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A few months ago Jane almost networked. She was invited to a networking event that sounded great - it was an event for people in her target market. It was a bit far for her to drive to (an hour each way), but she figured that since there will be many people from her target market at the event, she really should go to the event. So she registered for the event.
On the event day Jane got dressed (which also took some time), got into her car and drove to the event. The traffic was heavier than usual, and Jane ended up spending an hour and forty minutes getting to her destination. Jane was running late. When Jane finally arrived, she could not find any parking. Since she was late for the event all the parking spots were taken. After Jane spent another 30 minutes looking for parking, she decided to go back. After all, the event was scheduled for only two hours, and she already missed about an hour of it anyway. There wasn't much traffic on the way back, so it only took her an hour to get back.
Jane's almost networking took 3 hours and 10 minutes out of her workday. And I am only counting the time she spent driving to the event and trying to find parking. It took time to register for the event, change for the event, and collect business cards and brochures that she took to the event with her.
There is a much better way to network. This way is called online networking. It does not require you to commute, look for a parking spot, or dress to the nines to network. You can network right from your own office whenever you want. You can take 10-15 minutes to network in-between clients, or you can spend an hour networking at the beginning or at the end of your day. The choice is yours. Here is how to network online effectively:
- The best places for you to network online are the ones visited by your target market. Find online networking groups visited by your target market and start participating in them on a regular basis.
- Help others by sharing your expertise. Help by answering the people's questions and promote your expertise at the same time. Answering questions increases your online visibility and helps others get to know you. When people know you they are more likely to buy your products and services.
- Create an effective signature for your online posts. You have an opportunity to promote your business every time you post a message. Create an effective signature for your posts and use it to drive more traffic to your web site.
Don't be an almost networker like Jane - use online networking to network and make money with your business.
- How To Use Social Networking To Get Clients
- How To Use Social Networking Sites To Promote Your Expertise
- Are You Wasting Time Or Networking?