Online Groups – Why We Like To Watch

If I was a betting person, I would bet that you belong to several online groups within Facebook or Linkedin, and maybe, just maybe, you might check in on them now and then when you have nothing better to do. Would I be right? So why do we click JOIN when we have no intention of being involved, on any level?

Here are just a few reasons why we don’t get involved and none of them is particularly healthy.

Why We Don’t Get Involved

1. We are looking for information to help our own needs on our terms
2. It’s a competition to see how many we can belong to
3. We are voyeurs, we just like to watch what is happening
4. We need a backstop, somewhere to go when WE need to
5. We don’t want to comment in case someone doesn’t like what we have to say
6. We need the social status that comes with belonging to a particular group
7. You’re sceptical about the group’s intentions

Have you ever noticed that when new members are invited to introduce themselves to the group, most times, they never do? Why is that? See points 1 -7 above. By not introducing themselves, they are missing an amazing opportunity in one of the many upsides to online groups.

Upside to Online Groups

1. You can develop and nurture incredible relationships with other members (remember pen-pals?)
2. Being involved in the group with regular participation builds your social credibility, not to mention your SME status
3. They are amazing resources for learning and improving your business
4. You build a tribe of like-minded individuals who in turn are happy to tell their wider circle about you (win!!)
5. When working from home and in isolation – belonging to the right group is beneficial to your mental health and general wellbeing.

Online Group Detox

I suggest you go through all of your groups on all your platforms and leave those that no longer hold interest for you or you have outgrown. An online group detox is a great way to reduce unwanted emails and notifications and of course, this has an added bonus of fewer distractions. After all, belonging to 20 groups over different platforms means you either spend a lot of time, checking out the groups regularly that you’re not participating in or you get a lot of annoying notifications. Either way, you need to cut the bull and focus on what’s best for your business.

If you need help with your business and want the right tools to give yourself an advantage, consider a coach for your virtual assistant business.

Meghan Duthu