How to Rally Brothers and Sisters To Fight For Your Small Business
Band of Brothers.
Today we know that phrase because of the outstanding HBO series. Yet those are the words of William Shakespeare, and as is with much of what he wrote, these three simple words speak of an eternal and universal truth: the greater power and courage of individuals when they join together for a common cause.
Shakespeare put those words into the mouth of King Henry V as he rallied and joined his flagging troops on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt. Sometimes as small business owners, we too feel beleaguered. But if we band together, we can rally and find the strength to move mountains.
I want to suggest some simple ways you can discover great power in a band of small business owners or entrepreneurs.
You must participate
First you need to be part of a “Band of Brothers.” A lone business owner operating in isolation doesn’t have a good chance for success. Groups like local Chambers of Commerce were formed for this reason. Other business-related community-service organizations also, in part, serve this function.
The Internet has created another dimension in this area. Mastermind groups, forums, and various social media groups can serve as tools for small business owners to band together and achieve results that would be impossible if everyone was acting independently.
My first strong advice is to get involved in as many good groups as you can, but not too many that you’ll be unable to meaningfully contribute. And don’t overlook the possibility of starting your own group. Private Facebook groups, for example, can be a great way to bring together a band of people who have shared interests.
Victory in the online battlefield
Once you have established your involvement in one or more groups, “rally the troops” to support one another’s social media marketing efforts. This can be as simple as people sharing posts and newsletters to their personal social media contacts. This will greatly increase the reach of your social media and content marketing.
Another excellent idea is to review one another’s products and services. This can be through review sites like Yelp, via Amazon.com reviews, or as website “social proof” testimonials. For example, if you’re putting out an e-book to promote your authority, give free copies to your “Band of Brothers (and Sisters, of course)” and ask them to review it for you on Amazon.
The possibilities are endless, but the foundation upon which they rest is a single, simple truth: You can accomplish far greater things when you band together with others who have shared interests.
Image: “PPC ph-so-EarthDay,” © 2012 Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs Office, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.