5 Super-Effective Networking Strategies For 2011 (Come Add Yours)
If you’re looking to build a base of people who know you, refer you, and often do business with you, there are not many better ways to do it than through networking.
Meeting others at business oriented settings works and has for many many years. Unfortunately, all too often these meeting turn into nothing more than business card swaps and people trying to sell each other on their products and services. Business Ideas International thinks it’s time we changed it up a little.
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Technology and social media are a networker’s best friend, IF used correctly. With this in mind, here are 5 ways that savvy networkers are taking advantage of these tools to network their way to great success with their business ideas.
1. Use A Card Scanner
If you still have a pile of business cards on your desk from past networking events, please come into this century and buy a card scanner.
You can quickly and easily save all your contacts in one place, include them in your email database, and stay in contact with them easily. Scan the cards and recycle them.
The Penpower WorldCard Color Business Card Scanner is a popular choice for business card scanners.
2. Friend Them On Facebook
Just about everyone is on Facebook – including us – and if your new contact is NOT, you might decide exactly how valuable knowing them really is…seriously.
Now that most of us have smart phones, find your new networking contacts on Facebook as soon as you meet them and make them a friend. Make sure you tell them you are doing this so they can watch out for the friend request.
This will help you build and nurture the relationship by interacting on this friendly platform.
3. Announce Your New Connections To The World
If you meet a great new contact, tell the world. Announce it on Twitter, Facebook, and other social platforms, and include a link to your new contact’s website.
They will appreciate the extra promo and you will let your followers and friends know that you are an active networker. It’s another win-win strategy.
4. Cross-Link Websites
Without going into much details, suffice it to say that backlinks are a good thing-they help you rank high in the search engines. When you meet someone new, ask if you can link to their website and in turn, they can link to yours.
Your web support person will be able to help you do this easily. The more links you have pointing to your website the better search engine ranking you will receive. If you are an active networker, you could increase your links by 100 or more every month…this is an extremely powerful strategy.
5. Follow Up
Don’t wait for someone to contact you, follow up with them immediately after the event, and schedule regular follows at intervals using your online scheduler, outlook or Google Calendar.
Then, you can include your contact on these follow ups and make it a phone or online meeting. Stay in touch quickly and easily using technology.
Now, there are certainly many more ways that networkers are utilizing technology to grow their businesses, but the above 5 are things you begin doing RIGHT NOW to make a real difference in your bottom line.
If you have been struggling with the recent recession and you know you need more money, don’t start complaining BEFORE you implement the 5 ideas above…you’ll be glad you did!
What Do YOU Think?
Do you agree with the above networking strategies? Do you have effective networking strategies and tools of your own?
Share your thoughts with the Business Ideas International community in the comments section below.
I believe that the most important thing is to give value before expecting to get value. That is, always be thinking of ways you can help the people that you meet before expecting anything to come your way. Also, realize that when it does come to help coming your way, it often comes from that person’s network, that is those “2nd tier” connections. This is one reason I really like Linked In for serious networking over Facebook.
There are many other services, social media strategies and on-line marketing techniques that small businesses can take advantage of that are inexpensive and very effective. These include effective use of Facebook, Twitter and Linked In social media accounts to connect directly with target consumers. Blogging and backlinks are other strategies that can assist small businesses to generate more exposure and produce more sales and repeat business.