Not much unless you have one leg! The phone wouldn’t have got far if there had only been one and neither would the computer. Being connected and having connections was always important but more so nowadays as we operate equally online and offline.

Connections bind communities and strengthen relationships, but it simply doesn’t work if you only have one or two! Its not enough. We need online as well as offline connections, deeper connections, reciprocal connections, non profitable connections, challenging connections, global connections, local connections, diverse connections, dynamic connections and super hot connections.

Not thousands, consider Dunbar’s theory of 150. 150 deep connections that are polarised and everything in between. These connections bring different things to your party, sorry business. They add value in differing ways, add vitality and inspiration that is distinctive from other and its vice versa too. Connecting is a two way thing1

It’s very rewarding doing a head count of your 150, identifying what they bring and then developing a way of engaging, participating and co creating with them. It’s changed, be a connector rather than a networker, the two are very different.

Brian Solis wrote an exceptional article last November on social media and traditional influencers, catch it here;

http://www.briansolis.com/2009/11/social-media-influencers-are-not-traditional-influencers/

Its interesting as it distinguishs the potential differences. However, if you’re moving that passive database to a proactive community, its more sophisticated than that. Any business community around your business will depend on differing levels of intimacy, different roles and distinctive connections.

We’ve already identified that it will have groups of people with different needs in the last post. To get to grips with this you start with the people who can have the most significant impact, not action, impact. Your ‘pillar’ influencers or as Marco Iansiti and Roy Levien call them “keystone influencers.” They are the same thing.

Brian Solis is right, these critical players in your marketing strategy, will be either offline, online or both. You’re ahead of the game if they are both. The first stage is to identify clearly who they are and segment them based on that premise,: online or offline. Then you can decide what you’re going to do with them that encourages dynamic interaction. Look at it in two ways:

1. Start with the offline people. They’ll be offline for a reason. What are you going to do with them that will encourage, collaboration, co-creation, innovation, product development, new referrals and a guiding hand on how your business grows? What are you going to give them? These are great team brainstorming events, believe me. In addition, you have an obligation to encourage these influencers to ‘dip their toe’ in the water of social media. It’s your responsibility to be honest.

2. Secondly, go and identify the online influencers and do the same.

Build an approach that is going to solidify the relationship and drive your business forward. However, the way in which you use technology and platforms will be different here. I know its obvious, but I have to say it. Build into the plan, physical meetings with these people too. I recently, met up with my top 29 Twitter influencers in my local region and its worked. I still have one to do.

All of the ‘pillar’ influencers will, strangely enough, have significant influence in their respective fields. They may be customers, suppliers, friends, businesses linked to your sector and even competitors.

Once you’ve created your plan, then start to connect with this small (not hundreds) number of people. It’s no different than creating a marketing communications plan. Just a point, understand why you are doing this. It’s not broadcast, it means using some shoe leather up and meeting, visiting and ‘eyeballing’ people whether online or offline.

This first step in the development of an engaging, alive business community is about enhancing and enriching existing relationships that are natural, energetic, appropriate and individual. And, perhaps by doing this well, it will lead to new relationships.

Okay I’m going to be writing a lot about business community over the next few months. After what seems like tons of research and development, I’ve developed a framework that takes us beyond marketing that centres on building a community through strong robust relationships with customers and employees. Its nothing new, lots of people are talking about it. My company is just one of the first to create a practical way of applying it that is just so very exciting.

It starts with the end in mind, a business having a productive, collaborative, engaging, inspiring community of people co-creating, innovating and participating in the growth of the company. This is two, multi way stuff at its most dynamic. Its truly powerful and generates principally three results; true customers, true employees and true profits.

What do I mean? Well a business community is what you define it as, what’s specific to your business. Its the hub that’s at the centre of your brand! And, okay, its a space where people who have a common interest meet, share ideas, connect with each other, build great relationships, find mutual benefit and create things that have greater value. The people involved in your business community will take your business places you never imagined.

It’s not your database, although thats where you begin. A database is too static and inert for today’s business environment. A database doesn’t allow you to connect customers to each other. It only shares information one way and, in fact, its just a list. Not terribly engaging is it? Life has changed, customers have changed and so have employees. Social media has overturned how we do business. Meeting peoples expectations is pivotal in thriving and moving from a passive relationship to a fully engaged, demanding yet valuable organic place where great business is done.

Our businesses now need to start the process of growing, facilitating, encouraging and taking part in a business community that flocks to our brands. Its different from a database, it will grow, it will subtract, it will change dimensions, it will have different kinds of influencers, different connectors. It will have power struggles, it will innovate, it will co-create. It will shape your business and you will shape it. It will change everyday. You’ll measure it, you’ll monitor it but you will never rule it.

Gone are the days of sending newsletters out each month, some direct mail, tweeting and blogging. Building a business community goes much further than that. Its got lots of activity, heavy weight influencers, strong connectors, play, interaction and a hell a lot of conversation.

I’ll talk more over the coming weeks about how this will develop, some practical examples and, if you’re interested in your company taking part, get in touch. We’ve been testing for a while but we’re interested in developing this further with local company’s.

Word supplied by Andrew Farmer – www.myoxygen.co.uk

Thankfully and not before time we have new networks, they’re the vibrant ones, they’re the life changing ones. Lets be honest if we are going to spend our precious time in one, they had better be full of intellectual, artistic, radical, maverick, engaging people! Encouraging debates around “what’s new?” not “What I have to sell?”

Open minded, open sourced minds that upturn the conventional, unlock what seems difficult and create a level playing field. The ‘grey suit’ networks, if they aren’t dead yet, soon will be. These myopic, ego driven, inert, mundane environments of the past can no longer survive. A huge disappointment to those professional service firms that used them as a reason to not go home.

Most networks are average. Survival will require a great shift to raising the game. And we wonder why social networking has taken off? It’s led to the abandonment of those traditional congregations, simply because the culture, the atmosphere was as stifling as being in a lift with your worst nightmare for 24 hours.

The new networks, and they do meet face to face are the ones to join. The ones that use imagination, let us connect, enable us to influence its evolvement, allow collaboration, shares new ideas and help us work across disciplines. They even expand our minds and, of course, they do lead to real business too. Before anyone says it, most of the physical ones do not!

Next time anyone walks into a room full of people speed networking (what the hell is that about?) and it’s not full of buzz and you can’t feel the excitement in the room, turn around and get out of there. Join me at the bar, that’s where I’ll be sitting! I just got there before you!

Caffe Nero’s in Exeter is my second office, after the train and my desk at home like a lot of people. Most mornings I’m there getting my caffeine hit, I’ve noticed a group of individuals having coffee together. Turns out they meet everyday before work to chat and discuss the previous days events.

They didn’t know each other before Caffe Neros opened. They met queuing for coffee and have done ever since. After they finish they go their separate ways to do a hard days work and the session is repeated the next day!

Nothing new here you say. Well perhaps before the café culture hit the UK this would not have happened. Its only 10 – 12 years old but whats significant is that this isn’t any different to groups of people conversing on the internet, its just a different way of connecting. Okay you might have your own coffee and you may not have eyeballed the person you have been having a debate with on the latest developments in politics, but you are still having a conversation whilst online. So why is that so scary for some people?

Sharing conversations on the internet is just another form of communication and small business need to treat it like that. Understanding it and taking part in it makes it a lot less fearful. By the way, Caffe Nero have started to create a community. My bet is they haven’t realised this yet and therefore can’t do anything to encourage and embrace it. Shame!

I’ve just tweeted this. It’s a great article with some superb tips.

http://searchengineland.com/all-aboard-the-twitter-train-smbs-19399