Everyone knows that getting out there and shaking hands is one of the most effective ways to grow one’s network. However, sometimes our schedule is not conducive to leaving the house. Just because your schedule is limited, your network can still be built using online tools. There are plenty of effective networking strategies without ever needing to go out of your home. To help you out, we are presenting some of them here for you.
1. Participate in a Twitter Chat or LinkedIn Discussion
Just because you’re sitting at home doesn’t mean that you can’t be social with anyone. You can participate in a Twitter chat on a topic that interests you and join a LinkedIn group discussion where your voice will be heard by thousands of people. Such online engagement will allow you to connect and converse with new people, and it doesn’t require much of an effort.
2. Write a LinkedIn Post or Guest Blog
Content marketing is massive in the industry now, and you can use that tactic for marketing yourself as well. If you have specific expertise that you can offer to someone, you can reach out to an industry blog and write a guest post that can be featured on it. You can even publish an informative post on your LinkedIn account and grow your followers over there.
3. Write a LinkedIn Recommendation
Everyone loves getting recognition for a job well done, and LinkedIn recommendations provide you with a great way to do that publicly. However, most people are stingy when it comes to writing recommendations. You can visit a few profiles of current or former co-workers and craft an astute and complimentary recommendation. Doing so will not only increase your presence on LinkedIn but also increase your chances of getting a recommendation in return.
4. Join Facebook or LinkedIn Groups
You can start searching for relevant groups that have active communities of people you would like to know. Don’t look at it as a sales pool; instead, look for places where you can grow strategic partnerships, mentorship, referral partnerships, or advice. These avenues can help in generating leads. In some cases, when you’re not looking for customers but engaging as peers, they will become your customers. So, be active and generous and invite individuals who you meet in the group to do one-on-one meetings, so you can get to know each other on a deeper level.
5. Use Social Media to Your Advantage
You can easily connect with anyone and everyone now, thanks to social media. It gives you the power to get in touch with people without ever meeting them in person. You can use that to get in touch with potential clients and hold meetings on a virtual set without getting out of your house. This is an effective networking strategy for connecting with people and growing your leads at the same time.
