Complementary Circles of Networking: Inviting Chambers of Commerce to inSider Networks
Traditionally chambers of commerce have focused on towns. Makes sense. Proximity counts. Town identity is supported and developed. Chambers of Commerce in North Carolina are well-established all over the state. There are town or city based chambers, and also county chambers. County chambers of commerce sometimes over lap with towns that also have their own chambers, and sometimes they are a collaborative effort, combining resources so that one chamber can do the work on behalf of a wider region - making it more economical with a broader base.
Chambers of Commerce, like all entities used to have listings in phone books, and put out their own directories of members in paper. Then they got websites, and published their member lists in online databases or lists on their sites.
Now, with LinkedIn connecting global professionals, and Facebook connecting in a less formal way, there are additional resources. Some Chambers of Commerce have created groups in both online social media. It's a great way to get more exposure, to gather and increase networking among existing members, and to connect with potential members!
So where does inSide AreaCodes fit in? inSide AreaCodes is a ning.com network. Ning.com is the host and has a certain style and design. Ning specializes in community - the community is at the forefront. Individuals are part of a community. This is a distinction from Facebook and LinkedIn, where the individual is the center, and individuals add friends/contacts and groups, but the focus is still the individual.
Why does it matter that inSide AreaCode networks are focused first on the community? It's not that one is better than the other, just that they offer different and complementary value.
inSide AreaCode networks say this: we have town based networks, we have global networks, there's a vital space for intra-town networks, which can be defined by areacodes.
One of the most vital aspects of inSide AreaCodes is that for the most part, people within an areacode can actually arrange to meet, at a social event, or one on one in a public setting to network. The AreaCode arena creates a region that may or may not be defined as an area - it crosses town lines usually; it might cross county lines; it might not be an otherwise named region, like the Triad, or the Triangle. Yet it is an area that for the most part deserves recognition as a community.
Whether or not Chambers of Commerce have discovered Ning.com communities doesn't so much matter, because what the AreaCodes network does is allow the Chambers of Commerce individuals to form a group within that AreaCode to promote their local Chamber, gather existing chamber members and educate potential members. So whatever else a chamber of commerce is doing, the staff of the chambers and the members, can only benefit from their experience on inSide Area Codes.
Should Chambers of Commerce also form their own individual ning.com group? For some this will work very well; for others it will be a struggle, for the more groups there are to join, the more some people will close down and say enough. One doesn't really know until one tries it. The really good part about having your group on a ning.com network is that it is one of the best ways for people to interact on equal ground - everyone has a page, their own MY PAGE, and communication is easy between all members. It allows for building a web like network, with links between many points.
But even if Chambers do have their own networking groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, and even, Ning.com, there is still an important value to individual staff members and chamber members ALSO being on inSide AreaCodes. The well-developed community culture sets an incredibly good example for community building - a culture of networking for mutual benefit; and well-honed norms and educational assets that is excellent training for network builders. Further, these networks can be like ports - important centers where people from all over the areacode join, so it's a place they are going to want to be.
What do you think? Leave a comment, or write me a note.
Chambers of Commerce, like all entities used to have listings in phone books, and put out their own directories of members in paper. Then they got websites, and published their member lists in online databases or lists on their sites.
Now, with LinkedIn connecting global professionals, and Facebook connecting in a less formal way, there are additional resources. Some Chambers of Commerce have created groups in both online social media. It's a great way to get more exposure, to gather and increase networking among existing members, and to connect with potential members!
So where does inSide AreaCodes fit in? inSide AreaCodes is a ning.com network. Ning.com is the host and has a certain style and design. Ning specializes in community - the community is at the forefront. Individuals are part of a community. This is a distinction from Facebook and LinkedIn, where the individual is the center, and individuals add friends/contacts and groups, but the focus is still the individual.
Why does it matter that inSide AreaCode networks are focused first on the community? It's not that one is better than the other, just that they offer different and complementary value.
inSide AreaCode networks say this: we have town based networks, we have global networks, there's a vital space for intra-town networks, which can be defined by areacodes.
One of the most vital aspects of inSide AreaCodes is that for the most part, people within an areacode can actually arrange to meet, at a social event, or one on one in a public setting to network. The AreaCode arena creates a region that may or may not be defined as an area - it crosses town lines usually; it might cross county lines; it might not be an otherwise named region, like the Triad, or the Triangle. Yet it is an area that for the most part deserves recognition as a community.
Whether or not Chambers of Commerce have discovered Ning.com communities doesn't so much matter, because what the AreaCodes network does is allow the Chambers of Commerce individuals to form a group within that AreaCode to promote their local Chamber, gather existing chamber members and educate potential members. So whatever else a chamber of commerce is doing, the staff of the chambers and the members, can only benefit from their experience on inSide Area Codes.
Should Chambers of Commerce also form their own individual ning.com group? For some this will work very well; for others it will be a struggle, for the more groups there are to join, the more some people will close down and say enough. One doesn't really know until one tries it. The really good part about having your group on a ning.com network is that it is one of the best ways for people to interact on equal ground - everyone has a page, their own MY PAGE, and communication is easy between all members. It allows for building a web like network, with links between many points.
But even if Chambers do have their own networking groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, and even, Ning.com, there is still an important value to individual staff members and chamber members ALSO being on inSide AreaCodes. The well-developed community culture sets an incredibly good example for community building - a culture of networking for mutual benefit; and well-honed norms and educational assets that is excellent training for network builders. Further, these networks can be like ports - important centers where people from all over the areacode join, so it's a place they are going to want to be.
What do you think? Leave a comment, or write me a note.
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