5 Tips For Virtual Networking Success

Among the many activities and industries that were slowed by the spread of Covid-19, networking took a major hit in 2020. Gone were the post-keynote happy hours and local meet-ups where you might have rubbed shoulders with people who could give your career a boost. That isn’t to say that networking is now impossible—just that your approach may need to change.

If Covid-19 taught us anything, it’s that technology can make almost everything possible, including networking from the comfort of your home. Just a few tips will get your virtual networking journey started in no time:

1. Begin With a Goal

As with most efforts, you’ll find more success by starting with a goal. What do you hope to get out of networking? Are you looking for a job opportunity or career advice? Do you want to learn from an in-the-trenches pro in a particular field? Once you have established your goal, it will direct the networking steps you take.

For example, your company might have eliminated your position during Covid-19, causing you to seek employment somewhere else. You may even be pondering a career change. Start identifying people in your field of interest who can offer advice on how to get from where you are to where you hope to be. 

Your goals will also dictate how many hours you dedicate toward networking. Someone looking for a job will want to allot a fair amount of time to networking each day until they find a new position. A busy entrepreneur, on the other hand, might only spend an hour a week gradually building relationships with potential investors. 

2. Make and Contact Connections

Before diving into networking, virtual or otherwise, you’ll want to expand your pool of connections. Luckily, the internet is the best way to find new contacts. Social media sites such as LinkedIn make it easy to search for thought leaders and peers in your industry of choice to reach out to.

You can also join groups dedicated to specific topics. Let’s say you want to meet someone in the sports finance realm. The internet has niche groups for this and other specific industries where you can forge connections with like-minded people.

Before sending a connection invite to anyone, make sure your own social media profile is professional and up-to-date. A polished profile will add credibility to the messages you send asking to connect. When crafting an email or LinkedIn message, don’t neglect to double-check your grammar, tone and signature before hitting send.

3. Come Prepared

To make a successful virtual connection with anyone, you’ll need a stable internet connection. Nothing will stop your remote networking plan in its tracks like technical difficulties. Audio breaks and lags will make it next to impossible to replicate an in-person meeting and get true value out of your networking.

Run a test of your setup before each virtual networking opportunity. Give yourself enough time to work through any kinks before the meeting is slated to begin. See that your audio and video outputs are good to go and that nothing is slowing down your internet speed. If you plan to hold a lot of virtual meetings, consider investing in high-quality equipment to make sure every call goes smoothly.

You should also prepare what you want to say during networking meetings. Act as an interviewer, asking questions to direct the conversation and taking diligent notes on what your contact shares. Robust preparation will show your new connection that you respect their time and ensure you get the most value out of the experience. 

4. Practice Your Writing

Not all networking experiences will require audio and video. Some contacts will prefer to message back and forth as their schedule allows, giving them ample time to think of adequate responses to your questions. For the benefit of these individuals and your connection invites, start honing your writing skills.

Start by reading some of your past posts, emails and texts. Is your tone professional? Are there any glaring grammatical mistakes that should be resolved? Analyzing your current writing will give you a better idea of what to fix.

More than anything, make certain your writing comes across as respectful and professional. The people you network with are graciously making time for you in their busy schedules, and your writing should reflect your attention and appreciation. Be sure to send a thank-you message to anyone you do connect with.

5. Share Your Experiences

Each time you connect with someone new, ask them whether they’d be willing to let you share some of what you learned from them. If so, you can create social media posts outlining some of the things they taught you and express your appreciation for the time they shared. 

Posting this content will help you build up your personal brand as both a connector and a continuous learner, which will positively impact all your virtual dealings. New connections will see your activity and feel more comfortable scheduling meetings with you. You might even find people asking to connect with you to ask about your experiences. 

The best tip of all is to put in the effort. You won’t get a lot of networking done if you opt to scroll through social media for pleasure instead of with a purpose. Grab this list and get to work, because plenty of opportunity awaits through virtual networking.

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