Questions from Garden Barter
What type of expertise do I need to be a Contributor?
+ There are no credentials required to be a Contributor. In fact, we are actively seeking plant enthusiasts with a variety of interests, experiences, and perspectives to lead within our community. We want individuals who identify with our mission, love working with plants and/or produce, and are eager to share what you know with other members.
+ Our community is designed for people of all skill-levels, so our members will enjoy learning from Contributors with a variety of backgrounds. Whether you are formally educated, professionally trained, or a hobbyist who's self-taught, your voice will resonate with members who identify with your interests and personality, not just your expertise.
+ Our community is designed for people of all skill-levels, so our members will enjoy learning from Contributors with a variety of backgrounds. Whether you are formally educated, professionally trained, or a hobbyist who's self-taught, your voice will resonate with members who identify with your interests and personality, not just your expertise.
Does it cost anything to be a Contributor?
+ No, being a Garden Barter Member and Contributor are both 100% free.
What are the benefits of being a Contributor?
+ To begin, let's acknowledge the joy and satisfaction that comes with helping others experience a breakthrough because of something we've shared. After all, much of what we've learned in life has been through the generosity of others. So, if we maintain a positive attitude, we know that helping others is its own reward.
+ As you develop a reputation for helping others, our members will begin to see you as an authority figure. This is especially true in a community as specialized as ours. Our network is designed to encourage deeper conversations and this can help you strengthen the relationships you already have with your current audience.
+ In addition, Garden Barter provides you with new opportunities to gain exposure to a whole new audience, above and beyond those that you personally invite.
+ As a Contributor, you may be granted permission to run events, courses, and workshops within our community. These events can be free or require a registration fee, the majority of which you would receive. So, a successful partnership can lead to income generating opportunities as well.
+ Whether you want to be a Contributor for the fun of sharing what you love and helping others, or you want to promote yourself in a more serious, professional capacity - please understand that running a community is a lot of work. It also comes with a number of unexpected expenses. Garden Barter offers you the opportunity to benefit from taking a leadership position in our community without facing the burdens and costs of running it.
+ As you develop a reputation for helping others, our members will begin to see you as an authority figure. This is especially true in a community as specialized as ours. Our network is designed to encourage deeper conversations and this can help you strengthen the relationships you already have with your current audience.
+ In addition, Garden Barter provides you with new opportunities to gain exposure to a whole new audience, above and beyond those that you personally invite.
+ As a Contributor, you may be granted permission to run events, courses, and workshops within our community. These events can be free or require a registration fee, the majority of which you would receive. So, a successful partnership can lead to income generating opportunities as well.
+ Whether you want to be a Contributor for the fun of sharing what you love and helping others, or you want to promote yourself in a more serious, professional capacity - please understand that running a community is a lot of work. It also comes with a number of unexpected expenses. Garden Barter offers you the opportunity to benefit from taking a leadership position in our community without facing the burdens and costs of running it.
I'm already on social media, how is this different ?
+ To answer this question from a membership perspective, please see our response to, "How is Garden Barter different than other social media platforms?" in our Member FAQs.
+ From a Contributor, or content creator's perspective, there are many differences between Garden Barter and the social platforms you are accustomed to using. In traditional networks, only 1-5% of your audience sees your posts. And, on average, your audience only views your content for 2-3 seconds. Let's face it, on traditional social media, you are competing with countless distractions to get someone's attention.
+ Alternatively, Garden Barter members have the power to choose what they want to see, without any interference. So, if you create content that is fun, helpful, interesting, or valuable, they will respond positively. Also, when members visit Garden Barter, it is a deliberate act because they are intentionally choosing to engage with our community - not just scrolling through a feed of random posts from family, media, and advertisers.
+ From a Contributor, or content creator's perspective, there are many differences between Garden Barter and the social platforms you are accustomed to using. In traditional networks, only 1-5% of your audience sees your posts. And, on average, your audience only views your content for 2-3 seconds. Let's face it, on traditional social media, you are competing with countless distractions to get someone's attention.
+ Alternatively, Garden Barter members have the power to choose what they want to see, without any interference. So, if you create content that is fun, helpful, interesting, or valuable, they will respond positively. Also, when members visit Garden Barter, it is a deliberate act because they are intentionally choosing to engage with our community - not just scrolling through a feed of random posts from family, media, and advertisers.
How could being a Contributor help me build or promote my personal brand?
+ Garden Barter provides you with many creative and helpful ways to share what you know and love, while raising awareness for who you are, what you do, and what you have to offer. Below are a few examples of how you could contribute to our community.
+ For Authors: If you are an author, you could lead a workshop that's aligned with the material in your book. You could bundle the sale of your book with your paid workshop. This would give registered members direct access to you, in a private group within Garden Barter, where you could answer their questions and guide them through your book from beginning to end.
+ For Instructors: If you are a teacher or instructor, you could create a paid course inside of our community that helps our members understand the basics of plant science, or how to combat specific garden pests, or how to recognize and treat common plant diseases. Choose an area of expertise that you already have and share it in an engaging way with our members, who can connect with you directly in your own private group located within Garden Barter.
+ For Community Gardeners: If you have experience leading a community garden, you could create a paid workshop that takes members step-by-step through the process of selecting a site, planting, managing volunteers, harvesting, produce distribution, funding sources, and any other critical details. Again, our members could get feedback directly from you, within a private group housed inside of our community.
+ These are just a few (of the many) ways that you could share your passion with others in a deep and meaningful way, while earning a little income and some much deserved recognition. If any of this interests you, please, let us know.
+ For Authors: If you are an author, you could lead a workshop that's aligned with the material in your book. You could bundle the sale of your book with your paid workshop. This would give registered members direct access to you, in a private group within Garden Barter, where you could answer their questions and guide them through your book from beginning to end.
+ For Instructors: If you are a teacher or instructor, you could create a paid course inside of our community that helps our members understand the basics of plant science, or how to combat specific garden pests, or how to recognize and treat common plant diseases. Choose an area of expertise that you already have and share it in an engaging way with our members, who can connect with you directly in your own private group located within Garden Barter.
+ For Community Gardeners: If you have experience leading a community garden, you could create a paid workshop that takes members step-by-step through the process of selecting a site, planting, managing volunteers, harvesting, produce distribution, funding sources, and any other critical details. Again, our members could get feedback directly from you, within a private group housed inside of our community.
+ These are just a few (of the many) ways that you could share your passion with others in a deep and meaningful way, while earning a little income and some much deserved recognition. If any of this interests you, please, let us know.
How do I enroll as a Contributor?
+ Becoming a Contributor is a simple process. Just click on the button below, then complete and submit your request form. We would love to know all about you, what you do, what you love, and what ideas you have for being a Contributor in our community. We will reply to your request with additional information and you can begin Contributing right away.
What if I have doubts?
+ If you aren't sure that you know enough to be helpful, don't worry. We all tend to discount the value of what we know, because it's already familiar to us. But, what we often fail to realize is just how many other people can benefit from learning from our experiences. Just stick to what you know, what you love, what you've learned, what you've observed, and what you've experienced, and you will be a valued member of our community.
+ If you would like to contribute but aren't comfortable creating paid or premium experiences, don't worry. There's no pressure to create a course, host an event, or charge a registration fee for anything that you contribute. While those are options that we will make available under the right circumstances, we only want you to participate in ways that make you feel happy and comfortable.
+ If you don't have a lot of extra time, but still want to be involved, don't worry. The technology behind our network makes it easy for you to create a blog article, over a period of time, by saving it as a draft that you can work on periodically until you are ready to share it with our community. Here, there's no pressure to perform, we welcome all levels of participation.
+ If you're hesitant to try something new, don't worry. There are a number of advantages that come from being an early leader in a community setting. In the growth stage, when there are fewer Contributors and members, it's easier to stand out and establish yourself as a trusted authority, make new friends, and spread your message. Plus, everyone that you invite will come to see you as a visionary for recognizing and sharing the value of our community, before others in your industry take notice.
+ If you would like to contribute but aren't comfortable creating paid or premium experiences, don't worry. There's no pressure to create a course, host an event, or charge a registration fee for anything that you contribute. While those are options that we will make available under the right circumstances, we only want you to participate in ways that make you feel happy and comfortable.
+ If you don't have a lot of extra time, but still want to be involved, don't worry. The technology behind our network makes it easy for you to create a blog article, over a period of time, by saving it as a draft that you can work on periodically until you are ready to share it with our community. Here, there's no pressure to perform, we welcome all levels of participation.
+ If you're hesitant to try something new, don't worry. There are a number of advantages that come from being an early leader in a community setting. In the growth stage, when there are fewer Contributors and members, it's easier to stand out and establish yourself as a trusted authority, make new friends, and spread your message. Plus, everyone that you invite will come to see you as a visionary for recognizing and sharing the value of our community, before others in your industry take notice.
Still Have Questions?