A “network” is a collection of people, interconnected in one way or another.

I think Wikipedia can give a much better definition:

A personal network is a set of human contacts known to an individual, with whom that individual would expect to interact at intervals to support a given set of activities.

This is interconnectedness. Connection. Interact at intervals. Support. There’s something rigid about this definition that somehow mirrors how we network with others in the real world.

From where I come from, the word “network” gets a bad rap because of its association with multi-level marketing schemes. But even if it’s not, hearing the word itself can sometimes give us negative mental associations.

Images of suits, business cards and persistent e-mail follow-ups come to mind. But networking should be more than a superficial exchange of interest “because our industries can...

A marketing expert is usually associated with the image of a snake oil salesman.

A marketer’s job is not to sell a product. Not that selling a product to someone is bad (no offense, salesmen), but marketing is more about understanding the buyer and building a relationship based on trust and value.

But why are we marketers afraid to “give”? Why do we continue to run ads and optimize for conversions, with that one-time sale and trade of customer information as the main goal?

Marketing is about understanding our audience, who they are and not just about what makes them “tick” to buy or close a deal. It’s by understanding their behavior and the gaps that we can fill with the value we intend to give.

Building relationships takes time.

There’s nothing more effective as a marketing strategy than building loyalty by creating a deeper relationship with your audience. Don’t be afraid to...

Let me start by saying that there’s absolutely nothing wrong if one decides to leave the country. I also don’t encourage people to just stay. We have different motivations. Some are stuck in a low-paying career that pays well abroad, others might be stuck with a toxic society that doesn’t allow them to thrive.

I, for one, have the opportunity to leave the Philippines if I wanted to. I have relatives and immediate family members who are already Australian citizens. Yet I have never, even during times of poverty and experiencing poor healthcare, dreamed of growing old in another country.

My situation is of course different. I work freelance online, serve overseas clients and can somehow enjoy a salary above our country’s minimum. Yet, I’m not safe from corruption, poor healthcare and the crab mentality. Poverty hits me the same way as with everyone else. I was one of those who expected...