And CROWDSOURCING.
Ugh. Let’s just talk about this, k? ‘Cause there is a fine line between gettin’ by with a little help from your friends and letting those friends decide every little thing about your business.
Examples of the kind of crowdsourcing that works:
“Gang: I used Val’s amazing About Me template to re-build my About page. Can you check it out and let me know if I’m missing anything? {insert link here}”
“I’m hiring! {insert job posting here} Who do you know who is perfect for this role?”
“Picking a new hosting platform is tough – what has your experience been with Host #1, Host #2, and Host #3?”
Why do these kinds of questions work and not irritate me (and most people)? They are specific, action based, and/or pull knowledge together in one place that can benefit many.
So, what doesn’t work? Oh, let me tell you:
“Help me pick a name for my new program! Rainbows and Butterflies, Starbeams and Sunshine, or Hearts and Googley Eyes.”
“Which plug-in is the best?”
“Can so-and-so software do this thing I want it to do?”
“What kind of freebie should I offer on my brand new website?”
“I launched a new program today and want to know how to get it out into the world!”
What makes these queries crowdsourcing at it’s worst? First of all, you are a business owner now. That means making decisions for your business on your own (or with your team or a small group of select advisors/mentors). If I see that first question pop up, the first thing I ask back is “Which one stands out to you?” You have an answer – go with that.
Secondly, Google. While I’m all for helping people who are just getting started, if you ask a question and I go to Google and send you a link to the answer, that’s annoying. Why didn’t you start with your own research? No, asking your community is not research. It wasn’t considered “research” in 5th grade to ask your BFF for the answers to the test, and the same is true for business ownership.
Lastly, don’t be vague in your questions. What kind of plug-in do you need? SEO, Comments, Spam…what? What are your freebie options you have already come up with? I’ll weigh in on that but knowing nothing about your biz or your style gives me little to go on with that Q.
Look, I’m not at all saying that we can’t be friendly and get social with our businesses. It is, after all, a huge part of how we spread the good word and also show our colleagues a bit about what we know. It’s a win/win truly. Let’s just all be a bit more mindful about how and why we are crowdsourcing. Take advantage of it in a meaningful way. Ask solid questions and stand firm in your business prowess. You are, after all, a complete genius already.
xo
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