In my staff meeting this week the agenda finally turned to the ongoing debate on..
Why Do Business People Join Online Business Networking groups?
Following are a few of our thoughts.
Meet Likeminded People
The most obvious reason business people join online business groups is to meet liked minded people. Many join to find business leads and potential customers. What is taking place is more and more people are joining business groups to waste a lot of other people’s time with promoting things that only a very few people are interest in..if interested at all. This self centered business people are driving the majority of business people away form the internet.
One of the first things that comes out of the information from the survey I did back in 2005 was business networking groups were ‘Too Open’. Too many business networking groups allowed business models and business peoples who feel their only existence on earth is to constantly promote their product and services. So I feel I can safely say that business people do not what to be Spammed which is what they usually get when they join a group.
Business Networking is a great place to find others who share philosophy. Unfortunately, the challenge is to block out those who have no interest in the value of building business relationship and promote the side of business networking that benefits the majority of business people.
Purpose
Business people also join Business Networking Groups for the purpose the groups offers. Some of the BN’s offer a service or product as part of the groups purpose. Some just offer business networking. What is the purpose of the online business networking groups?
Today’s online business networking groups seem to fall short with clear purpose. Some of the growing groups are growing because, again, they are ‘Too Open’ in allowing anyone in. Some business networking groups say they don’t suck, but if they are harboring a flock of Adult Industry businesses then I can’t see how they can say do not suck..pun is intended. So, whatever purpose these uncontrolled BN’s have is overshadowing their purpose of business networking.
Discussion
Not sure what it is but business people seem to like discussions. Could it be because they are thinkers? Or just like to talk a lot? Business people say they like to have a place to go and get input. Many small business people do not have the board of directors the larger companies have that direct them in how to do business. Business Networking groups offer the opportunity to get input from others in the same position.
The downside is, again, online business networking groups do not control the discussion to keep the self promotion spam out of the discussion. This forces business people to not openly discuss anything since the spammers make it a waste of time.
Group vs Club
Over the past year when the level of deception online increased business networking groups lost their value. What has taken place is business networking Club’s have formed. The difference is a club has structure and a mission where as a Group is an identity for an Open function that has no structure or mission.
The Club concept is taking off and growing. The strength of Business Networking Clubs is they are controlled. Business Networking Clubs are setting up gatekeepers who monitor membership for compliance to policies and rules. Business people are accepting the structure of Club’s since it keeps their time spent online focused towards meeting people in their business market, learning better business practices and participating in the club’s mission.
The future of business networking online is promising but only if controls are put on the insanity many people adopt as their business model. All businesses have the same mission..make a living, but there are good ways and bad ways of going about making a living from the time spent online. The groups or clubs that place the controls on who can join and what is discussed will survive.
What brings you to join an online Business Networking groups or clubs? Enjoy hearing what you have to say.
