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 You’ve got the thing – a blog, product & services, an OpenSource application, a non-profit, a work of art. And you have the tools – social bookmarking groups, networks, LinkedIn & FB profiles, internet connection *cough*. So now what? Are people noticing you, connecting to you, engaging with you? The success of our “thing” seems inextricably dependent upon inspiring people to care and the enthusiasm needs to begin with you. I will never forget when one of my writing professors in grad school asked me, “Why should I care about your main character? You, the writer, must give the reader a reason to care.” The sentiment is applicable to nearly anything we wish to apply success to. The victory of any endeavor, either for profit or streaming news, education or fun, boils down to three essential ingredients: have direction, be passionate, and provide something of value.
Photo Inspired by HD Connely
Have direction
When is the last time you asked yourself, “Where am I going with all this?” Gary Vaynerchuk recently posted a video blog about knowing where you are going; to know where you are going is the most important thing to being successful. Is the where you are striving for a financial figure or a physical manifestation? Are you moving towards a business model which manifests enough money for your retirement in Tahiti? Or maybe, it’s creating a body of work to garner a successful track record to launch a freelance, consulting career. Whatever the dream, you must see your version of where in order to get anywhere. This ingredient is simple enough; all you need to do is ask yourself the question and begin visualizing your triumph.
Be Passionate
Zeal begets zeal, or as one influential blogger, Dosh Dosh, concisely puts, “You just need to give a damn.” I think too many people seek the short-cut, lack faith or lose interest when they don’t capture immediate results, but those with passion will stop at nothing to share the “thing.” Simply put, passionate people are infectious people. I consider myself a total “music-head” and belong to a community of other fanatics called Almost Fabulous on Fuzz.com; it’s a collective of people who love to share and write about artists. It’s an easy and enjoyable exchange of ideas and quite seamless to be infectious. Here’s the point where I urge you to do what you love.
Provide something of value
To know what’s valuable to your particular tribe equates with knowing your audience and is truly a pervasive theme throughout the social networking world. Productive participation within a community means understanding the nuances of that kindred group. Maybe you belong to a wildlife trust appealing to people helping save the bumblebee; you might want to join a Save the Bees on Facebook and offer them educational resources from your trust. You are adding value to the community and connecting with like-minded people, and with all that undeniable charisma, people can’t help but buzz around you and your content.
The idea is to create a framework in which to cultivate an identity which engenders importance and meaning in people’s lives. With the momentum of a clear vision, applying tenacity and enthusiasm to inspire your audience and always delivering contributions of excellence, your success will be inevitable!
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