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The Rewards of Sharing Your Expertise to Help your Industry's Community
The Sprocket Report
“Sharing is caring” even in the business world and being generous with your talents is a win/win situation when you make the effort to give back to the community within your industry. Have you considered all the benefits for your business?
Next month is DNN Summit, the annual training and networking conference for the website platform Sprocket uses to build the majority of our websites. We’ve been attending for years and even hosted the 2010 event in Naperville. This year, we are once again on the planning committee and while it does take up some of our time, we believe in getting involved and would like to encourage other business folk to do the same in their profession. Here’s a few reasons why you should volunteer:
Supports your industry
If this is your livelihood, of course you want it to grow.
Gets your company known
Remember how many “marketing touches” it takes for people to remember your name. Cultivating a high profile helps increase name recognition.
Grows your network
Many times it’s not what you know, but who you know. What better way to find more people to know?
Identifies collaborators
Joining forces with someone else in your industry is like doubling the size of your company so the two of you can take on bigger projects for bigger profits.
Introduces you to the movers and shakers
Put faces to the names you read about in your industry’s news and maybe get their ears as well! You have a much better chance of being heard once they know who you are.
Exposes you to new employees
We don’t advocate stealing away personnel, but if people do want to move on, now they know a possible place to land.
Classifies you as an expert
It’s a great differentiator from your competition and lets your customers know they are working with a company that’s on a higher level.
Lets you practice the other skills you have
Oftentimes the volunteer roles a community needs to fill are outside of industry proficiencies. Stepping up to share your special talents can be a nice change of pace.
Distributes favors to call in later
You never know when you might need something one of your colleagues can provide. Be generous, and they’ll scratch your back later.
Gives you access to the inside scoop
Hanging out with the in-crowd makes it easier to hear the rumors and news that will affect your industry before they go public.
Generates news release content
From national outlets to your own blog, letting people know about your volunteer activities is great content to share.
Grows your social media
When you – and the rest of your committee – are sharing updates, tagging each other helps grow your reach.
Juices your website rank
While volunteering won’t pay you dollars, it can pay you with an SEO boost when they list your business on their web pages.
Improves your LinkedIn profile
Listing the roles you have filled and the skills you used gives people a more well-rounded view of the kind of person you are.
Because you should
Not only is volunteering the right thing to do, it feels good to be doing it.
In addition to hosting the 2010 conference and planning the 2020 one, Don and Jim have both given presentations at past cons. Don also likes to flex his voice-over muscles in support of DNN. For this year’s Summit, he started getting folks excited with a video “commercial.”
Industry communities are always looking for dependable volunteers, so don’t be afraid to ask how you can help. And speaking of help, if you are interested in learning more about the Summit 2020 because you are currently a DNN admin or are considering a DNN website, just give us a call.
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Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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