on a post I had written on a topic completely unrelated to her business offering. A blatant and totally inappropriate self-promotion of her business to my friends list. I seldom promote my multiple business offerings on my own personal social media pages. There are business pages and private groups for that. By all means, invite people to like your page or join your group!
Business owners are desperate for money.
People are using their personal social media accounts to post about their product or service daily. My feed has become one long stream of ads, even from my "friends", desperate for new recruits into their business or to make a sale. The new tactic is to tag people in posts about business offerings to make sure they see their shameless self-promotion. There are direct messages and personal conversations for that. By all means, connect and chat!
Influencers are desperate for ways to grow the audience for their monetized platforms.
They use these "free" platforms to connect and convert without realizing that what they are voluntarily giving to the BIG CORPS is all of their personal information and submission to 24/7 invasive surveillance for profiling, targeted marketing and censorship. There are websites, blogs and email subscriptions for that. By all means, share what you do!
Creatives are desperate to fill their online courses during their launch.
They use ads to get people to register for an infomercial about their paid course, presented as a FREE master class. And then proceed to push them through a series of excessive email marketing campaigns and endless sales funnels. There's got to be better ways that work and actually feel good! By all means, search for and find what works for YOU!
Of course we need ways to connect with our ideal clients and customers and collaborate with like-minded people. Of course we need to network to grow our businesses. But now that most of our interactions are online, how do we operate from a place of integrity that honors our highest values and models ethical business practices?
Social media makes it easy to spam everyone, everyday. But it's not very effective. And definitely not a good look for anyone or any business.
2020 is a Soft Metal year.
Soft Metal energy is associated with Childhood, the ages from 7-12. This is the stage of development in which we learn right from wrong, start building character, begin to develop our own moral codes of conduct and become obsessed with ethics. For the immature, this looks like tattle-telling and getting our siblings or classmates into trouble with authorities. For the more mature, this looks like standing up to the bully in the playground or calling someone out for their lies or harmful environmental practices.
This childish energy is playing out this year in many ways all across the various online spaces. And since Soft Metal is associated with circles of friends and the social network, how we use our friend's lists and social media platforms, both personally and professionally, is being highlighted. It's providing an opportunity to re-evaluate the ways in which we connect with and contribute to people.
In nature, Soft Metal is associated with the wetlands and marshes. The swamp and its swamp creatures. Quicksand that looks like solid ground, but sucks you into a swift death of being buried alive. Dangerous terrain for the unsuspecting wanderer. So too, can social media be a time and energy suck, comparison trap, thief of joy and mental health hazard.
These platforms look awesome but they can compromise your relationships with oversharing, fatigue your warm market with over-prospecting and attract the freepeople who are always looking to get something for nothing from your over-posting. They'll mute you so they don't have to be disappointed by your opinions, beliefs or interesting points of view. They'll unfollow you so they don't have to see your curiosity posts ad nauseam. They'll follow you just to get the free info and advice from your valuable content, but never convert to a loyal customer or become a paying client.
So how do we make quality connections in our online spaces?
I recently joined a brand new invitation only B2B networking platform for entrepreneurs to connect and collaborate, support each other with sales and services, ratings and referrals.
Not social media. Not owned by the BIG CORPS. Not free.
No ads. No timelines. No feeds. No tags. No spammy messages. No unsolicited contact.
Just a business profile and connection generator that matches you with your ideal customer or client.
Imagine being able to search for other successful entrepreneurs who understand the value of working for ourselves, have profitable businesses and money to spend...on your product or service! Ideal for the yang energy elements and extroverts who are looking for leads and seeking better ways to prospect.
Imagine waking up to an email from someone who has requested a discovery call to get to know you and what you have to offer. Especially perfect for the yin energy elements and introverts who don't always like to initiate contact but who love responding to invitations to connect, collaborate and contribute.
If you have a business and are looking for ways to connect or collaborate with other entrepreneurs and business professionals. If you value quality over quantity. If you are willing to invest in leads for your business opportunity and offers with a one-time membership fee and are happy to help expand the growing network with your referrals.
Contact me and I will send you an invitation.
Happy networking!
May you be connected. May you find your people. May your products and services contribute to the betterment of their lives. And may we all enjoy true prosperity.
