During my many visits with business people who are just now coming online I am asked frequently to provide my views on how many social and business networking groups a person should join?  This is a really hard question to to just give a general answer since there are so many variables to what each person is doing online and offline.  I feel strongly one group should fit all your needs but that depends on what the individual is trying to accomplish with their existence in the group.

Theoretically, only one group should be enough.  In my studies I show only approximately 20% of a person’s contacts are residing on one group, and on average over 85% of a person’s contact reside on at least three groups.  However, there is a point where being on too many groups offers a diminished return on the time spent communicating with all contacts frequently.

Fortunately, things are changing for the better in social and business networking.  As little as three years ago, if you were not on at least six online social and business networks and four offline business networks you were seen as someone who is not connected.  Today, if you are caught on some of the spam havens called social or business networks you are blocked or your professional image is forever tarnished.

The same was true with the offline Business Networking groups.  Some of the antics many of the business networking groups offered, like blowing air horns every five minutes during a networking gathering as a signal for everyone to stop talking to who they were talking to and move on to someone else, or for the groups that corral several hundred business people into a small room and offer a a lame prize to whoever can collect the most business cards in three minutes, are working against them.  Most professionals would give the people who attended a less than professional gather a boot off their contact list

Business people need to be very careful how they are seen online and offline.  In this failed economy business people and consumers are very skittish on who they do business with and check every nuance of a business and/or person’s background before they get involved with them in business. What someone says or does online directly effects how people offline will see them and will effect a business decision.

One Group Should Do the Job

The move being made in today’s online social and business communities is away from joining every social/business network site created and to only using one group as a base of their online operations.  Surprisingly, Facebook and the other mega social sites are not the first choice for business people. 

The challenge for those business people settling into one online site and one offline group is in persuading all their contacts to join them in that one group.  In reality they should expect all of them to join.  What should be thought of now is who else they will meet new that comes to them because they are part of a group that fits their niche.

Three years ago getting someone’s personal and business contacts into one group would not be an accomplishable goal.  However, business people today are looking for that one group to settle in that meets their specific need even if it results in loosing over half of their contacts.

In today’s competitive economy be associated with a person, place or thing with a less than desirable personal and professional image is a risk to high to take.  To compete and to draw in customers business people need to walk the talk and talk the walk. 

If they are surrounded by clowns and images that portray a less than serious attitude then their image would appear to have that same attitude.  Today, business people and consumers are checking out the who, what and where of each networking group they consider joining.

The days of being activity in dozens of social and business networking groups are drawing to end.  Value is what will draw people to a site.  If it meets their values and serves their purpose of being online they will join and they will stay.  You are going to start seeing Niche Groups and clubs forming.  I am sure one will be forming just for you.  Let me know how I can help.

The Business Golf Country Club is a private business networking Club just for golfers, business golfers, professional golfers and tour professionals.  The BGCC mission is to build a true golf community that is safe for members to meet online and offline to socialize and explore possible business development opportunities.  The BGCC is currently ending its Alpha phase and will be launching its Beta site in Mid Dec.  Join now so you will receive an invitation to the Beta site.  Join the Business Golf Country Club today.