We are finally seeing the faint light at the end of the tunnel of quarantine but we won’t be back to normal life any time soon. Unique challenges require unique solutions. How can we make meaningful connections when we can’t meet people face-to-face? What can we do from the safety of our homes that will move us professionally forward? While the physical world may be closed, the digital world is WIDE OPEN.
Attend Virtual Events
Events that you couldn’t have dreamed of attending are now at your fingertips because they have all gone digital. Can’t just hop on a plane to attend that conference? No need right now, you can access all the information on your laptop. Many other businesses are joining in on the action and hosting events that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Get connected with people through virtual events and gain new skills from people inaccessible previously.
Did I mention The Tech Effect is running a virtual networking event series? Join us on Tuesdays at 6pm ET to hear from inspiring speakers and expand your network. Event details here.
It All Goes Down in the DM
Look at your list of people you follow on socials that you admire and/or want to learn from and send them a Direct Message. This is how you can get in front of people right now and even after the world opens back up. Ask them if they have time for a quick Zoom call or FaceTime to answer a question you have for them.
Social Media isn’t going anywhere and if you treat the platform as space for networking, you’re going to grow your network much quicker than if you’re just posting for the sake of a aesthetically pleasing feed. All social networking platforms will work for this but I particularly recommend Instagram for this because you can send a message directly as a response to someone’s stories and if you’ve been following them for a while, the DM will show how engaged you are with them and their contact even before you hit them with your ask.
Provide Value
You’re trying to expand your network, not asking every person you meet for a job. By providing the other person value right from the start you are beginning to build a relationship (hopefully a mutually beneficial one). If the person you are trying to connect with is often busy or getting a quick chat “over coffee” isn’t in the cards, offering them something that will solve a problem for them is a sure fire way of getting in the door.
Remember to offer them something they actually need or it won’t yield the results you are looking for. Dig around a a bit to get a better idea about what problems they could have that you could provide a solution for and if you don’t know what they need, ask.
Networking in times of normalcy can be difficult, but even though most of us are still stuck in our homes, there are still plenty of ways for you to build upon your professional relationships using the digital tools we have available. What other creative ways have you found that help expand your network?