Very few people enter a community for the first time with a network already in place and relationships already established. We all started somewhere as a relative unknown. But if you set a strategic course for networking, building relationships, and participating in (and even building your own) community, then establishing your place in the ecosystem is attainable.

1. Networking,
Relationship-Building
and Community
Michelle Frechette
Director of Community Engagement
StellarWP

2. That’s me!
Michelle Frechette, Director of Community Engagement at StellarWP
You can find me on Twitter at @MichelleAmes
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3. “
“My golden rule of networking is
simple: don’t keep score.”
~Harvey Mackay
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4. Why is networking so important?
◎ Human connection with
like-minded individuals
◎ Business growth
◎ Career opportunities
◎ First step in relationship-building
◎ First step toward
community-building
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5. The Art of Networking
3 Key Components
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6. The Art of Networking
Be Authentic
The most
important part of
networking is
authenticity.
By and large,
people are good
judges of
character. Being
your authentic
self is always
best!
Be Available
It’s hard to build
relationships
where someone is
never accessible.
Find ways to be
accessible -
through DM,
calendar links,
participation in
events, etc.
Be Purposeful
Why are you
networking?
To grow your
business? Then
have your
elevator speech
ready.
To grow
community? Then
have talking
points for that.
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7. 3 Networking Stories
◎ Marketed by Michelle
◉ Chamber of Commerce
◉ Networking Groups
◎ GiveWP
◉ WordCamp Ottawa
◉ WCUS
◎ WPROC Meetup
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8. The Art of
Relationship-Building
You’ll never guess…
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9. The Art of Relationship-Building
Be Authentic
Relationships -
business or
otherwise - are
built on trust.
Be who you say
you are…better
yet say who you
really are.
Be Available
Show up.
Do the things you
say you will.
Be Purposeful
(Strategic)
Align with people
who you connect
with.
Purpose doesn’t
have to be super
specific. Strategy
can simply be
casting a wide net
to grow your
network, or as
specific as
looking for
investors. 9

10. 2 Relationship-Building
Stories
◎ WPCoffeeTalk &
Groundhogg
◎ Big Orange Heart & Post
Status
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11. The Art of
Community-Building
I’m about to surprise you…
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12. The Art of Community-Building
Be “There”
You need to
decide where
“there” is, though.
For many,
Facebook groups
is the go-to.
Others have Slack
groups. Others
have tried many
other places.
Where are your
followers?
Be Present
If you build it,
they will come
only works in the
movies.
You can’t have a
community
around yourself
or your business
if you aren’t
actively
participating.
Be Strict (Kind of)
If “good fences
make good
neighbors” then
good rules and
boundaries make
good community
dynamics.
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13. To Build a Community You Must…
◎ Have a product/service worth building a community
around (shared experiences build community)
◎ Be knowledgeable
◎ Find a common area
◎ Show the human part of the business/brand
◎ Have established rules of conduct
◎ Moderate and mediate
◎ Create engagement
◎ Dedicate capacity and resources to the care and
feeding of the community
◎ Create incentive for participation
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14. Around 810 million websites use
WordPress as of 2023
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15. 810 million sites
That’s a lot of sites
Endless Possibilities
For network, relationship, & community success!
1.62 billion users
And a lot of users (avg. 2 users per site)
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16. “
“My golden rule of networking is
simple: give more than you take,
and you’ll find you receive more
than you could ever give.”
~Michelle Frechette
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17. Thanks for being here!
You can find me at @michelleames & michelle@stellarwp.com
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