Fast forward to March 1, 2010: the launch of TRIATHLETE BUSINESS NETWORK. My description of my LinkedIn group: "Triathlete Business Network is a group that has been developed for the triathlete who is balancing training & racing with running (pun INTENDED) a successful business. This is a great place to share ideas and get advice on either the business or triathlon side or a combination of both.
Whether it's making new connections, starting discussions, or setting up group swims, rides, or runs, TBN is open anyone who wants to network with other triathletes. I have found that by nature of what we do, triathletes are very focused in both training and business and are willing to help each other out and share ideas. Feel free to give advice, ask for ideas, or make new connections with others.
If you're passionate about the sport of Triathlon, I encourage you to join our group!!"
Ok, now that i set it up, how do i get people to join??? I send out 20 invites to my contacts on LinkedIn that have a connection to triathlon. This blast email consists of a few clients, some friends, a couple "titans of our sport", and a few pros. Then i sit back and wait....I log onto the site a couple hours later, and HOLY SHIT, i have 3 members! Within the next 24 hours, i get back about 7 more responses...and they're not just my friends! Right away, 2 pros have joined, and a couple others that are house-hold names in our sport.
Now here's where it's gets really interesting...social media is viral, and i saw it happen right before my eyes. Within a month, my group grew to about 50 members, most of them coming from connections of connections of members...very cool. So i go through LinkedIn and send out 5 new invites every day for a few weeks to people that i know will be a great addition to our community; and sure enough, people keep joining! Within 4 months, we have over 100 members, and steadily growing each day. Without name-dropping, our members include: some of the brightest minds on Wall Street and Main Street, CEO's of the the world's biggest triathlon companies...from wetsuits to bikes to sneakers, creators of the biggest brands our sport has seen, from gear to nutrition and everything in between...the fastest American at Kona last year, the current Ironman World Champion, along with countless other pros, both current and retired, as well as some of the most amazing age-groupers in the WORLD!!!
Ok, now that i have members, how do i make the group worth someone's membership??? This is the great part about an online community, if you have the right people, it just runs itself. I start an "introduction" thread, where new members can tell us about their business and their relationship to triathlon. Other threads start popping up, and the group just hums along. People posting questions about starting a new triathlon company and looking for feedback; coaches looking for clients and vice-versa; links to discounts; face-to-face meetings at events; discussions about the business side of our sport!!!
Ok, now what??? I start making connections with the majority of the members, and start building my network of people that i not only want to swim, bike, and run with, but also have as clients. As i look back one year later, i have made the most amazing connections with some of the most amazing people. My business has grown exponentially over the past year, and i owe it all to the connections that made through this group. And the best part, is that every day, just when i think that i've saturated the market, 4 new people join, and i meet new people to add to my network. My client base is now slowly being made up of people who know what's it takes to run a successful business, while balancing training and family life...4:30 run anybody??? I am totally amazed where this is going and i can't wait to see what the next 12 months have in store!!
Check us out and please feel free to join our community: TRIATHLETE BUSINESS NETWORK.
