Networking is a powerful tool to forge business connections and meet associates that benefit your career and help you grow professionally. But a question we often come across is how to be great at online networking?
Undoubtedly, the World Wide Web presents a unique medium to meet people and establish relationships. We can turn to the online world and connect with professionals willing to land a helping hand in your time of need.
That’s what networking is all about. It’s about having a book where you add people’s contacts and chat about work-related stuff. So if you want to know how to network online, we have the tips and tricks to shed light.
Tips and Tricks To Help You Be Great at Online Networking
You can do these tips and tricks, simply by using the free social platforms, and of course the intern.. So, let’s see how you can be great at online networking.
Establish A Digital Presence
You cannot be great at online networking if you have no digital footprint. One of the best ways to network online is to use the various platforms that allow you to connect with professionals from all over the globe.
While social media is probably the medium that first comes to mind, don’t sleep on other platforms specially designed for meeting professionals.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to network online. These platforms have a massive reach. In terms of users, Facebook is one of the most active platforms, with nearly 3 billion registered users. Twitter and Instagram have a slightly lesser user count, but they’re also great for establishing a digital presence.
But the platform that connects you with professionals is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social media platform that’sespecially made for professionals. On LinkedIn you can meet peers from your business and share ideas, thoughts and even collaborate.
So the first tip is to create accounts with all of these platforms to establish your digital presence.
Network 24/7
Being great at online networking doesn’t stop with a LinkedIn account. Quite the contrary, there are more ways to establish your digital presence. But this next tip refers to the golden rule of online networking, which is never to stop.
If you want to be a networking guru, you have to be sending emails all the time. Even if you aren’t a person that likes to communicate all the time, it’s something you must do it. Since you are doing it online, it is much easier to talk to people through email, instant messaging apps, etc.
Being active all the time is a certified way to build a solid online network.
Join Professional Communities
They say online networking is a process. And that’s correct, as chances are you won’t find instant success. However, that’s precisely why it’s so important to be active 24/7.
But another tip we have is to join the right communities. There are tons of online communities of professionals eager to know more about you. The thing is that they don’t know you exist. And how would they know when you’re not making yourself known to them?
But how do you find these spaces? Social media platforms have the means to connect you with professionals. Facebook has groups, Instagram has hashtags, and Twitter is generally a great platform for being part of a community.
But you can go a step further and subscribe to newsletters and join Medium blogs and forum discussions. The more active you are, the more your peers notice and want to connect with you.
Offer a Helping Hand
Just as you have a problem that needs solving, so do your peers. Offering a helping hand is yet another great way to network online. Why? Because when you help someone, you make a long-lasting connection. You leave a positive impression and build a good reputation.
So what are the best ways to help someone? You’d be surprised how easy it is to help someone online. You could share their blog, retweet their content, forward their newsletter to your group of followers, etc.
Do anything that helps progress their career, and you’ll have the person in your online group in no time.
Conclusion
Building a network might seem intimidating, but it’s one of the most important things a professional must do to proceed with his career. You never know what types of people you are going to meet, what you will learn from them, and where they will help you on your way to professional excellence.
The more people you add to your network, the easier it is to progress your career. In addition, you get access to professionals that have the resources to help you in a time of need. So remember, never stop networking and start now.
Author Bio
Erik Bergman co-founded Catena Media and helped grow it to over 300 employees and a $200 million valuation before stepping away to start Great.com, an iGaming organization that donates 100% of its profits to environmental charities. In addition to running a successful online affiliate business, Erik also hosts the Becoming Great podcast, shares entrepreneurship tips with his more than 1 million social media followers, and contributes to sites like Entrepreneuer.com, Business Insider, Foundr, and Forbes.
