Treasure Your Community
June 9, 2008 – 8:25 pm | by Daryl TayI got directed by Katherine Druckman (who I found out only recently is the wife of fellow Plurker and Twitterer Gary Druckman) to this great video of Gary Vaynerchuck on the topic of community.
I can’t embed the video, but here’s the link.
If you know me personally you know I don’t spend time on watching videos or browsing YouTube at all. When people send me links I watch them for 30secs and switch them off, but this video kept me watching from start to end. Trust me when I say: You. Must. Watch. This.
I watched the video and think I totally identify with what Gary is saying. I have the benefit of having a relatively small community right now and it’s important that I reply to all comments (yes, I know sometimes some fall through the cracks and I’m sorry!) and I engage as many people as I can through Twitter and Plurk, heck when someone I don’t know comments on my blog, I send an email to him/her if they left a valid one just so I know who they are and what why they chose to spend their very precious attention on my blog.
I don’t care who these people are. They could be some hotshot banker or someone going through a hairstyling apprenticeship (yes, that’s Tasj from Australia who loves the “little guy” coffee chains as opposed to the big Starbucks franchises), I value them all the same. And I choose to believe these relationships matter and if nurtured, will grow in to bonds of value that you just could not put a value to.
If you’re blogging or you’re involved in an online community in any way, do not take them for granted. Don’t think you’ll start caring when you’re a B-list or A-list blogger, you gotta form those bonds and show some appreciation now. Drop an email to a commenter, @reply them on Twitter or message them on Plurk saying thanks. Even better, head to their blogs and leave a comment in return. They’ll payoff sooner rather than later.
Tags: blogging, community, gary druckman, gary vaynerchuck, katherine druckman, twitter
