Never has the power of community been more evident than at last Thursday's IBI Colorado meeting at the Butterfly Pavilion. Scott Degraffenreid is an IBI Global instructor and a long time community favorite. His featured speech last Thursday drew many IBI Global members who are not often in attendance these days as there own businesses are thriving and keeping them away.

Scott spoke of the decline in trust for traditional advertisers and marketers and emphasized the importance of referral sources. And while Scott attributes much of a business' success to the 4 elements he describes in his N.U.D.E. model (Novelty, Utility, Dependablity, and Economy) there is another dynamic that is becoming increasingly important. As more traditional business channels erode away in customer trust, whole markets are looking for new ways to acquire information about both products and services.

While they are turning to rather new and unique venues like blogs to get detailed information, they are also turning to old ideas. Yes, everything old is new again. Today it's community and the power that it brings for companies who are anxious to get their message out to the masses.

Terri Whitesel of MarketingProfs.com describes communities this way:

"they (communities) are not the same as market segments; rather, they are groups of people linked by a common thread, a common experience or a common vision that may have nothing to do with your product or service at all, but can have everything to do with building your business."

And there you have it. The real power of community may be that it is a power boost for Degraffenreid's N.U.D.E. model. Starting with a community already predisposed to bringing referrals to your business can give you a real edge, especially when you are already doing things right.

It can also offer a real safety net when things are going wrong. Sure we talk a lot about all things wonderful that happen when a business gets off on the right foot, but what if it suddenly takes a wrong turn? In that case something critical happens. Community morphs from market support into emotional support, actually allowing for a bigger margin of error than a traditional market. The community can actually allow just enough time for a strategic re-implementation that puts your business back on track.

In a perfect world where no mistakes are ever made by any CEO at any time, community may be seen as just another marketing tool, but in a less than perfect world it is both a source of power and inspiration.

If you are in business in Colorado you should be only one place on Thursday night. Join our community at the Butterfly Pavilion.

Thanks Gale

Scott was great