Why did the business card break up with the Rolodex? It found a better connection online.
Networking is a powerful and often overlooked strategy to increase revenue and ensure the long-term success of your business. Today we’re going to dive into a few key strategies for better managing your networking efforts. We’ll keep these simple and easy to implement. No fancy tools, tech know-how, or other hoo-hah required here to set these ones up.
Growth Hack: 3 Proven Networking Techniques to Increase Efficiency and Drive Success for Your Business 🚀
Here are the three main strategies I always encourage you to install in your business to enhance networking and ensure smooth operations:
🎯 Attend Industry Events: Participating in conferences, trade shows, and industry meetups allows you to connect with peers, learn from experts, and stay updated on industry trends. These events provide a platform to showcase your business and build meaningful relationships.
Action items for you 👇
- Put a few hours into Googling and searching for these events. Look for a combination of both offline and online events and get signed up.
- Sign up and schedule a minimum of 1 event (per month) into your calendar
- Attend each event with the intention of making 5 new professional connections. Keeping that minimum connection target in mind will ensure you can tangibly understand the value you’ve walked away at each event.
⚡ Leverage Social Media: Use platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to expand your professional network. Engage with industry leaders, join relevant groups, and share valuable content to establish your presence and attract connections.
Action items for you 👇
- Make sure you have social media accounts for your business set up on each of the big platforms: Twitter, Facebooked, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram
- Optimize your business’ social media profile on each platform (make sure all business information is filled out, your branding is added, and any other additional information about your services are clearly listed)
✅ Follow Up and Maintain Relationships: After making a new connection, follow up with a personalized message or email. Regularly check in with your contacts, offer help when possible, and stay in touch to keep the relationship strong. Building and maintaining relationships is key to a successful network.
Action items for you 👇
- For both online/offline events, send a follow-up email to each connection you make expressing that it was nice to meet them to make sure they remember you and cement that connection that you made.
- Where it makes sense, invite these connections to a 1:1 chat (whether it be offline or online) to discuss opportunities for potential collaboration or to continue whatever discussion you initially had with them when you met,.
The key here is to really place networking at the forefront of your operations and build strategies that are simple to execute but highly effective.
Tweet of the Week 🐦
I really love Jason Fried’s approach to content strategy here. We often think of content as a persistent weekly requirement that we need to publish every week in order to keep our audience engaged. That’s true, but to an extent. Focus on quality over quantity and creating content that provides real value and converts readers into sales for your business:
Link Love ❤️
Here are a few resources for you to dive into and explore this whole networking topic a lot further:
👉 Zapier’s take on how to build your network as an entrepreneur
👉 Krisp on how to do business networking the right way
👉 Indeed’s unique take on networking in business
👉 Try our free 14-day trial of Book Like A Boss!
That’s a Wrap 👊
Mastering networking is essential for building a business that grows rather than stagnates. By attending industry events, leveraging social media, and maintaining relationships, you can keep your network strong and effective.
