Social media can have a hugely beneficial effect on your networking. Networking is about relationship building and not direct selling.
Use Social Media to plant the seed and let it grow…it does work.
So why network? You don’t know who the people you meet know and you don’t know who they are going to meet and what referrals they can offer now or in the future.
But be careful how you behave, if you constantly aggressively promote your business you will actually cause your target market to switch off. Is there another way to show your network how your business is growing and moving, and informing them of new changes, without actually ramming it down every channel available to you?
- Using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Use these platforms to ask people to follow or connect to you, when they connect they are opting to hear more from you but they don’t need preaching to. Followers can help extend your business, its reach, drive sales and increase awareness.
- Tweet and Connecting
If the content you share can spark a conversation then you keep your audience engaged. Creating curiosity far outweighs direct selling and you will see whose friends also comment, too. This will enable you to consider extending your connections to them also. It aligns your name with the information you are sharing and shows your network you care about their content too.
- Benefits of getting retweeted, like your content and how to achieve this.
To get retweeted post timely information your network will engage in. Say please. People are much more likely to retweet your news or your calls to action if you ask nicely, however do not do this too often. If every post you do comes with a “Pls RT” attached, your connections will get bored of it and soon switch off.
Say thank you personally to anyone who retweets you or shares your content. You can also return the compliment by looking through their content and following suit. If someone posts a review or comment on Facebook or LinkedIn about you or your business/products also thank them.
- Following / Connecting with the people you meet afterwards
When you’re networking ask for business cards and hand yours out. People are impressed when you follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook right away. Keep in touch this way when you’re encounter is still fresh in their minds.
If you can add value by connecting them to other people who might be useful/helpful to them it will be appreciated and remembered.
- Keeping in touch with key people using social media.
Keeping in touch is a fine balance between business courtesy and stalking, we all want everyone we meet to see what we are offering is the best. Asking after their business from time to time and commenting positively on their posts will show you are interested in them and not just what you could get out of them. They are more likely to engage with you and your business and view you in a more favourable light.
Success to good Networking is in the Follow up! Even if you seem to be the only one doing it, you will be surprised at how much it is appreciated by the recipient. Networking is building your future leads or your ‘No for Nows’. Sometimes potential customers need to be exposed to your offering several times before they give you a chance, don’t rush it, and enjoy the journey you have with that connection, which is made so much easier and quicker with good social media skills.
