I’ve lived in small towns
and I’ve lived in big cities.
Both have vibrant close communities
but the difference
between the two
is how much we, personally,
have to participate
to be part of those communities.
In a small town,
for example,
people will say ‘hi’
to us first.
We rarely have to
take initiative.
In a big city,
we often have to say ‘hi’
first.
This might seem cold
to newcomers
but it is actually a politeness.
People are giving us
the illusion of privacy,
are giving us
the choice to be social
or not.
Building community
around our businesses,
our products,
our services
is similar to
building community
in a big city.
It requires work
by us.
We need to signal
we WANT to be part
of a community.
One of the easy ways
I do this
is by posting questions
to myself on social media
and then answering them.
I prime the pump.
I show people
I will answer questions.
And eventually
they will start
asking the questions.
If you want to build
a community,
be the first to reach out.
And expect
to have to continue
reaching out
until that community
fully forms.