Social Networking for Business: How to Make Connections from Everyday Interactions

If you attend live business networking events, you already understand the importance of networking with your peers and potential customers. In this article, we want to help you discover the infinite benefits of growing your business’s network through social networking.

The #MainTakeawayis that social networking for business allows you to expand your network reach with far less effort than live networking events.  

The Importance of Social Networking for Business

Business Networking Defined

The Business Dictionary defines business networking as, “Creating a group of acquaintances and associates and keeping it active through regular communication for mutual benefit.” When you attend a networking event, it’s your primary goal to meet as many affiliates as possible while spreading your elevator pitch around the room.

You go into these events with the hope of the possibility of meeting a new customer, but that’s not your goal. Your goal as a networker should be to meet other professionals that have access to your target market.

Discussing these main talking points at networking events helps you to make connections:

1. 1.) Who You Are
2. 2.) What You Do
3. 3.) How You Help

Business networking is all about forming relationships that are lucrative and beneficial to all parties involved.

Social Networking Defined

WhatIs.com defines social networking as, “The practice of expanding the number of one’s business and/or social contacts by making connections through individuals.” Even though live business networking events are still prevalent and needed, social networking has replaced a lot of face-to-face networking. It’s because being social and reaching new people has become too simple not to take advantage of.   

Being social and maintaining affiliate relationships on-line has never been more convenient than in today’s society. Smartphones give you direct access to your entire network pool with just a few swipes of your thumb. Your social posts have the potential to go viral and reach millions and millions of people at one time. Social networking has given you the ability to message a business brand; making it easy to directly reach the decision maker who may be your ideal affiliate.

How to Combine Business and Social Networking

Combine the personal relationships you gain from business networking with the mass reach you get with social networking and anything is possible. Our business advice blog has shared numerous articles that detail just how you can mix the two strategies together to gain positive responses.   

First thing’s first, like with all business marketing advice, you have to know your target market through and through. We suggest reading a recent article published, 3 Ways to (Really) Get to Know Your Customers, and read in more detail how you can clearly identify your ideal customer.

Next, you want to understand social media; how it works and the benefits. Read our detailed article, Should Your Small Business Have a Social Media Presence, to really educate yourself on all of the ways you can leverage social media to your advantage.

In a highly popular series, Business Advice for Startups, we bring you the 5 Top Trending Social Media Platforms in 2016. Discover some of the top social media websites that will make most sense for your desired affiliations and partnerships.

To kick off the new year, we shared 10 Creative Ways to Help Your Business Standout in 2016, and gathered the top interesting predictions that can help your business succeed this year.   

The Purpose of Business Social Networking

By understanding the clear definitions of business networking and social networking for business, you can easily understand the benefits of combining the two practices. In a nutshell, you want to create the same positive reactions and emotions on-line that you receive off-line.

Even though the internet changed the way we do business, it will never change the fact that, “people buy from people they like.” When you network and put yourself out there socially, you are giving strangers the opportunity to get to know you.

Reaching new markets and affiliates will only increase your brand’s message, reputation and strength.  

Opportunities in Everyday Interactions

Leveraging your social media marketing to increase brand awareness and loyalty can be a game changer for your business. The secret to a successful business social presence is being able to see opportunities in everyday interactions.

Keep your eye out for these 3 everyday social –networking specific– opportunities to maximize your market reach.

• 1.)  Daily Industry News

Subscribe to publications that are the thought-leaders of your industry. Sift through the daily happenings in your field and share the interesting articles, trends and practices. After providing your business affiliates with content they find interesting and valuable, you start to become the go-to person in your social circle for sought after information.

• 2.) One Connection a Day

Becoming a social connector will increase the image and authority of your business brand. Make it a social networking goal to make at least one connection between your social affiliates and/or followers. You will be pleasantly surprised to receive all of the positive feedback you receive from your network in return.

• 3.) Join Groups, Communities and Hangouts

Google, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and just about every other social network hosts virtual networking events. Imagine that these groups, communities and hangouts are just like the live networking events you attend to meet new people. Make it a point to join industry related networking groups and start to build new social relationships virtually.

Get Ready. Get Set. Get Social! Start Social Networking for Business!

Currently, there are over 2.206 billion active and unique users on social media. Reaching just .001% of these active social users, you would be able to reach a network of roughly 22,000 more affiliates. Every affiliate your business makes can be the start of a very lucrative friendship. Each affiliate you earn is one more person that is knowledgeable of your business and is willing to spread your product or service with their social circles.

Click here to start socially connecting with us on Facebook. Also, feel free to shoot us a message with any ways you think we can network and cross promote each other.