Part TwoCOMMUNITY: WOWING YOUR AUDIENCE
8. FINDING YOUR COMMUNITY
‘We are judged by the company we keep. When combined, actions and relationships create a foundation for social capital.’
– Brian Solis1
Once you’ve got your storytelling performance up and running, you won’t want to be standing in an empty field. We can’t exchange social currency in a vacuum. We need other people. When asked why they use social media, the most common response among active users was people related: friends, connecting, camaraderie, companionship, networking, relationships, audience, outreach, community, water cooler, engagement and rapport.2
Despite everyone seeming to be there to make friends, we can’t expect anyone to come to us at first – they don’t even know we exist. This isn’t always a bad thing to begin with. As we begin in obscurity, we can find our footing without anyone really watching. Take solace in knowing your first awkward moments will be unwitnessed. But for Socialeaders, we cannot remain in the darkness. Obscurity is the enemy. Being well known among your community is everything.
In order to get noticed by our community, we need to go seek out the places where they are already hanging out. While finding the community is easier today than it has ever been, there are no pre-made maps to the location of yours. Social media is dynamic, always shifting with the seasons. It’s a bit like going on a safari to begin with. You need to set aside some time to conduct the hunt.
You start by looking ...
