Online Business Development: The cop -out networking strategy, or smart way to connect with people without leaving the office?

One of the trends we are seeing in relation to networking, is the opportunity for people to be able to connect with people online, without having to leave their computer. Or you right be able to do it in your smartphone. Using LinkedIn as a tool to connect with people has become a very common strategy for people in business development. But there are a lot of ways of doing this without simply just connecting with people. In fact, blindly clicking”connect” is not only a poor strategy; you can be locked out of LinkedIn if you keep applying it, as people would report you if they don’t know you!

One way we see people connecting with one another is through commenting and creating discourse via threads on articles, in special interest groups, and also by seeing what connections you have with someone, seeing what common interests you have, or even a common educational institutions or qualifications. These tips will ensure that you are likely to get people to connect with you rather than not (or worse, report you!).

So here are some tips on how to best use social media for networking:

1. Ensure that your profile and brand is strong on the internet. People wont want to connect with someone who has little in the way of a profile, and your profile is your brand. Create some intrigue and interest.

2. Start your own special interest group. Want to be perceived as a thought leader? BE ONE. Lead the way!

3. If you are going to connect with someone via LinkedIn, ensure you send them a personal message when connecting. Some people might not want to connect with you. Don’t take it personally. I had someone send me a message saying that they did not connect with people they hadn’t met in the flesh. I think this can be limiting. We work in the same space, I might be able to help her in the future. But that is up to her. You can find points of connection with someone you haven’t met: Same school, same discipline, or even mutual connections. That way it is not a “cold connect”.

4. When commenting on forums, be careful on your grammar and spelling. Some people are ruthless when it comes to spelling and grammar. It can affect people’s perception of your professionalism.

5. Stay out of politics…. Unless, of course, you are in an industry that deals with politics, or on a political forum. You might have an opinion about Donald Trump, but someone else might not share that same opinion. I have seen people do this via LinkedIn, and I personally do not believe it is the appropriate forum to do so.

6. Express informed opinions when commenting on threads, either in LinkedIn or on other social media and blog sites. I was rather annoyed recently when speaking at a conference that someone on the panel with me expressed some extreme opinions about something I said. I don’t believe the comment was necessary, nor was it backed by any research or science. The way it came across though, I saw people nodding in the audience. Sometimes when you say something with such conviction, people will believe anything!

7. Have a follow up process. How will you connect with someone face-to-face you when you have met them online? It’s a bit like professional online dating. You can know a lot about someone before you meet them. This is sometimes one of the reasons why online dating works so well!. It is accelerated rapport-building.

8. Don’t get too salesy through your initial communication. Your job is to build a relationship online, not to try and flog something off! When people go hard at trying to sell something to me via LinkedIn, especially when we haven’t even had a normal conversation, I check their profile, I check their offering, and sometimes I delete them. It annoys me — and it’s a waste of time!

9. Don’t overdo it. If you apply dodgy strategies via LinkedIn, it will get you banned. The key objective here is to create a relationship. If you want to sell something? Do it through your website.