20 Oct Networking Online

Networking Online

So you’ve perfected your elevator pitch and become a pro at handing out your business card, but you still haven’t talked to the right person.

Social networks allow you to make connections and it can even be used to make business connections. While LinkedIn is a great way to network don’t forget about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. (Yes, even Snapchat).

If you’ve been following someone on social media who has the exact job you’re interested in, but you can’t find any details about them? Reach out.

Steps to online networking:

1) Make sure your profile is up to date. If you’re going to reach out to someone, make sure they can get an accurate picture of who you are and what you represent.

2) Don’t make it stuffy. If this is someone you’ve legitimately followed for a while, ask a question about something you saw on their profile or make a comment about something they recently posted or talked about.

3) Don’t cold call. What I mean by this is you want to build the relationship. Take time to interact with the person you’d like to get to know. By building a relationship, the individual will be more willing to connect with you and answer your questions if they don’t feel like you’re someone random.

4) Look for opportunities to highlight them. Did they share a great post? Retweet it. Are they an awesome agvocate on Snapchat? Share their handle on your social channels and tag them. It never hurts to flatter someone when you’re trying to befriend them.

Once you’ve done the ground work and started a relationship, then reach out. Ask for their email to see if they’d be willing to hop on a call or Skype. I can tell you, from personal experience, I’ve done this plenty of times, even if it’s just because I’d like to learn more about what that person does for a living. Expanding your ag network will always be handy, being the person that can help connect people is a valuable skill.