The internet has paved the way for making connections in entirely new ways. Your virtual network may consist of people that you have never met in person – yet they can be just as valuable as those that you interact with regularly.
Social Media
Depending on your industry, brand, or interests, it may be possible to expand your network using social media. Every social media channel offers a networking opportunity. Always keep your activity on social media professional and consistent with your personal brand. Professional women will find valuable networking benefits on these channels:
LinkedIn is a social networking site that was designed specifically for the business community. Each user establishes their own profile that includes your industry, skills, education and links to companies you have worked for. You are able to connect with other professionals via a connection request and then gain access to that persons network. LinkedIn has a built in recommendation and endorsements platform where users can provide valuable information about your experience. Additional features include LinkedIn Groups where users can connect as well as LinkedIn Jobs which offers the ability to search and apply for jobs.
Business owners can find value in setting up a free LinkedIn Company page and building a following by offering original content, advice and promotional information.
Facebook is considered the largest social network but is often used only for personal use. However, Facebook can have a large impact on your career or business.
If you are a entrepreneur and offer any type of consulting (resume writer, health coach, personal trainer, etc), you can naturally promote your brand and services through your personal profile to reach friends and family that can help promote you further.
Facebook Groups offer opportunities to connect with people who share similar careers, interests, or locations with you and provide a platform to connect on a personal level to showcase your personal brand. Sharing a popular post from your business page to a well-connected group can expose you to a large population on Facebook.
Establish a Facebook Page for your business or group and utilize the page features to help promote your brand.
Twitter allows you to broadcast messages, referred to as “Tweets", to the world. These messages are 140 characters or shorter and hashtags are a key component to finding stories, interests and categories to follow. By following others and listening (and then engaging with) to what they are sharing on Twitter, you are able to form relationships and create conversation. We recommend following brands you would like to work with and key influencers in your industry to start with, to help you establish a networking strategy on Twitter. If you add value and are consistent, your brand can shine on Twitter and gain a lot of exposure.
Instagram is a platform that is based on images — and provides some great opportunities for building your network. When you post consistently and offer value, you will build a following that is engaged with what you’re offering. When building a networking strategy on Instagram, you will need to think through how you are going to grow your list of followers and engage with them authentically. A few pro tips:
Be thoughtful about your posts. Take the time to edit your photos and crop out anything unnecessary. A crisp caption will help to capture attention.
Utilize Instagram tags to help draw attention to your posts — hashtags, location and people tags can help show people more about who you are and what your personal brand represents.
Build relationships on Instagram by being authentic. Comment on other users posts and provide meaningful interactions.
Instagram stories provide even more opportunity for you to showcase yourself and engage with followers through polls, questions and more.