Being the New Kid at Internet High

Starting from the bottom isn't easy. It takes a ton of work, an ungodly amount of time and a supernatural level of patience. If you're working from home, odds are, you're doing something online. Conducting business on the web is like trying to win a popularity contest at the world's largest high school. As the new kid at school, you'll go unnoticed by the “in-crowd” and most everyone else for that matter. No one will ever see your work, buy your products or give you any kind of praise if you don't figure out how to stand out and get noticed.

I'm a great example of this. As of right now, I'm nobody. If you're taking the time to read my blog, you're in a small minority, and I thank you for your support. ;) But behind the scenes, I'm working hard to get the word out. In addition to working on my blog, my store and my lenses, I'm also networking.

Here's the thing about networking. Please don't waste your time spamming everyone with desperate cries for attention to whatever it is you're selling. Of course you want to share your work and gain traffic, but the biggest area you should focus on is building relationships with the other kids in school. Nobody cares how cool you are if you have no friends, right?

Start by reading and commenting on other people's blogs. Be generous with praise and really take the time to get to know the others out there who are just trying to make a living like you. Pay close attention to the “in-crowd”, the big-time bloggers and social media gurus who are successful. You can learn a lot from those who have gone before you. Befriend them, write to them, follow them, whatever. But most importantly, learn from them and apply that knowledge to your own projects.

The more good connections you make online, the more you'll get noticed. So in addition to your work this week, take some time to network and begin creating an identity for yourself online. The more you give to the online community, the more you'll get in return. Now get out there and network like a boss! No seriously, do it. You'll thank me later.