Online business networking is the latest big thing to bring people together, so I jumped into the pool to give it a try. I started at BizNik. The tag line for this site is “Business Networking that Doesn’t Suck.” I applaud the founders for describing it in a way that invites people in or out right away. My intention for joining was to meet some new people, make a contribution, and see what might happen as a result in my business.
I joined in mid-March. Since then, my profile has been viewed by 266 BizNik members. I have received 26 messages from other members and chatted on the phone with a number of them. I have posted three articles to support other’s do-it-yourself publicity success and promote my expertise. Those submissions have been viewed 99, 90, and 60 times, respectively, according to the reports BizNik sends me. I connected with a fabulous virtual assistant named Colleen Johnson through BizNik who is working on her second project for me to date, and I have happily referred her to at least three of my colleagues so they can benefit from her services. One fellow BizNik member Craig Sigl attended my April 18 Publici-Tea™ and posted a fabulous compliment for this online community to see. My profile offers a direct link to this blog, and I am sure it is contributing to more readership because unique visitors to this blog reached an all-time high last month.
BizNik Founders Dan McComb and Lara Eve Feltin hosted a “Networking the BizNik” way training session at The Village Bellevue a little over a week ago, and I learned a lot about how this site works, how powerful it is from a search engine optimization point of view, and the many benefits to give and receive as a result of being an active member of the community. The passion and commitment of these people to creating something fabulous is nothing short of remarkable. And, I joined The Village Bellevue, which is making it easier and more convenient than ever to bring the Publici-Tea™ event to the independent business people who can benefit most from it. Those are pretty satisfying results for a two-month dance around the edges of online business networking.
If you haven’t yet visited BizNik, I invite you to do so today. Join. Set up a profile. Make a contribution. And see what magic manifests in your business. You have nothing to lose and much to give and gain. Jump in. The water is fine.
