Networking is essential for business development. We all have networks that connect us with colleagues, peers, prospects and referral sources. If you want to grow your business, you need to network, but many times the tried and true ways of networking have become stale, no longer produce leads, referrals or connections, and are a waste of your time. May be it’s time to break the old model of networking and look to online resources to make your networking time effective and efficient.
Before exploring the options below, have a description of your ideal client or customer next to you. You want to spend your time where you will find your target market, so take the time to know exactly who needs and buys your products and services. Be ready to be helpful and share your expertise and resources. Online networking is not about selling. This is where you connect and create relationships.
1. LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn has thousands of groups that are filled with your prospects. A strategic approach to joining groups is to find groups where your customer hangs out, not where you will find your colleagues and competition. Groups are local, regional, national and international, and many of them meet in person as well as network in the group. Find at least 5-10 groups where you can add information and answer questions to those who need help – your potential customers – and become the “go to” person in your area of expertise.
2. Facebook Groups
Yes, Facebook is more than sharing the photos from the concert you attended or your new baby. Facebook groups are a hidden secret that can provide an opportunity to either expand your brand reach with Facebook followers or provide you with a forum for more in depth discussion with your clients, prospects and friends. You must have a Facebook profile to participate in a group. Groups can be public, private and secret on Facebook. The South Florida Business Owners Networking Group, a public Facebook group, has over 11,000 members!
3. Twitter
Many people don’t understand Twitter because they only see the timeline of tweets passing by. What makes Twitter powerful for networking is the use of hashtags and participating in Tweet chats. A Twitter tweet chat is a pre-arranged chat that happens on Twitter through the use of Twitter updates (called tweets) that include a predefined hashtag to link those tweets together in a virtual conversation. The hashtag helps users separate tweets related to specific chats to make them easier to follow. Find a Tweet chat around your area of expertise and you can connect with influencers and build your influence with others. Read this article for the Tweet chat basics.
If you are looking to find new places to network in person, there are two online options to help you discover events that you might not know about.
4. Eventbrite
You may have used this site in the past to purchase tickets to an event, but the web site is also a great resource to search events by date, price, location and category.
5. Meet Up
There are hundreds of business related groups on meetup.com for networking opportunities. You can search by groups or the calendar to find meetups with a radius from your location.
As in any networking situation, have a plan before venturing into any new opportunity. Use a strategic approach, with measurable goals and objectives, and set a timeline so you can measure if the new group is a good fit for you.
Have you tried any of these networking options yet? What was your experience?
