Networking in the digital age — using technology to expand your reach

You’re busy. 23 unread emails in your inbox. Half a dozen people to follow up with. There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.

You know that networking is important, but you simply haven’t got the time to take half a day out of the office to attend a networking event.

Sound familiar?

This is where online networking can help.

There are a lot of opportunities to connect with prospects and partners in the online world, without ever leaving your office.

In this article we’re going to look at how online networking can be a solid alternative or complement for in-person networking and explore some of the ways you can take advantage of it to expand your reach and make some new connections.

Online networking: evolution, not revolution

I don’t believe that online networking is ever going to ‘replace’ in-person networking — at least not any time soon. This belief seems to be supported by recent research that found 68% of people still preferred to network in-person rather than online.

That said, there’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of home working have increased the popularity of online networking, and helped demonstrate that meaningful business connections can be developed virtually.

From a small business owner’s perspective, it really is a win-win.

If you enjoy the anticipation, buzz and atmosphere of physical networking events — there’s plenty of options available to you. But if you prefer the less intense, time saving nature of online networking — this is also now an effective and viable option.

There are a variety of different ways to expand your reach and connect with people virtually, which we’ll run through now.

Harness the power of online networking groups

For those that like a bit of structure and a sense of belonging, there are plenty of online networking groups that you’re able to join.

I’ve been a member of 4 Networking (4N for those in the know!) for a couple of years, and this is where I do a lot of my networking. I couldn’t speak highly enough of it — not only have I met some amazing people, but it’s also been great for driving new business leads.

As a VIP member, I can join as many online meetings as I want, and I really take advantage of this!

But if you’d prefer to be meeting new people online on a more regular basis, at a time that suits you — you might want to check out Meeow. The platform has evolved a lot since it first launched, but it currently allows you to join ‘micro meetings’ of no more than 4 people to talk about a subject you’re all interested in. Or if you want, you can even set up your own Meeow on a topic of your choice. It’s worth giving it a go!

Mastering Linkedin

It feels like I’ve been talking about LinkedIn a lot over the last few blog posts — so I’m going to keep this section intentionally short! But there’s genuinely no better online platform to connect with like-minded professionals.

The first step to success on LinkedIn is to make sure you have a well optimised profile. I’d also personally recommend carving out a specific time each day (ideally before office hours when things are less busy!) to post relevant content and leave valuable comments on posts that resonate with you.

Try to see LinkedIn as a marathon rather than a sprint. Just 20 minutes of time and effort to engage with your LinkedIn network every day can pay dividends in the long term.

Becoming active in Facebook groups

Okay — I can sense some of the eye rolls already. I think almost everyone that’s had experience with business groups on Facebook have got their own horror stories about incessant notifications, irrelevant content and self-promotional messages.

There are absolutely some nonsense groups out there.

But not all Facebook communities are the same.

I’ve worked with colleagues and clients that have made some really good connections and won lucrative business by being active in the right Facebook communities and engaging with posts looking for services that they provide.

So how do you find the ‘gems’?

First of all, from a business perspective I’d recommend only joining private groups on Facebook and being a little bit cautious of public groups that allow anyone to join.

It may seem frustrating having to complete a mini-questionnaire when you apply to join a private group — but for me it’s a mark of quality. With the admins having to approve every member, it gives me the confidence the group will be controlled and more likely to contain quality content.

Another thing I’d recommend is reading the group description and rules carefully before applying. This will give you a good understanding of the type of posts you’re likely to see when you join.

Exploring relevant communities on Slack

If you’re not familiar with Slack, it’s an online platform that allows teams to communicate more easily. It’s used internally by a lot of businesses to help improve communication and collaboration across teams.

But there are also a lot of virtual slack communities that are designed for business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs that help bring different professionals together.

One Slack community that deserves a special mention is Leapers, which I know was important to so many freelancers during the pandemic when they didn’t have a team to communicate with.

Another notable Slack group is Copy Club, which brings more than 1000 different marketers together for healthy discussion and to share opportunities.

Wondering if there’s a Slack community for you? Check out this directory of remote communities and find out!

The future of networking in the digital age

It’s fair to say that in-person networking is here to stay (at least for now!) and for a lot of people, this is their preferred way to meet new people and form meaningful connections.

But for those who are time strapped, or those who just don’t enjoy the face-to-face networking process, online communities present an increasingly valid and viable alternative for meeting new people and forming meaningful connections.

I hope this post has been helpful in giving you some ideas on how you might engage with new connections online — but if you ever want to chat and put a clear strategy around your networking activities, please just get in touch!