Brace yourself for a flow of consciousness. This is not a ‘traditional’ blog post, with lots of carefully thought out subtitles and the like. I am here to disclose my core beliefs as to how we can ultimately achieve success. Not with ‘The Best Article Marketing Method’, or ‘The Ultimate SEO Guide’, but with real and meaningful ideas as to how we can progress as a group. If you have the patience to read this complete article, then I know you’re with me.
I want to get to know you. And if I can, I want to help you.
If you’ve been around the block then you will have heard those lines many times before. They’re very easy to type, but to actually mean it is rare. I have lost count of the amount of newsletter subscriptions that promised so much, but delivered only hard sells. I am fed up of it.
So I want to try something quite unique. I’m not going to pretend like I am re-inventing the wheel – it just seems to me that most people are driving around on octagons. There are some out there who are genuine people, with genuine intentions. But not many.
I don’t know how best to word this, but for want of a better expression, I am open for business. However, if you have read my article “Why I Am NOT Trying To Make Money From This Blog”, you will know that I am not selling anything. So what is my business?
I’m in the business of community. My trade is getting to know people. I want to know what you’re having difficulty with. Now I’m no expert (and 99% of those who claim to be aren’t either), so if I can’t help you, then I will refer you to someone who can. I don’t mind if you head off to their blog and never look back – I just want to help.
So what’s up with this? Where is the angle? I don’t even believe in karma, so my approach may not be making a great deal of sense to you.
There is no angle as such; I simply believe in the power of community.
Of course I have my own financial goals and I am certainly not trying to hide that from you. But when it comes to Leaving Work Behind, those goals are not my priority. I am thinking of brand, reputation, and community. Establish a reason to be worthwhile to people, and the rest will fall into place. Forget money, forget living the rest of your days on a beachfront condo in South America – that will come if you focus on helping others and providing value.
So where do you come in? Well, quite frankly, wherever you want to. If you have a problem, I will try to help you. You may see yourself as above me in terms of expertise, and that is absolutely great – more power to you – I’d love to see you hang around though. Doubters are welcome too – constructive criticism based upon differing opinions can be eye-opening.
So who are you? Well, you’re absolutely anyone. Discrimination romps around in bed with negativity and I want nothing to do with either.
There is strength in numbers. The internet is a very big place – I wouldn’t get too worried about competition. I would be worried about doing what you do right, knowing that a whole load of people have got your back. I can rave all day long about accountability, sharing, mutual partnerships, and sharing advice – all of these things come with community.
So, consider this blog an open house. This isn’t my blog – this is our blog – and if you see me referring to it as my blog, I want you to give me a (virtual) kick up the arse. This isn’t about my journey – it’s about our journey.
I want to be sat in front of my computer screen in a year’s time and see our community having achieved. I want us to all allow ourselves a satisfied chuckle at what is possible with the power of community. I want us all to look back at this post and know this is where it started.
Who’s with me?
Michele says
Love the idea of people helping people. Because in truth the internet is a community, this is just a means for us to communicate, just like a telephone or cell phone. This is a great idea!!
Tom Ewer says
Michele, I couldn’t agree with you more. Call me an idealist but I think that if likeminded people group together and try to help each other, only good things can come of it. Yes, there will always be those who try to spoil the party, but they can easily be brushed aside by the power of a strong community.
Robert Dempsey says
Hey Tom – an interesting post indeed. Typically we see two kinds of bloggers: pure bloggers who’s blog is their business, and those with a business using a blog for marketing. It looks like you might be creating a third model here. I’ll keep watch as I’m interested to see what you do with this. Good luck!
Tom Ewer says
Interesting musing Robert as always 🙂 Thanks!
jon says
There are literally hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, some make alot of money. But those ones that are “making money online” by promising to teach others “how to make money online” are for the most part scams.
The right way to do it is to actually sell a REAL service, a REAL product, and REAL something.
Tom Ewer says
I couldn’t agree more Jon – it is very difficult to tell who is for real and who isn’t. The easiest way to figure it out is to evaluate who offers free useful advice. Not many scammers can be bothered to do that over any length of time.
Mari says
This post really resonated with me. I truly believe in getting ahead the genuine, ethical way, especially in this internet marketing niche, where ethical and marketing have just about become an oxymoron.
Tom Ewer says
I can only speak for myself but I will only be happy with my successes if I have gone about it in what I consider to be the right way. So as far as I am concerned, I have no option but to try my best to help others and form a likeminded community! 🙂
Amy Harrison says
Hey Tom, lovely meeting you recently in the lovely community that is the interwebs. I think you have a great passion here and I firmly believe you will achieve more if you start from a point of wanting to initiate a much-needed change, or impact positively on others’ lives than trying to see hwo much money you can make.
Best of luck in your goal!
Tom Ewer says
Amy, thank you so much for the positive feedback – upon hitting the “publish” button I wasn’t sure how this article would be taken, so it is nice to see that there are likeminded people out there!
Jonathan Vitkunas says
Tom
we recently became friends on twitter, I am truemindsbuild. I to am very much like your self in the way that you believe in building a community as i belive in as creating a team of marketing experts to deliver great content to educate other’s to go on to build there on line root’s, to become free from the rat race. I would love to speak to tom as i feel i am trying to achieve the same as you and feel that we mite be able to help one another, please email me your contact details at futuremarketingmasters@gmail.com as i would love to get to know you and become more formal and to see wear this might take us.
Look forward to hearing from you. 🙂
Tom Ewer says
Hello Jonathan,
If you’d like to get in touch then you can use the contact form (linked to in the navigation above) – that goes straight to my email 🙂
All the best.
Conni says
Love this post man..very powerful. Sort of like a little manifesto. (Could be extended to a big one?)
For my blog I envision a movement. Your vision for yours is a community. I think they are quite similar. I like that.
Tom Ewer says
Thanks Conni! I’m glad you brought me back to this post, as it is interesting to see how your perspective and goals change over time. And although it has been nearly 4 months since I wrote this post, and a lot has happened, the message is still central to what I am trying to do with this blog!
Mike Bacos says
I like your message of community in this post. It is the reason I want to get in social media in the first place; the aspect of community building. In this dog-eat-dog world where we have to try to step on each other to get ahead, it seems everything I have read so far is about transparency and sharing with one another to help each other succeed. I, myself, hope to build and participate in this community where we choose a different path in life rather than the standard life that society pitches to us.
Tom Ewer says
Hi Mike,
That’s how things tend to be in the blogosphere — most people are happy and willing to help others. There’s an understanding that if everyone is generous with their time and energy, everyone benefits.
Cheers,
Tom