Anyone who writes for their business understands how amazing it feels when someone comments in a positive way on a blog post, or shares out an article. It’s still wonderful to me after over four years’ worth of weekly blog posts – in other words, approximately two hundred unique posts, just for this platform alone (wow!) – when someone says ‘that really resonated with me, thank you’.
This is the business of engagement, and it’s essential to making connections. But what tends to happen in our world of tweet, favourite, follow, is this.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”janinemgarner” suffix=”#bottomline”]On occasion, we get so caught up in the business of engaging, we forget about the business of business.[/inlinetweet] As a result? We may be making great waves as a source of inspiration, but as a source of income?
Not so much.
Matt Church, the Founder and CEO of Thoughtleaders, has a very clear and concise mission statement; one may even call it a mantra. Think. Sell. Deliver. If you apply this to the business of engagement, do each of the three components end up being fulfilled? There is no doubt thought is involved, and there is no doubt you are delivering brand positioning, a value add and yes, inspiration to possibly thousands. But are these actions resulting in a bottom line positive?
When you focus on the social, on media presence versus fiscal present, are you completing a sale?
If the answer is no, then your balance of positioning and focus needs to change when you plan out your working week.
This may sound harsh, and in some ways, it’s meant to. Because for anyone in the business of business, whether it be as a solopreneur or head of a corporate area, at the end of the day, bills have to be paid – and it is our clients who pay them. So this means focusing not just on being liked, but on backing up and being liked for what we actually offer, not just what we have to say, and connect, with.
This doesn’t mean switching off Facebook and LinkedIn and retreating to an internet free zone. Connecting is a major part of business life and etiquette. The ability to influence, one on one, one to many, is both exhilarating and incredibly important. We also need others, just as they need us. I know I wouldn’t give up the opportunity to engage with my tribe for a million years – or for a million dollars. But I also know that a part of my schedule is devoted to making sure I control all three parts of that mantra; think, deliver and sell.
Tweet, Favourite, Follow – no issues.
Just put bottom line, business, bills into the mix as well.