Why a Website’s No Longer Just for a Business

The world has changed. Social media has created a shift as huge as when the Internet was created. If capitalized on properly, you’ll have created a NEW digital capital that will open doors beyond your imagination.

The Beginning of Change

The Internet expanded how we do business by allowing enterprise to streamline services, while mom-and-pop businesses could compete nationally and internationally. It created online banking, shopping, entertainment, gaming, auctions, education, communication with ICQ and Skype and others, and even provided merchant solutions through PayPal and Square. It has hurt the post office, because few people write letters anymore with instant email delivery, weakening a foundational institution – THAT’s CHANGE!

Monumental Change, Again!

Social media has created another paradigm shift, on the same scale. By destroying barriers and allowing consumers to communicate with others who were compartmentalized by the system, it removed the media’s monopoly and stopped corporate complacency, since people can now learn how good a company’s product, service and reputation truly is.

The size of your reach has value! Your ability to communicate a message to a sizeable audience allows you to:

• Advocate for or against a cause you believe in, shifting the thinking and actions of a demographic block. This can help swing elections, stop abuse, support the needy or even be abused for nefarious purposes. Which means the consumer needs to be aware – but that’s a topic for another article.
• Be positioned as a thought leader, making you very attractive to businesses for career enhancement. How so, besides providing a possible block of new customers or positive public relations with this group of people, it shows you can persuade and lead; hence a valuable asset in business negotiations and positioning.
• Create an asset you own that can be leased. If you can guarantee a specific demographic, an organization with a message that communicates well with your people would be willing to pay to gain access.

Building an Asset with Passion

While these are possible scenarios, how you build this value is as diverse as there are people. For example, let’s say you are passionate about being a vegan. You find it hard to eat when you’re not home and figure other vegans MUST be having a similar experience. Moreover, you believe they are as passionate about veganism as you are.

You create a website where you not only share recipes, tips, solutions and stories (inviting other vegans to chime in, guest blog and join for updates), but you add a directory to it anyone can update with vegan friendly places, restaurants, college and high-school clubs, etc. You promote it via social media and before you know it, you have tens of thousands of vegans consuming your content and contributing to it.

Do you think that vegan product manufacturers, restaurants, grocery stores and nutritionists might want to be able to speak to that group? What would it be worth to them?

You can do this with almost any group of people with a specific interest. It doesn’t necessarily have to have a directory; it can just be testimonials and stories, tips and tricks, how-to’s and inspiration.

Opening Doors for Your Career Path

Let’s assume you are passionate about a goal. You want to be a (fill in the blank). You’ve researched the best schools, stay on top of the latest advances, are self-taught to a certain degree and have opinions you feel can make a difference.

With universities, corporations and the government doing social-media background checks, giving it a priority over a resume, what would happen if you had a website and blog that showcased your passion, knowledge and ideas? You then shared this through social media and built a following. When it came to time to apply for scholarships, universities and a job, you will have tipped the scale in your favor.

And these are just a few ideas. Moreover, this could unintentionally create a business, monetizing your website by selling products and services your demographic is interested in, because you’ve earned their trust, have credibility and established a relationship. If you chose to write a book, you have a market. If you chose to do webinars, speaking or consulting, you have a market.

What Are You Passionate About?

The world today is digital: Bitcoin, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and social media. This is called a clue. You have to think digitally to compete in this new economy. The old methods are less reliable and bold, out-of-the-box thinking is what creates opportunity today. Are you ready to make a change? I invite you to the challenge!