How to Network Online
By: Lauren Marsicano
Insta: @networkingmaverick
How to Network Online
We’ve made it through a pandemic, but everything is not quite back to how it once was. And networking is one thing that will probably be forever changed. Since we spent an entire year limiting contact with others, a lot of networking opportunities that were usually done face-to-face were moved to online platforms. This opened up opportunities for businesses, business people, and organizations that were primarily local, to expand their reach to places they might not have imagined before. With all of the options out there for online networking - such as conferences, communities, and social media platforms - you can reach people anywhere.
But how do you build relationships with people online to create a strong network?
Let’s get into it...
Before You Reach Out
Make sure the relationship will be mutually beneficial.
Business relationships are much like any other in your life in that they are a two-way street. When you contact someone online, make sure that you can add as much value to their lives as they can add to yours. And as usual, be giving and expect nothing in return in order to help establish a strong foundation for a, hopefully, fruitful business relationship.
Do your research, and be interested in their work.
Read their LinkedIn profile, search their name or business on Google, or comment on and share their Instagram posts. If you know what they’ve been up to, or establish a superficial relationship with them before reaching out one-on-one, you will be more informed on how best to begin and build a relationship with your desired connection.
Making First Contact
Treat online interactions like you would a face-to-face interaction.
The internet is a tool for making connections, just like shaking someone’s hand at a networking event. But just because it is so quick and easy to access people online, it doesn’t mean that you will have an instant connection. Before you message someone or ask for any kind of favor, you have to build a relationship first. So make sure to take it slow, just as you would a relationship you were building face-to-face.
Personalize your message and keep it brief.
Try to make this first message brief, so they don’t have to read too much and will be more likely to respond. Make sure you don’t send them a generic template. Anything impersonal, or a message that sounds like spam, will be met with a similar kind of response. Or worse, no response at all! When introducing yourself, it is best to mention some of the work they’ve done in the past that you admire, or might have some form of connection to, then go on to introduce yourself. Follow that up with an idea of how you can work together, and you are setting a solid foundation for a potential business connection.
Keep the Connection Alive
Contact them periodically.
Keep the connection alive by sharing industry-relevant articles with them on social media, send them direct messages asking them how business is going, text them every now and then to see how they are doing. Make sure you keep communication going in a way that feels natural, and not too often. For connections that are not very close, making contact once a month is sufficient. If they reach out more frequently, and you are both comfortable doing so, keep the communication alive by interacting how you both feel is best. We have so many forms of staying in touch nowadays that keeping online business relationships alive is easier than ever before.
Refer customers.
This is probably the best way to establish a strong connection. If one of your clients needs help that someone in your network can provide, refer them to your network connection. And who knows? They might send you clients too.
Share their content or business successes.
If you celebrate the successes of someone else, this is a wonderful way to keep the connection alive. Sharing their content or achievements on your social media shows that you support them and their accomplishments, and exposes their business to your audience. And they might just return the favor.
As things begin to open up, we will have more opportunities to make connections face-to-face, but if you ever attend an online event or still can’t get together with people, at least, you’re prepared to make some strong online networking connections!