Networking Is Necessary
Networking is a key piece to my everyday job. As a marketing specialist for a tech company there is constant change. Without the right connections, keeping up with that change would be nearly impossible. Whether it’s connecting with other professionals in the field, or conducting industry research in target markets and even learning about the next up and coming technology, social media and online events has been a critical piece in staying in the know.
Are you searching for new ways to connect and network with people to help your business stay on top of industry trends? Take a look at the steps I use for creating and maintaining my network what methods of networking I look forward to in the future.
Keeping Track of your Network.
The first project I was tasked with in this position was to source a system that could track our contacts, marketing efforts and communications. A CRM, or customer relationship management system will store contacts, notes or emails you share with these contacts, and even metrics on marketing efforts such as email campaigns. Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a versatile system that enables the separation of client contacts from my network contacts. It’s an invaluable tool for when you are adding someone new to your network, as you can keep track of details and notes of your first interactions. This helps to remember even just the little things-like how many children your new connection has or that they pitched an idea to the local business board recently. It’s the little things that build authentic relationships and will strengthen your network.
Sourcing from Social Media
The internet has a niche for everyone. With over 3.6 Billion users on social media in 2020, you are bound to have a place to connect and network with your people. My favorites are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Each platform serves it’s own purpose for networking. Facebook has groups with people of like-minded interests and hobbies. If I wanted to connect with people interested in cybersecurity technologies, there’s a group for that! Really…there is. There are now live events you can participate in on Facebook as well. For example, you are an artist wanting to learn new painting techniques from other artists. There are Facebook live events that give a tutorial on how to paint, and the chat is live-letting you connect with new people.
Twitter is an excellent source of quick and trending information provided by people that could potentially be part of your network. There are a lot of knowledgeable and interesting people on Twitter and by interacting with their posts and commenting, you can network with just about anyone. These do need to be filtered occasionally, however many people within my network stated as a Twitter connection. By using the chat and hashtags the possibilities are endless.
LinkedIn is a given in my industry because it is a networking site created for professionals. It does have some challenges, like rising above the noise of everyone else and standing out amongst the crowd. So why do I love and use it so much? Of course I have my network and connections there, but I use this platform to gain insight into competitors or people aligned with the same interests however is involve on a different level. For example one of my connections is a person that works for a children’s safety advocacy group. By connecting with him I was opened up to a whole network of people that are involved with cybersecurity protection for kids as well as how to protect children from being lured and groomed online for human trafficking rings. It opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of the cybersecurity technologies world that I would never have thought I would take interest in.
Other Sources Available Online
Opportunities for networking are endless online. Information sharing forums like Reddit and Quora are great places to source information and build your network. Knowing how to filter through these platforms and determine who is a viable and trust-worthy network possibility can take some time and skill, but eventually you develop a feel from those who are merely offering conspiracy theories and those that are legit interested in the same ideas as yourself.
There are sites that offer networking for small businesses, like Alignable. You can connect with other business professionals and set up meetings, informal chats and even introduce others into your own network contacts. Fivver, an online marketplace for freelancers also providers similar types of networking possibilities.
In-Person Events
I truly love in person events, and find it is where I make most of my best connections. There is something to be said for being able to look someone in the eye, see their facial expressions and read their body language to make an authentic connection. Conferences, tradeshows, info sessions, seminars…all these are rooms filled with people that have similar interests. With all of this said, unfortunately these have fallen to the wayside for now with the restrictions in place for COVID-19.
The Future of Networking
The future of networking is happening right now. With the fallout of in-person events, webinars and ZOOM calls have quickly become the replacement. Will this be a permanent solution? Time will tell. Businesses may choose to reduce costs by having their employees participate in an online summit rather than travel out of country to be part of a live event. Technology has made leaps and bounds with headsets and augmented reality, that in the future networking may become a full body virtual experience.
Have your networking strategies changed in the past year due to the pandemic? What seems to work for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
This was a great read, and I love that you added a short bio/profile to the end of your post!