Exploring the intersection between digital connection, community strategy, local communities, belonging, permaculture principles, sustainability, and psychology. My work analyses the systems that prop up our current networking practices and looks at practical steps we can unlearn to build stronger networks that serve both people and the planet.
Can we build better networks and businesses in a less coercive way?
If you’re a marketer like me, you’ll be aware of this industry's language and ongoing rhetoric. The ads that follow you around on Facebook, the promise of ways to sell online, ways to build funnels to “earn while you sleep.” Whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion, for me, the extractive nature of some marketing tactics is getting rather tiring.
Ethics in marketing is something that I’ve been exploring for a while. Whilst ethics themselves are very personal, the key for me recently has been marketing my business online in a non-coercive way. It's been about unlearning some of what we’ve been taught as marketers and building from a place of service, and generating unique ideas and authentic ways to attract clients.
I have followed a lot of advice in the past about selling courses online, and about how to build large social followings, but I’ll be honest - not all of it sits well with me, especially when it comes to implementing it into my own business.
I’ve been feeling tired of algorithms of late (the LinkedIn algorithm is a bit of a nightmare right now) and the games people play to get to the top. Content creation can be exhausting, and when it isn’t done intentionally, creators are just contributing to the noise that fills people's feeds.
One thing that is key though to building a consulting business is growing a mailing list, especially if you don’t want to be a slave to an algorithm.
This is why I find myself writing to you now. Rather than creating a “lead magnet” to get people to sign-up and then an immediate pitch upon our digital handshake, I want to show up by starting a conversation more often. That doesn’t mean I won’t run funnels and lead magnets ever again, I will if there is a genuine need, but it doesn’t feel like that should be the only reason people should hand over their email address.
If you are interested in reading more about non-coercive marketing, this is a great deep dive for you. Credit to Jocelyn K. Glei for sharing it in her newsletter.
So I plan to write here more frequently. Probably fortnightly, we will see how things go, and please always hit reply if you’d like to talk about anything further or have some requests. I do like the intimacy of showing up on blog/email - it feels more lasting than social media posts that disappear after 48 hours. Past musings will appear on my website - when I figure out how to do that! So I’m here to explore, particularly this question:
Can we show up on LinkedIn and build better networks and businesses in a non-coercive way?
So I hope you will join me for future updates. In these newsletters, I will also let you know how we can work together if that's of interest, such as in the example below. If it's not for you, that’s ok you can scroll on by. Rest assured, the musings I share usually won’t directly be related to an offer.
If Building a Purposeful Profile on LinkedIn is something you are exploring right now, I am running a webinar later this week on Thu 11am AEDT (Wed 8pm EDT). To access it live or get an email of the recording, you can register here.
Also happening later this week, I am also reopening registrations for the Build Your Virtual Village on LinkedIn course, beginning April 18th.
Because I am being more upfront when it comes to marketing, I will let you know that the first 40 mins of the webinar will be teaching content all about building your profile, and the remaining 20 mins will discuss the course. Stay for the duration, or just join me for the first part if profile building is your sole focus right now.
I know not everyone loves webinars with a "catch", which is why I am being upfront about it, and won't be offended if you have to go - your time is precious, after all.
Until next time,
Anna
Networking: A New Manifesto
Exploring the intersection between digital connection, community strategy, local communities, belonging, permaculture principles, sustainability, and psychology. My work analyses the systems that prop up our current networking practices and looks at practical steps we can unlearn to build stronger networks that serve both people and the planet.
I outlined my thoughts on networking last month and why I feel we are off track. If you missed it, you can read it here. Before we can analyse networking, why we do it, and how we might do it better, I believe we must first define what networking is and perhaps understand where the definition of what we know as networking has come from. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, networking is defined as: The exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions....
Imagine this; you have seen a networking event that piques your interest. Perhaps it was the event topic that drew you in, the venue that you are familiar with, or someone who has invited you along. You sign up for the event, feeling both curious and excited for what’s in store. Maybe this event will lead you to your dream job, the client you’ve dreamed of working with, or the mentor you need to steer you in the right direction. You arrive feeling nervous but hopeful. As the evening unfolds,...
This post was originally published on LinkedIn on 15/10/22. You can view the original here. I talk to a lot of people about starting and building communities. It is so often the reason people come to me in a work capacity, and when it isn't, it's a subject that usually comes up quickly in conversation. People want to build spaces for connection and belonging not just for others but, in many cases, for themselves. There is a certain glamour to founding something, be it a company but also in...