| Is your business or organization "growing" or | | | | connect and advance your mission. |
| "slowing"? Is business static or declining? Is | | | | Network marketing is not about a website. A |
| membership and participation in your organization | | | | website is a static platform of information that only |
| shrinking? Are morale and commitment fading? | | | | works if someone takes the time to visit it. That is |
| As a leader in your organization whether it be a | | | | well and good as far as it goes- first generation Web |
| business, church, club, non-profit or other volunteer | | | | 1.0. But today online social networks allow your |
| activity, you have two challenges in common with | | | | business to actively reach out and engage - |
| committed leaders in any business: | | | | expanding the reach of your business. |
| Where do you want to take your organization? How | | | | In the US today fully one-half of teens and adults are |
| will you get there? | | | | on a social network site (SNS) whether it is |
| You can't lead into the 21st century with the same | | | | Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or one of the dozens |
| old tools. In a church, for example, hard wooden | | | | of other SNS's that are available. Now rather than |
| pews, worn out hymnals, two services every | | | | waiting for people to come to you to engage them, |
| Sunday, and a tall pulpit from which to deliver stale | | | | now you can reach out and find them where they |
| sermons are the tools of the old church. A church is | | | | are! And not just by messaging. We are not talking |
| a social network- an organization in which people | | | | about e-mail here. Properly implemented for your |
| connect based on shared faith, interests and values | | | | organization, a social networking site promotes and |
| and within which they grow to know each other and | | | | builds relationships with your members or customers. |
| advance their common principles and aspirations. Isn't | | | | And ultimately that is what the success of any |
| it logical then to use the social networking tools of | | | | organization is all about - its relationships with its |
| the 21st century to find new and better ways to | | | | members. |
| welcome new believers and build a shared community | | | | Can my organization effectively utilize an SNS to |
| with them? | | | | maintain relationships with our customers/members? |
| The very same considerations are at work whatever | | | | Yes! |
| your business or organizational challenges may be. | | | | Can my organization effectively utilize an SNS to |
| The wonder of online social networking has forever | | | | increase business/membership? Yes! |
| changed the way in which people share, engage and | | | | Can an SNS promote the mission of my organization? |
| communicate within a community of like-minded | | | | Yes! |
| users. You simply cannot afford to ignore the | | | | Can I use an SNS to promote and facilitate raising |
| valuable opportunities that online social networking | | | | capital or funds? Yes! |
| offers to connect people, share important | | | | What about privacy? What about controlling content? |
| information, and coordinate the activities and mission | | | | What about controlling access? What about the |
| of your business. And do it all at a speed and | | | | security of online financial transactions? All these |
| effectiveness unheard of only a few years ago. | | | | things are very manageable. |
| Online social networking offers an enormous | | | | But you don't want online to replace the one-on-one |
| opportunity to improve organizational performance by | | | | of your traditional organizational experience? Don't |
| complementing traditional interactions and relationships | | | | worry, social network exchanges complement real life |
| with the benefits of web-based technologies to | | | | relationships - they don't replace them. |