Blogalicious Lesson #10: Only Givers Get Good Business Online + Boni Candelario and her Career Coaching Blog

In the video above, click here if you can’t see it, I did a mini-interview with one of my new sister-friends, Boni Candelario, Career Coach and creator of Coach’m Up. After a full day of networking and Saturday Sessions, Nikki suggested we chillax in the Ritz Carlton Jacuzzi, which turned out to be even better of an idea than we thought. Initially I loved the idea because I got a chance to shop for a new bathing suit (not sharing pictures, but sista girl I bought my 1st Bikini – lol). Thank God it was at night, because I wasn’t trying to scare any kids with my love handles, but seriously, in the end our downtime turned into a pretty interesting mastermind session.

As both women bloggers and coaches, Boni and I started talking about the benefits of blogging and using social media to market ourselves online. I casually brought up a discussion I had with another sister-blogger earlier that day. As I told that sista about my graphic design services, she told me that her husband was also a graphics designer BUT very old school. She was curious to know how I managed to keep my business steady and I was eager to give her a few tips.

• Having My Own Social Network for Business Women (mybbwo.com)
• Sharing Marketing Advice On My Blog
• Consistently Tweeting, Creating Videos, and/or Using Facebook Updates to share tips, tools, and updates

I basically told her taking the time to give my know-how and support to other women of color online is what helps me attract attention and consistently get good business. To that she replied she was having a difficult time getting her husband to understand the value of social media to solo entrepreneurs. “He doesn’t want to get into twitter,” she told me. “He said he doesn’t want folks stealing his ideas. He believes in old school marketing, giving out cards and waiting for calls to see what pans out BUT I keep telling him that he has to get with the times.”

Sharing that story literally heated up our Jacuzzi Mastermind session. Both Boni and Nikki pointed out that giving is what social media is all about! We are here to exchange ideas and in the process connect with those who like what we have to say. As we rattled on, we quickly dived into the common question internet entrepreneurs and newbie bloggers ask, “why would anyone listen to me, when there are so many other gurus and big names online?” To that Nikki pointed out that we each have our own unique stories. While the fundamental ideas maybe the same, you might relate more to a coach like Boni than to me (or vise versa). In conversation we really reflected on the idea that there is no room for selfishness when it comes to social media. We all have something unique to give.

Case in point, a few days ago I thanked someone for sharing one of my tweets. To that she tweeted “@thecommoncents @sistasense – anytime… good content is mega-sharable.”

Every time people share my content that translates into support aka no-cost marketing aka word of mouth marketing (digital style). Every time I post something and people click the link to sign up, buy, or try that means my business grows and my cash flow stays steady BUT I can honestly stay Good Business does not happen without consistent creating and giving Good Content. I have to share my marketing series, my business advice, my free reports, my knowledge, my time, my resources, my life … I have to give of me everyday in order to get back relationships, responses, referrals, and return customers in return.

In one of the Blogalicious sessions James Andrews shared this great quote (video replay here), from Gerd Leonhard. It was “Attention is the new currency and data is the new oil.” You can never have enough oil right? Data, information, everybody wants IT online and getting folks Attention well that is where the currency aka (the money) is.

In short, if you ever heard me talk about my 3 P System it is as follows: Plan, Please, then you Profit Online. Most folks jump on the net and forget to please because their pushing for profits BUT it does not work that way. Folks have to buy what you say, before they will buy what you sell SO work on selling your authentic self before you pitch folks on anything else.

Next week I am hosting a live video chat on how to Be A Better Blogger, click here for details on that.

I personally am all about showing you how to use your blog to be more giving and attract more clients, so if you really want to dive into this topic go download my 1st SistaSense Circle audios about Improving your online Sales and creating a Good for Your Business Blog (details here).

For all 30 Blogalicious lessons learned, read my series of Blogalicious 2010 Adventures.