Giving Back And Building a Brand

We have often looked at ways to provide content as part of a side-hustle.  Thus, we will skip that topic this time around.  Instead, let's look at giving back and providing things for free.  However, before you move to the next article, we will focus on how free to others does not mean it lacks value for you.  We might even see situations where an altruistic approach is very beneficial to us and our brand.

Start With Giving Back

Before we look at the benefit of this type of action, we should focus on what we are doing.  The goal for tasks like we discuss in this episode is to share our experience with others.  This process is how we show appreciation for those that came before us and give back to the cause by educating others.  It is important to note that we are not claiming superior knowledge in this case.  Nevertheless, we are assuming our experience can be a lesson for others (whether positively or negatively).

Accountability

Yes, I know.  Accountability is a word that appears throughout our content and presentations.  Nevertheless, it is a fact of life that we are more likely to do something when we feel accountable.  We are also more likely to do a task well in those cases.  We can use this common trait to our advantage.  Instead of doing something to "scratch our itch," we can use giving back to drive us to produce something of higher quality.  Whether this is a product or a presentation, it will provide practice in one of more skills.  We are providing a service for free, but our desire to be known for quality means we will probably not do slipshod work.

Indirect Marketing

Just as we want to do good work even when giving it away, people like to feel they have paid for what they received.  This trait can lead to the best kind of networking.  Our brand can become related to "doing good" or giving back and produce a positive view from others before they even meet us.

Episode Challenge: Look for a way to take some of your work and turn it into a brief presentation or small application to provide free for others.

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