As the story goes, there was once a tiny mouse that was caught in the jaws of a mighty lion – king of the jungle. The mouse begged the lion to let him go, saying that one day, he might be able to help the lion out of a jamb.

The lion, not ravenous for food at the time, was amused at the idea, so he let the mouse go, not giving it a second thought. Some time later, the mouse was scurrying around the jungle floor when he caught sight of the lion – trapped in the net of a hunter.

The mouse approached the lion and as promised, saved his life by gnawing through the ropes and freeing the king of the jungle, proving that sometimes, little friends can serve big purposes.

Don’t Be Afraid of Your Competitors – Help Them

The story of the lion and the mouse can be applied to many of life’s situations. But in business, and especially on the Internet, it’s a fable to take to heart when developing the right kinds of relationships.

It doesn’t matter how new to the scene you are or how green you may be at building websites or generating an impressive amount of traffic. What matters is that you have something to give back to the community, which can serve to help you when you need it most.

Money can be a great obstacle to those starting out in Internet marketing. Most people are trying to do it on a shoestring budget, so you must have something to barter with and build friendships upon.

Maybe you’re trying to launch a graphic design service site but have no  testimonials or sample customer applications to show in your portfolio. Approach someone who is recognized as a powerful influence and offer to design a free eBook cover in exchange for a link and a testimonial.

If someone emails you and is very helpful without you having to ask, do something kind in return to show your appreciation. Maybe they helped walk you through the setup of your blog. Thank them by writing an article they can distribute to article directories to drive traffic to their site.

Sometimes these networking opportunities can help you develop a Joint Venture relationship at a later date. If you prove your worth as a newcomer, then people will be more willing to give you a chance at leveraging their list or their expertise than if you came on board and tried to jump into the fray without paying your dues.

Calling in a Favor When You Need It

After you’ve had a chance or two to show that your opinion is worthy, that you are serious about ‘net marketing, and that you want to develop good  relationships, you’ll be able to call upon those who you once helped out when the time comes that you need assistance.

Don’t be afraid to ask others whenever you need their help to get ahead. Despite what you might believe, in the Internet marketing industry, competitors do more to help each other out than they do to destroy their competition. Most people understand that there is enough potential business to go around…many, many times.

Make sure you don’t continuously take without giving back. This can cause you to burn many bridges, which could have paved the path to your ultimate financial security one day.

Whether you’re a mighty lion in your niche or are feeling like a mouse among giants, take time to reach out and offer help and value to the online community, and your reputation will serve as a viral marketing tool for you.

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