Community

  • How to build a community for your brand?

    community

    By Bhumika Ramesh

    community

    A brand is what makes your company stand out. Investing in your brand through posting on social media or making use of various online platforms is great. But it isn’t good enough. To have stability, building a community is a priority. A brand community is a group of people who connect with your brand in all possible ways – they will buy/use your product, recommend it to others and consume your content proactively. Building a community ensures your brand gets feedback for new updates. It also creates engagement among other features. Let’s look into how we can build such a community.

    Invest in email newsletters and blog posts

    When you provide your audience with information regularly they’re more likely to remain engaged. You’ll see a rise in those click and open rates. When you communicate with them through personalized emails, people feel connected and engage more since the content is broadcasted regularly. 

    Share testimonials and stories

    When you appeal to the emotional aspect of your customer, they tend to invest more of their time. This can be done through sharing client testimonials or stories from employees or yourself. A humane aspect to the company is never considered unnecessary. Authenticity is extremely attractive to people.  

    Online social communities

    Communicating to your audience through platforms such as Instagram or an exclusive member-only site can foster spaces for people. To help build engagement through discussions and with your content. People perceive added benefits as great features most of the time, so free workshops or downloadable guides can be an excellent incentive.

    Focus on your brand

    Before building your brand community, dive into what your brand stands for and its essence. When you have your brand’s identity in place, you can develop appropriate elements. Think about what you’re trying to achieve, your company’s visions for the future and your goals. The more qualities you showcase, you attract like-minded people. 

    And lastly, give yourself time to build and grow your community. Rushing it is going to be of no advantage. Slowly but surely, you’ll find your engagement metrics going up. Building a trusted community is no easy feat, but the investment pays itself back tenfold.

    For more on this topic, see this post from Forbes on Building a Community.

    Also see our post on on building an email list to help grow and engage your community

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  • Have you set boundaries with your clients?

    success with savitha

    7 Tips to set Client Boundaries

    Building good relationships with your clients is quintessential to ensuring customer satisfaction. It’s important to find clients that value what you bring to the table and match your energy. You want to deliver such great work that customers give you good testimonials and keep coming back to work with you.

    There has to be a nurturing process in your customer experience. You need to nurture your clients’ needs by having a good relationship with them.You want to be friendly and personal and make them feel like you truly care about their success.

    However, in order to have a healthy relationship, you need to put in place certain boundaries. Consistent boundaries are essential for building a trusting partnership. You may go above and beyond what the customer expects but you need to have clear communication channels that makes it easy for a customer to work with you.

    Here are 7 tips to work on your relationship with your clients :

    1. Decide on your hours of operation and when you will be available to your customers. Modern technology allows us to be at a customer’s beck and call around the clock but there’s a reason why companies establish set hours of business. Choose your hours of operation keeping in mind the needs of your customer and make them known to your client. Having said that, great customer experiences also involve having a certain amount of flexibility and customization. Sometimes your client will have a crisis and you will have to take that call or send that email. 

    2. Decide how you will communicate with your customers. Email and social media are both appropriate for business communications these days. However, you might want to be careful about texting or chatting apps. It can infringe on your personal time. This can sometimes feel too personal and invasive. WhatsApp groups or telegram groups, end up being a place where people just send a tonne of forwards, jokes and videos. If you use Whatsapp for personal and business use and you see a lot of notifications, you might end up getting distracted or miss some important messages. Establish clear forms of communication channels with your client. 

    3. Make allowances for urgent issues. As stated before, always have a certain degree of flexibility. There may be some cases where you can bend the boundaries you set. For example, you might tell clients that they can reach you for urgent issues over the phone. So make allowances for urgent issues. But be clear on what’s urgent and what isn’t.

    4. Define your services. Although you’d like to be there for anything your clients need, you should define exactly what services you can and can’t offer. If they want you to do something outside of your defined services, decide whether you will do it for an additional fee. Be very clear on what you do or don’t do. 

    5. Keep your distance. You will experience people who don’t understand or respect professional boundaries. Identify these people early on and put strategies in place to deal with them. Some strategies include diverting conversations away from personal topics. You need to decide to tell them or you’ve got to let them go. 

    6. Learn how to say no. We instinctively don’t like to say no. We all want to be helpful and don’t want to offend someone by rejecting their request. But it’s sometimes necessary to formally decline and you should have techniques in place for doing that. You can suggest someone else who can help when you’re busy. Say no clearly and politely and explain why. 

    7. Building trust. By defining the terms of your relationship, you are building trust and mutual respect. This should be one of your key values, to keep in mind when you’re building a relationship with a client. It is important for both parties to respect each other’s processes and be open to each other. 

    Always let people know at the start about all of these boundaries. You should have a process in place where you send them an email when you begin working with them. This should have information about how they can communicate with you, what are the right ways to reach out to you and what the office hours are.  

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  • Questions to ask before investing in stocks

    questions to ask before investing

    By Bhumika Ramesh

    As the lockdown set in, a lot of people turned to online stock trading, investments and markets – evident of the fuel social media has given it. As access to buying and selling stocks becomes relatively easier – society has paved a simpler way to invest in them.

    Nevertheless, before doing so, you can ask yourself a few questions to determine your stance in the process of entering the market.

    1.Am I in a position to invest?

    Before taking a step further, take a look at where you stand in terms of your budget. Take care of your debt (if any) and emergency funds. Work your way towards eliminating any pending credit and personal loans. Start focusing on building an investment-oriented strategy with your personal finances.

    2. Is it a good time to invest?

    Apart from taking a bet even when the economy seems low, it’s the for the best if you consider the present scenario before investing – although no guarantee can be made. The stock market is not necessarily unpredictable, but they do take turns for the worse at times. Do your research before jumping in.

    3. Do I understand the basics of investing and the stock markets?

    It’s important to understand the jargon and terminology you will be dealing with before you enter the field. You don’t have to be a pro, but having the basics on hand is beneficial. You can then take decisions with more understanding. And you don’t have to rush to google new terms every time they appear.

    4. How much of a risk can I take?

    A simple way to approach this is to understand as to what amount of money would you be comfortable in losing – stock markets are always in ups and downs. With the influx of several new companies and the ever-fluctuating cryptocurrency rates, it’s easy to be pulled into the charm of it all. Experiment cautiously and take your first few investments to secure industries.

    5. Do you know what to invest in?

    The market is vast, no doubt about it. You need to be familiar with the accounts you use and the funds you would invest in. Not everyone is an expert, but you need to have these fundamentals down before you go through the step of trading, buying or investing in stocks. If you want to take it solo, research along with a few trials and errors will be the course. Working with financial advisors is also good enough – they understand where you’re coming from, what your interests are and can help explain the market.

    6. Why do I want to invest?

    Instead of jumping on the bandwagon like everyone else due to FOMO, ponder over why you actually want to invest in stocks. It might come down to thoughts such as retirement savings or to generate passive income among others. Knowing the reason why helps you to stay on track with your strategy. As change is inevitable, be open to these goals changing as you navigate your way through the stock market. 

    While beginning to invest, take it slow. Rome was not built in a day. There will be various questions that pop in your head when you venture out into the financial and economic world. With the answers you find, you get more involved. Investing takes time and research. We hope article helps you get started.

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  • 16 Female Entrepreneurs share their favorite quotes

    favorite quotes

    We asked some of the coolest women in Business we know to share their favorite quotes, that inspire and motivate them.

    Here they are:

    1. Gina Longo: Leadership Consultant and human factors trainer and Business owner @ Gina Longo Consulting.

     “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”  

     ~ Jim Valvano

    I love this quote because it’s all too easy to start something with enthusiasm then let it go once the going gets tough. This reminds me never to give up, no matter what.

    2. Medha Jalan: Architect and founder of My FUNiture story, a children’s furniture design studio.

    “To keep a lamp burning, we need to keep putting oil into it.”

    This quote is a constant reminder to be consistent and regular with an effort to be able to achieve consistency in positive results!

    3. Rashmi Nagaraju : Founder, Angadi of Spices, a retail spices brand.


    “Done is better than perfect!”

    If we keep waiting for circumstances to get better and everything to fall in place, we will still be at the same place we started. Doing always gives you more confidence. It gets you out of the fear zone and gives you a head start towards your goal. There will always be new things to learn and perfect while you are celebrating the little successes of meeting the smaller goals.

    4. Pavani KN : Emotional Wellness Coach, Business Owner of Life Craft Success Hub.

    ” Passion is at the heart of human excellence”

    The best example is Steve Jobs. He always set his benchmarks and excelled. No challenges stopped him, he was always from within.

    5.Sanjhna Nayarr : A psychic medium, rune and tarot counsellor, energy healer, tasseographer, graphologist, aromatherapist, classical danseuse, yogic diet consultant, podcaster and author of the book – “Because I Am SAVAGE LEMONADE“-An Army Wife’s Spiritual Journey. Recipient of Spectrum Budding Writers Award (June 2021). She’s also the founder of Safroneya.

    “I am.”

    Union with oneself should be the prerequisite to recognizing and realizing dreams. So I say this affirmation every day and dare to dream big and stay grounded!

    6. Nisha Chamria : Co- Founder of @cubeactivitycentre in Kolkata and @c.u.b.e.moms (mom influencer on Instagram.)

    “Jodi tor daak shune keu na aashe tobe ekla cholo re.
    Ekla cholo ekla cholo ekla cholo ekla cholo re.” 

    It’s a song by Rabindranath Tagore.

    Simply translated as ” If no one wants to walk with you on your path then walk alone. if you think you are on the right path, then keep walking on it even if no one else joins you.” This has always been my guiding line.

    7. Lakshmipraba U S : Founder at Prithvimitra Innovations (OPC) Private Limited

    “Change Begins with me.”

     This is a beautiful realization and a reminder that keeps me going of how me being a seed of change creates a sea of change on everything around me. I am experiencing this in my professional and personal life. This beautiful bloom in my inward journey radiates outwards to inspire and motivate many, as my passion has turned into a purpose that touches many souls. I am so happy to reflect on my journey from a homemaker to a CEO. 

    8. Rituparna De : Founder of VibrantHues.

    “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your inner voice. And most importantly, dare to follow your heart and intuition.”


    This quote is a constant reminder to follow my inner voice and turn a deaf ear to the constant reminder of the perks of a senior position in the Corporate which I just left a few months back.

    9. Manasa Nadig : A US-based Tax Consultant & Founder of MN Tax & Business Services PLLS.

    “Follow your heart, but take your brain with you”.


    I see this quote and think about how any dream with a heart – to be a success and not remain a dream needs a structure, a path and planning to take it up to the next level. This is where the brain comes in.

    10. Mitcch Duddani : Business owner at Socialli.

     “Entrepreneurs don’t retire they die.”

    VG Siddhartha has said this multiple times in his interview, which has helped inspire and motivate me. by his thoughts and passion – as an entrepreneur, we have so much to do and many dreams to achieve!

    11. Priyanka Changia : Co- founder, HEN

    “Power Of One.”


    One step towards your goal or one action towards becoming a better version of yourself than yesterday –  The power is in coming together as one to realize our dreams. One thought, one step can take us higher!

    12. Bhavana Shah : Founder at Earthy Hues Tours Pvt Ltd 

     “I never lose, I either win or learn.”


    It helps you to keep your spirits high and not to get disheartened by tough times. There is always a lesson in every failure which ultimately leads you to success.

    13. Ruche Mittal : Founder – HEN

    “Believe it to achieve it.”


    If I as an entrepreneur don’t believe in my dream and our goal, no one will.

    14. Aanchal Kejriwal : Founder of Arrange It All.

    “Believe in yourself and don’t be scared to try.”

    15. Sonali Dasgupta : Founder of STEMonsters.

    “Entrepreneurship is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the joy ride.”


    If I don’t enjoy what I do, I cannot persevere. And perseverance is the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

    16. Ami Shah : Founder of Marketing Hues.

    “Don’t give up, don’t take anything personally, and don’t take no for an answer.”
    – Sophia Amoruso


    Every entrepreneur should apply this quote. Because it helps when people hate you and/or your ideas for no reason at all, but you shouldn’t take any of it personally.

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  • Meet our fave girlboss: Ramya Setty

    1. Share with us achievements from your Life and business that you are  most proud of. 

    Starting Just A Thought (JAT) itself is my biggest achievement. Having worked in  a corporate set-up, leaving the security of a ‘job’ to venture on my own was  something I thought I would not be able to sustain. But today after 5 years, I  know that it was a risk that was worth taking. And I’m happy to see it take shape the way it should be. So yes, JAT is my biggest achievement. To top it, the awards  that have recognized my company and me are proof of my commitment to my  work and they too are an achievement for me.  

    Awards:

    1) “India 5000 – Women Achiever Awards 2021” – for her exceptional contribution  and work in the realm of social and corporate impact by India 5000 

    2) A. Great Companies SME Business Award Winners 2021 – Just A Thought B. “SME Business of the Year Award Winner 2021” – Just A Thought  Personalised Page link 

    3) “Best Content Marketing Agency 2020-India” by the Technology Innovator  Awards 2020 hosted by Corporate Vision Magazine 

    2. Your favourite quote or mantra 

    My success mantra, “simplicity is key to success”. I believe in robust communication  with all persons involved in a project, transparent dealings and being open. This  mantra I intend to use this along my journey to build an empire out of JAT”. 

    Entrepreneurship is a journey of discovering oneself – this too has been a  motivation and a learning curve. Entrepreneurship lets you grow, shed the  unwanted ego (in most cases & ideally), learn a TON and you end up being wiser  than ever before! This is a special journey to your success, the one that gives you  the best sleep in the nights and the best foot forward each morning!  

    3. People that inspire you the most 

    My family, friends, my team, my mentors, every entrepreneur, and all I’ve known  & know. There’s always something to learn from & be inspired by from every  person you meet. Good / bad, any experience with any person teaches & helps  you learn and inspires you to do better every single day!

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  • Effective ways to deal with online trolling

    dealing with online trolling

    By Anusha Bapat

    When you put yourself out on the internet, you will be susceptible to a whole spectrum of criticism. Along with the positivity that encouraging messages bring, you will have to battle the negativity that comes with the naysayers. Trolling can damage your self-esteem if not dealt with the right way. 

    Here are three tips to combat online negativity-

    Don’t bother responding: 

    The first thing to remember is that internet trolls do nothing but hide behind fake accounts on their computers and go out of their way to cause misery to people enjoying their life. They want to bring down people who are successful and happy because they aren’t. They are projecting their insecurities on people who are doing better than them. You must be doing something right to get a reaction from them.Trolls exhibit a psychological trait known as ‘negative social potency’. They thrive on hurting others and receiving attention from other trolls.Trolls get pleasure by upsetting a person, so responding only proves it’s affecting you and encourages them to continue.

    Let the social media app deal with the problem: 

    Block and report the troll and ask your friends to do the same. All social media apps have guidelines against harassment. Let them do the job of removing the troll from the platform for good. A lot of trolls go to the extent of creating new accounts. Instagram has introduced a new feature that allows you to block all current and new accounts a person makes. Using the ignore feature or comment moderator hides all comments/ certain words and messages from trolls. 

    If the trolling is causing you too much frustration and anxiety, it’s a good idea to take a break from the toxicity. Keep social media usage to the minimum if you can’t take a complete break from it. You can’t control the things trolls say but you can control the time and attention you give them. 

    File a police report if things get serious:

    If a troll threatens you by revealing private information or starts sending you death threats, call the police. Make sure you screenshot or screen record the evidence of them harassing you so that you can take proper legal action. Identify your closest cyber cell and lodge a complaint. You can file an FIR at a police station if you can’t locate a cyber cell. Your online safety is important and you should be aware of your rights. 

    At the end of the day, it’s essential to realize that receiving hate is a given when you use social media. Try taking the criticism with a grain of salt and ignore the mindless hate. The trolls most likely don’t even know you personally and will get bored when they realize you’re unbothered by the hate. 

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  • Dealing with Failure

    quote

    “Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s a part of success.” 

    All of us strive to fulfil our passions and achieve those dreams inside us. Isn’t that what success is usually defined as? We each have created different paths to reach these destinations. Nevertheless, most of us do not see failure as an important stepping stone in this process. 

    Failure and success are 2 sides of the same coin. Both are essential experiences in the walk of life. In this article,  I share how to deal with failure. 

    • Failing Forward

    This concept of failing forward means exactly what you see – it uses the power of failure to propel you further on your path. This is an extremely hard process as it requires you to consciously understand your failures to make sure you get a headstart for the path ahead. Taking on risks and challenges, learning from your mistakes and not holding yourself back is exactly what failing forward helps you do.

    • Don’t make it personal – rather try to see it objectively.

    The perception of failure as a personal drawback in life never got anyone anywhere. Understand that it is completely okay to make these mistakes and take risks – it’s what you learn from them that matters. Seeing it from an objective view helps you to analyse the occurrence. It also helps you predict future failures that await you to use your experience to deal with it if not avoid it.

    • It hurts, so allow yourself to feel your  emotions.

    Failure does let out quite a few ugly emotions. Comprehending and accepting these emotions is also an important step. Not doing so may result in emotional baggage being carried around, which hinders professional settings, if not professional milestones. Understanding these feelings leads to a better introspective self and acquiring finer knowledge on how to deal with these emotions in the future when the necessity arises.

    • Take on only what you are actually responsible for.

    When a failure occurs we tend to blame ourselves for everything. Take responsibility but stop blaming yourself for everything. It doesn’t help. Be objective and accept responsibility for your part and allow space for others to take on their parts, don’t be the scapegoat. 

    • Growth vs. Fixed Mindset

    Having a mindset fixated on growth rather than having a stagnant one helps in various ways. Growth is hard and uncomfortable most of the time, but it is always worth it. Having an open mind towards new experiences and lessons are always beneficial. Instead of believing you will always fail, tell yourself you aren’t ready yet but will be soon. That is a growth mindset. 

    • What people think is not important.

    One of the most difficult things to remember during success or failure is that it does not matter what people think about it. Focus on your path and you’ll get where you intended to be in due time. People love to give their opinions on most things so know how to differentiate between unnecessary criticism and constructive criticism.

    • Check your ego.

    As hard as this might be to consider, sometimes our ego stands in the way of growing and learning. Figuring out this can take time. This can be one of the only hindrances for you on your journey – so identifying and regulating it is quite an essential task. Often the only thing hurting when we fail is our ego. Let it go. 

    • Keep moving ahead.

    The art of never giving up. Perseverance to get where you need to. Bill Gates’s first company was a failure. Arianna Huffington was rejected 36 times before she could publish her book. To be resilient and believe in yourself, no matter the circumstances will help you attain your dreams.

    Life is never perfect – it is always filled with ups and downs and it is up to us to make the most out of those adventures and experiences.

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  • Work smarter, not harder and Start today!

    work smarter

    By Bhumika Ramesh

    We all want to be more productive and get more out of the hours we put in. Most of us feel we should to put in more hours and way more work to get desired results. Nevertheless, we still exhaust ourselves trying to reach such goals or deadlines. Working hard is an important factor, but it does not count for everything – working smarter is a finer option. Be effective, it is beneficial in the long run rather than just putting in long hours. In this article, I’ll be going through a few tips that can help optimize your workload and make it a much more efficient process.

    • Don’t romanticize the hustle.

    A lot of people have the idea that working long hours and functioning in a high-pressure environment is an achievement. This has evolved into what is now ‘hustle culture’. We need to stop romanticizing this hustle. It doesn’t bid well to anyone who is a part of it. Working all the time, being available 24/7 isn’t the answer – it just creates an illusion of productivity in the beholder. Quality work in short time periods has proven to be much more effective than a long drawn out hustle.

    • It’s okay to take a break!

    Pushing yourself to the edge of burnout is never a good thing. It takes a huge toll on your physical and mental health. Making sure you get breaks between tasks to revitalize is extremely crucial. Rejuvenation and a vacation can do wonders. Get smart about how you organise yourself.

    • Don’t compete with people who have a huge team behind them.

    Taking on the workload of an entire team is no easy feat and it isn’t feasible in the long run. Do not push yourself by doing so. Work at your own pace and you’ll get there in time. You can hire people later to help you with the rest of your goals!

    • Watch out for the Law of Diminishing Results!

    It is proven that productivity falls sharply after a 50-hour-workweek and drops down almost completely after 55 hours. It isn’t going to mean a lot if you overexert yourself – the quality of your work can diminish. 

    • Build a business that works for you.

    When you work for a business that favors you and your time, the quality of your work and your output will definitely see an increase. Make sure the businesses you get into don’t work against you, otherwise it becomes easy for exertion to take over.

    Working smarter can save us a lot of energy, increase motivation, and develop passion deep inside. It can make you an extremely valuable asset to your company. It can also create a quality work-life balance and help to cultivate relationships in and out of the workspace. Hoping this article brought some new insight!

    Read this article on Digital organization here.

    For more tips on approaching work smarter, we love this article on Inc.com

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  • Getting back to work after a Sabbatical

    success with savitha

    Here’s how your can bounce back like a #GirlBoss

    Being a modern woman is no mean feat.

    For one, expectations run high both at work and on the home front. And while, it’s all about balance, sometimes women have to let their professional life take a back seat to manage expectations at home.

    Don’t worry though. It’s not all over if you took a break from work to look after your family or
    to be a stellar mom to your new born. Nothing can stop you as long you’re not daunted by hard work or have hung up the hat on your dreams.

    But I get it – this transition doesn’t happen in a day. So if you’re determined and raring to prove your mettle in the professional space again, keep reading!

    Take stock of what it’s going to take:

    Sure you’ve been away from the thick of things for a while, and that can feel intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be a massive change you can’t cope with if you do it right. So the first thing you need to wrap your head around is what exactly that will involve:

    Getting your mindset right: Are you ready to take full onus of your professional responsibilities once you get back to the workforce?

    Organisation: The key here is to enact a balance between your professional and personal life. This is where your stellar organizational skills come into the picture Being disciplined: If you’re going to do it, you must do it right and do it consistently. Get into the habit of being disciplined with small tasks right away.

    Being professional: Sometimes, all you’ll want to do is bury your head in your pillows and forget your personal and professional obligations. But diving back into work means you need to get up and show up every day, no matter what.

    Work ethic: Both the corporate world as well as the entrepreneurial space are super competitive. And you’ll need excellent work ethic to rise head and shoulders above others.

    Chase away those doubts :

    • Have I still got it?
    • What if I don’t like what I used to do?
    • What if I can’t fit in among the go-getters who never took a break?

    First off all, stop overthinking. No really. If you keep looking inwards at your doubts, it’ll become a downward spiral you can’t control. Instead, whenever such thoughts up in your mind, try to find a plausible solution.

    Still wondering whether you’ve got it? Enroll in a few courses to upgrade your skills.

    Worried about fitting in? Remind yourself that you took responsibility when you had to and now you’re ready to dive back and give it your best shot. You owe it to yourself.

    Start small:
    Don’t let anyone tell you running a house and taking care of your family isn’t exhausting. And since you’re knee-deep in responsibilities, why not start small so that the hand off of responsibilities to your spouse or another family member is smoother?

    My advice?
    Instead of going full-steam at a 9-5 job, start working from home in your niche. Once you’re comfortable that things around the house will be fine without your intervention and you feel confident that you have your work mojo back, start preparing for interviews or laying the foundations of your brand new business.

    Don’t give up on work life balance:
    Lack of proper work life balance is why professionals burn out so fast. Don’t let that happen to yourself right after you ease into the professional space.

    Here are some tips to keep your head above the water:

    • Don’t carry work back home. Sure there may be some late nights, but don’t let that become a norm.
    • Plan some one-on-one activities with your kids every day. Nothing’s more fulfilling than this (except perhaps some wine and Netflix…)
    • Plan date nights often
    • Practice a self-care routine
    • Don’t give up on your hobbies

    The Wrap

    Getting back to work after a sizeable break may seem like a Herculean task.

    But take a moment to reflect what it will do to your self-confidence (and your sanity, am I right?).

    Apart from financial independence, you’ll be a mom who can give her kids the best of both worlds and be their role model.

    Honestly, there’s no time like now. And there’s no room for self-doubt if you’re determined.

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  • 5 ways to grow your connections on LinkedIn

    Relation capital is the most important asset you can have

    By Bhumika Ramesh

    LinkedIn is the top site for expanding and building your network. It’s the evident leader in social media when it comes to developing connections. The more people you are connected to, the faster you grow on LinkedIn – which increases the net you cast. It is a great field to interact with professionals. However, it might be intimidating for the beginner.

     In building an efficient network on LinkedIn, connections are the most important element to be taken into consideration. Strategically building your first connections leads to a much wider reach to the second and third connections of everyone else. 

    Here are a few ways to increase those connections and make sure you reach the next tier in your business network!

    • Post regularly

    Being active ensures your posts are seen by the LinkedIn community. There are more opportunities for people to interact with you through liking, sharing or commenting on your posts. Posting images or videos ensure greater attention and participation and expose you to more relevant and potential connections.

    • Personalize your connection requests.

    When sending connection requests to those in your industry or simply in the process of expanding your network, personalization goes a long way. Personalised messages show invested time and the recipient has more chances of accepting the request.

    • Engage with your feed

    A simple like or comment on your connections’ posts is a nice way to show you’re interest in their content. By joining a few conversations on posts, you can build an audience too. This gives you visibility and greater outreach, and all this while becoming a familiar face in your community!

    • Utilize keywords in your profile.

    LinkedIn segregates user’s searches based on keywords in their profiles. Having optimized keywords direct searches to you and increases the amount of audience reaching your profile. Completing your profile and adding details such as education, skills and projects undertaken will also contribute.

    • Join or create LinkedIn groups.

    Creating or joining a LinkedIn group allows you to connect with various professionals in the same industry as you. You could meet Business partners and clients here. These groups allow you to build a relevant network. You can share information and opinions from articles and current news to enhance your views and in turn build your engagement.

    Start today! Building quality connections on LinkedIn is a good way to begin. Using these tips might just get you those viable connections!

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