It's All About Networking: 8 Tips On Effective Online Mingling

For many people, networking is the fun side of marketing. For others, it can be a dreaded activity. But no matter how you look at it, networking is a vital element of your success. It's how you get in front of people who can help you succeed by introducing you to potential readers and clients. So, whether you think you are a social butterfly or a virtual wall flower, here are some tips to help you effectively network online:

• Invite Yourself To The Party- If you are new to online networking, then don't be shy on inviting yourself to communities that you want to mingle in. If it's an online group, then look around, read posts and follow the conversations. Get a feel for the group's layout and find out where the real conversations take place. The same is true for social media sites and blogs. In fact, anywhere where people congregate and communicate is fertile ground to begin your networking activities.
  
  
• Mingle- Once you find your social spot to network through, spend time looking around. Read the headlines/titles for groups, posts and forum topics. Look for two things: 1. Topics that interest you and 2. Topics that have healthy activities. By that, I mean topics where you see a lot of comments and a lot of people commenting. This will introduce you to the individuals who are active in the group and teach you a little something about them. Then, join in the conversation. Post your comments and ask your questions. When you do, try to use the first name of the person you are responding to. And remember, when your purpose is to network, save your jabs and public dissent for a more appropriate forum.
  
  
• Start A Conversation- If you feel you can add to the value of the group you are networking in, don't be shy to start a conversation by posting a thought or asking a question. Remember, these conversations can take place over days since people are usually not on at the same time, so if given a choice, subscribe to the conversion. This will allow you to get an e-mail when someone responds to a conversation you are having so you can follow up.
  
  
• Polish Your One-Sentence Intro- "Who are you?" can be one of the toughest questions to answer when you are communicating online. You have limited space because people usually don't want to read your memoir when they first communicate with you. Find a way to boil down your main identity into one sentence. Remember, you don't have to tell them everything about you when you first meet them. Just like in off-line relationships, getting to know someone should be a gradual revealing and exploration, not a massive data-dump when you first meet.
  
  
• Swap Business Cards- Offline, the purpose of a business card is to give someone a way to contact you. When you are networking online, you want to make sure that you have a way to reconnect with someone you meet. Exchanging e-mail addresses, social networking links or web addresses is a great way to do it online. Remember, you only need one method to connect with someone, so you may want to ask something like, "What's the best way to contact you?" And just as important, don't abuse their trust. If they give you an e-mail address, don't take it as permission to sign them up to your lists. That's the quickest way to kill trust and destroy what you are trying to accomplish through networking.
  
  
• Check Out Other People's Worlds- If someone gives you their website or social networking site, make sure to visit it. That's one of the highest forms of praise you can give someone. And when there, leave a public message that shows you have been there. Comment on a blog post or their status update.
  
  
• Follow-Up- After you make your presence known to them by visiting their world, follow up with someone by sending them a private message. You may want to bring out your one-sentence intro to remind them who you are, but a quick private message can go a long way to start the rapport building process. It will also start to burn an impression of you into their consciousnesses.
  
  
• Introduce Them To Someone New- To really hit a home run when networking, make sure you find an appropriate contact to introduce to them. For example, if you are networking with a romance author, you may want to tell a friend who reads romance books about the author. Send them information about the author's book, web page, etc... Encourage your contact to visit the site and then let the author know that you have been spreading the word about their book and sending readers to their site.
  

Remember, networking is more than simply exchanging contact information. It's everything else you do to build the rapport that causes your contact info to become valuable to someone else. People remember others who go out of their way to give value to them. And once you move from the subconscious to the conscious side of the people you are networking with, your networking activities really become productive.

Just like offline relationships, it's easier to help friends than strangers. If you network successfully, you will have many people who have your name on the top of their list when a referral comes their way. Remember, online networking is all about relationships. If you understand this, you will be rewarded with a very strong network of people who will help you with your business.