Hey ,

Finding a place to be supportive and helpful online or in your community is a lot of fun. And, it can help you start or grow your business.

It's also a great way to build new connections with people. ❤️ My favorite part.

I've recently made a point to be active in online forums and communities. These online spaces I joined were primarily centered around web designers and online business owners.

If you're like me and also are a member of online groups, you do see a lot of responses to questions like "Message me" or "Send me a DM".

While 1:1 support can be helpful for the person who asked the question, it might not actually be the type of help they were looking for. It also takes the entire community experience away from the rest of the members, which was the reason that group was created in the first place.

By sharing your thoughts or advice publicly, you're doing a few things for your community (and for you):

1. Showing that you're an expert (or even one step ahead of someone else) in an area
2. Demonstrating for others what good responses can look and feel like
3. Sharing that you're accessible and approachable
4. Building strong community communication skills

All of these skills can lead toward you building trust with your fellow group members.

When you are a resource for one person, you can still be a resource for many.

On the opposite side…

When things go private, others might wonder: "Did that person actually get the support they needed?" or "Do I need to ask them in a private message to know the answer?" or even "Will I have to pay this person just to find out?".

If your goal is to build your business by helping first, I guarantee that some day someone will click on your name to view your profile and reach out for your services. That's Good Karma.

Here's an example of support I offered someone in an online community for Wix users. You can even view the full exchange here:

My response was long and detailed. I also let them know to reply: if they needed more help, or if I misunderstood their question.

Give back to someone with a little free advice.

That's all for this week.

Anything on your mind? Write me. I'd love to know.

Enjoy,

Matt

madebyacreative.co

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