There is a new and controversial term in the web/marketing/advertising/social media industries: Content Shock. What does it mean? Everyone has heard that blogging and social media is great, your customers are on: you have to be on, listening and creating content. But to get your name out there, to really stand out, to be remembered, you need to produce content, shareable content. This is especially important with Facebook and Twitter allowing, or forcing, businesses to pay to promote their content, and Google shoving real content down. It could drive a small business broke.

The content has to be not just shareable, not just alright content, not just great content, but something like John Lennon risen from dead, reunited with the Beatles and put it on YouTube content. It has to be Blow me away shareable. Excellent content that is original, informative, that people get excited about and want to share.

That is just to make a good impression and be remembered, because we are overwhelmed with info, with content, with access to more, and more coming at us, more than ever in human history. You have to stay on top. You could put hours a day into social media, writing blogs, updating our websites, trying to stand out, competing with everyone else. One more thing you need to do: still work in your business.

What do we have with BNI?

A networking group. It is lonely as a business owner, and BNI is a good support group especially with our demographic of business owners and self-employed. But we do not want a breakfast club, we do not want people who just fog up a mirror. We here for a purpose: to generate business for each other thru referrals. We want to effectively use the power of Word of Mouth.

I like reading about business strategy, looking at successful franchises and businesses that really grow. BNI is a successful franchise. Like all successful franchises, it is always tracking, always improving. What do we need to do? Follow the formula:

• BNI gives you a sales team: the bigger the chapter, the larger the sales team.
• Our infomercials: don’t sell to us, take advantage of the hundreds of connections.
• Use us as a sales team: train us on what to listen for with our contacts.
• Train us on what great referrals are.
• Show up at every meeting, or send a high quality sub.
• Bring guests: ABC: Applicants, Buyers, Connectors.
• Power Team: get to know your closest referral sources.
• Encourage and support our members.
• Business Building Interviews (BBI), one-on-ones with individual members. It takes 3.6 BBIs with one member to start giving great referrals.

Overall: get to know, like, trust one another so we give quality referrals. That is what makes BNI so powerful: word of mouth, referral marketing. It is more real than struggling to create shareable content online.