How Connected Are You?

If you could connect to the world’s business professionals, in the time it takes to check your email, wouldn’t you? Most agents would answer with a quick “Yes!”. Well, with an aresal of tools available in today’s ever-changing business climate, you can.

Welcome to the world of online networking, where valuable business connections are made every day on social and professional networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.   

Social and professional networking simply refers to the interaction between a community of people who share a common interest. Through these connections you make with an otherwise impersonal medium, you can give your business a personality, build brand awareness, and equally importantly, see – and read - what people are saying about you, your company and/or your services.

So which online networks and communities will help you reach your business goals? Here’s a short run-down of what to look for:

Social or Professional: What’s the difference?
There are two types of networking—social and professional. The differences are in their purposes and the way you interact with your community through these sites. 

• Social networking is about strengthening existing relationships, connectedness, entertainment, and creating a sense of belonging. Sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo(the latter two of which cater to younger audiences), are popular social networking sites. 

• Professional networking is also about strengthening existing relationships, but it’s more about new relationship development, positioning yourself as a thought-leader, learning, and creating new personal and organizational business opportunities. The most common professional networking sites are Linkedin and Twitter (which can also fall under the social category).

Although professional networking may benefit your business and professional career more, both are valuable if they’re done right.  

Why network online?
It’s simple—Networking online allows you to reach a broader audience, is convenient and best of all…most sites are free! Not matter what size, your business can benefit from online networking.

Which sites are most beneficial to business?
With so many networking and business directory sites out there, it’s best to start networking with the most developed and user-friendly sites. We are going to focus on three which are well-known and popular today: Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. These sites all have one thing in common—they can be a new area of growth for your organization.

Linkedin: As stated on their website, Linkedin’s mission is to connect the world’s professionals to accelerate their success. When you join, you create a profile that sums up your professional accomplishments and lets you be found by present and former colleagues, clients, and partners. Operating on the belief that the most meaningful business connections are made through the business connections you already have, Linkedin seeks to introduce you to business professionals through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree connections and so on. 

With over 30 million users, the average Linkedin user is 42 and makes $100,000 + yearly. 80% are college educated, while over 50% are the decision makers or influencers of a company. A prominent feature of Linkedin is the ability to reach people you can both learn from and connect with for new business partnerships, jobs, and other opportunities.   

Twitter: A fairly new player in the world of networking, Twitter only bounded onto the social media scene in March of 2006, but by September 2008, this micro-blogging service had grown to over 5 million members worldwide. Twitter allows you to post “tweets,” or short messages no longer than 140 characters, from your PC, phone, or other mobile device. Those who follow your communications can then respond in real time, ultimately allowing you to start mini-conversations. Finding the users who are posting relevant content and follow their communications is the key to your entry into Twitterville.

Facebook: Starting out as a way for college students to connect, Facebook is now open to everyone and primarily a social networking site. By far the most popular of these three sites, with over 150 million users in 170 countries. With the introduction of fan pages and targeted advertising, Facebook has become more valuable for business. 

The concept of a fan page is simple. You can create a page, which is essentially a profile for your business, which people can then become a fan of through their personal profiles. Admins, or page managers, can keep members updated by starting conversations through open discussions, posting links to relevant content, and updating their news and upcoming events sections.  

Steady does it
Social media is important to the advancement of your business, but it can also be somewhat daunting, as it may seem like you don’t see results right away. When it comes down to it, there really is no wrong way to network. But there is a right way that will make it easier for you to make connections that are reciprocally beneficial. 

Be active: When you have a business related question, reach out to your network and answer their questions in return. Recommend colleagues on Linkedin. Update your profiles or groups with recent news. Start discussions on topics that are specific to what you do. Social and professional networking is based on the method of give and take. Your efforts to connect with others will determine what you get in return. 

Post relevant content: “Relevant content” is the type of content that adds value to your online community. To keep your network growing, the content you post should be applicable to your business and the interests of those in your community. 

Update frequently: Remind people as often as you can that you have significant information, products, and services to give. 

Listen: 53% of consumers studied said that word of mouth is still their biggest influence when making a purchasing decision, according to a study by Jack Morton Worldwide. It is your responsibility as a business owner, professional, or influencer, to know what people are saying about your company, good or bad.

Grow your network, grow your business
The possibilities of who you can meet and how you can benefit each other are limitless. It’s no longer a question of whether you should embrace social media. It’s now a question of what business opportunities can be found by doing so.