Benefits of Networking for Business

Why you should network (in general):

1. Introduce your business and offerings

Don’t expect that the world will eventually know about your business.

To increase the visitors on your website or social media accounts, you first have to show people that your business exists.

And YOU have to work on it.

2. Get advice from others

There are so many factors that will contribute to an increase in sales, and some of them are not directly linked to sales.

Exchanging ideas with other business professionals helps you to…

• Learn from their business models and operations: You as an owner often get used to the way you are running your business and it can be difficult to see alternative methods or models. By discussions with other business professionals, you could see what they are doing and learn from how they are doing in their business.
• See your business from another perspective: As a result of learning from other businesses’ operations, you might be able to see your own strengths and weaknesses that you couldn’t identify before.
• Get a mentor for your business: if you have trouble with your business, you can discuss it with other business owners. You might be able to get some hints or ideas from them based on their experience.

3. Build a relationship with potential customers

The more people know about your brand, the more leads and referrals you will likely get.

Network so that you will be the one who pops up in people’s heads first!

4. Get a new partner

Networking is not just about advertising your brand or products.

If you are looking for partners, you might be able to connect with people who could collaborate with your business.

101: How to Network Online

1. Join groups or organizations on social media

Nowadays, there are so many online groups and organizations, such as ones on LinkedIn and Instagram.

If you think that you are related to this group, why not join them?

I myself also tried it a couple of times, and I was able to join them every time even though I felt like I have nothing to add to this group from my side.

These groups sometimes organize real-life events for networking as well, so you might eventually be able to network offline within the same group.

Once you are in the group, you can also invite people you want to share the network with.

2. Get in touch with influencers

As I was mentioning in my other blog, the fact that influencer marketing is getting one of the standard marketing methods is real.

Influencer marketing is important especially if you own a small business.

Large companies like Nike or Adidas can afford campaigns that require a bigger budget but they are also fiercely applying marketing activities with influencers.

This is because…

• They are much more affordable to hire compared to the traditional models of advertisements
• The audience is much more connected with these influencers on a personal level and it is easier to build trust with products they recommend.

I’m not saying you have to be best friends with them.

But you should at least try not to lose the connection; you never know when you need their help in the future.

The benefit of connecting with influencers is that the more influencers you connect with, the more you will be exposed to the entire influencer community. This makes it much easier for you to find the right influencer for your marketing or campaigns.

3. Follow people on social media

Nowadays, it is so easy to connect with people and you should take full advantage of it.

For example, on LinkedIn, you can just send invitations to people and even attach notes so that you don’t have to creep them up and make you look like a random person.

Now that many business persons and brands start using Tik Tok as one of the channels as well, you can also follow them on Tik Tok. Like Instagram, you can also do the live stream or live chat, so you can network in person with those who you want to get to know.

To summarize, utilize the opportunity of networking, not only for advertising, but also for growing your business model, offering, and most importantly yourself as a business owner as well.

What topics do you want to know more? 
Leave it in the comments at the bottom of this article!

References

Griffiths, A. (n.d.). 7 Non Irritating Ways to Network Online . Retrieved from inc.com: https://www.inc.com/andrew-griffiths/7-non-irritating-ways-to-network-online.html

Patel, N. (n.d.). 7 Ways That Networking Can Take Your Startup to the Next Level. Retrieved from Neilpatel.com: https://neilpatel.com/blog/how-can-networking-help-your-startup-grow/