- Image via Wikipedia
You hear the term “network” a lot and I thought it would be a good idea to share a recent post I found specifically on this topic: Business Networking 101
I think one of the strongest ideas in the post is to go out and create your social identity and your blog. The rationale for this may not seem obvious to those people who do not want to spend the time learning how to use social networks, learn how to blog, or really spend any time away from building their business. These folks are wrong because spending time in these environments will directly help their business – at a later time. The time\value principle of working on business tasks vs. business networking are strong, but there are some valid reasons to start now.
Many people will tell you to start a blog – I am here to tell you what it will do once you have one setup;
1. A digital home for yourself
People will be at their computer at any hour and find the need to lookup information about you. Since you have no control over where\how\why they are doing this – you can at least create a digital presence for yourself and do a little personal SEO (more on this later) that will have some controllable content at the top of search results
2. Personal SEO
I have been talking about Personal SEO on this blog for awhile – and it is still very important. “Vanity searching” or Googling yourself on a search engine is the reason to spend some cycles thinking about personal SEO. Go Google yourself right now and then decide whether or not you want a potential client, employer, friend, or anyone else to see what is there – or more importantly – NOT THERE.
3. Contact Information
This is a seldom overlooked example of why it is so important. Many people may say Facebook solves this problem by posting your contact information in your profile – but what if you are not my friend? What if my profile is limited? What if you are not on Facebook? You get the idea… Folks like Robert Scoble post their cell phone number right on their page. While the amount of information you share with others is up to you – certainly having a phone number, email, and address is helpful to others.
Each of these topics probably deserve their own blog post – doable because I have a blog – but that is for another day. The point is that networking has become just as important online as it is offline because of the follow and actions that happen after the meeting.
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October 2nd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Could not agree more! When having that discussion with friends of mine, the conversation goes something like…”well, what happens if I post something, and I'm wrong?..People will think I'm an idiot.” Theses are the same people who opposed Facebook and have recently signed up for accounts..gotta love the wonderful world of digital media.
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Could not agree more! When having that discussion with friends of mine, the conversation goes something like…”well, what happens if I post something, and I'm wrong?..People will think I'm an idiot.” Theses are the same people who opposed Facebook and have recently signed up for accounts..gotta love the wonderful world of digital media.
October 2nd, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Could not agree more! When having that discussion with friends of mine, the conversation goes something like…”well, what happens if I post something, and I'm wrong?..People will think I'm an idiot.” Theses are the same people who opposed Facebook and have recently signed up for accounts..gotta love the wonderful world of digital media.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:12 am
This is all spot on. Not having a website is effectively not having a business card in this day and age if you work in a field that in any ways touches media and technology. I would go one step further, inspired by last night Stocktwits Lindzon Tweetup, to say that engaging in the online discussion (twitter, disqus, etc) is equally if not more important.
These online conversations open the door to offline conversations. If you don't start by joining the online conversation you are effectively closing yourself off from all of the offline conversations (learning and ideas) that in my experience are happening more and more. This is especially true in NYC, where we are in a “walking city” that seems to be having an increasing number of meetups, events, and tweetups that get suggested and invited online.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:12 am
This is all spot on. Not having a website is effectively not having a business card in this day and age if you work in a field that in any ways touches media and technology. I would go one step further, inspired by last night Stocktwits Lindzon Tweetup, to say that engaging in the online discussion (twitter, disqus, etc) is equally if not more important.
These online conversations open the door to offline conversations. If you don't start by joining the online conversation you are effectively closing yourself off from all of the offline conversations (learning and ideas) that in my experience are happening more and more. This is especially true in NYC, where we are in a “walking city” that seems to be having an increasing number of meetups, events, and tweetups that get suggested and invited online.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:13 am
Yeah, you gotta put yourself out there and be willing to take the risk. The rewards are so significant.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:13 am
Yeah, you gotta put yourself out there and be willing to take the risk. The rewards are so significant.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:12 am
This is all spot on. Not having a website is effectively not having a business card in this day and age if you work in a field that in any ways touches media and technology. I would go one step further, inspired by last night Stocktwits Lindzon Tweetup, to say that engaging in the online discussion (twitter, disqus, etc) is equally if not more important.
These online conversations open the door to offline conversations. If you don't start by joining the online conversation you are effectively closing yourself off from all of the offline conversations (learning and ideas) that in my experience are happening more and more. This is especially true in NYC, where we are in a “walking city” that seems to be having an increasing number of meetups, events, and tweetups that get suggested and invited online.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 am
Yeah, you gotta put yourself out there and be willing to take the risk. The rewards are so significant.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:35 am
You never know if you dont try. Plus, sometimes posting an opinion and
getting a smart answer back from another perspective can be very helpful.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:35 am
You never know if you dont try. Plus, sometimes posting an opinion and
getting a smart answer back from another perspective can be very helpful.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:36 am
I agree. Being able to “meet and move” are points that make NYC and many
other cities great. Having a place to come back to – your online presence -
can sometimes make that meeting more meaningful.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:36 am
I agree. Being able to “meet and move” are points that make NYC and many
other cities great. Having a place to come back to – your online presence -
can sometimes make that meeting more meaningful.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:35 am
You never know if you dont try. Plus, sometimes posting an opinion and
getting a smart answer back from another perspective can be very helpful.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
I agree. Being able to “meet and move” are points that make NYC and many
other cities great. Having a place to come back to – your online presence -
can sometimes make that meeting more meaningful.
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Hey Eric, came across your blog on twitter.
I recently say a presentation by Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV and he said how people always ask him what social networks to use to develop their business. His response was every single one. Every chance you get to enhance your online profile and connect with customers is crucial to developing whatever your business is.
I couldn't agree more. Even if your business isn't online I'm sure your looking for more customers. All of these social networks that are out there provide huge opportunities to find these customers. You just have to spend the time to figure the stuff out but its that extra effort that separates the winners from the losers.
Jared
@jotoole4
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Hey Eric, came across your blog on twitter.
I recently say a presentation by Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV and he said how people always ask him what social networks to use to develop their business. His response was every single one. Every chance you get to enhance your online profile and connect with customers is crucial to developing whatever your business is.
I couldn't agree more. Even if your business isn't online I'm sure your looking for more customers. All of these social networks that are out there provide huge opportunities to find these customers. You just have to spend the time to figure the stuff out but its that extra effort that separates the winners from the losers.
Jared
@jotoole4
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I agree with Gary's sentiment completely. You really never know where you
will connect with a community or one great individual – so why not try many?
They are not “games” to “win” but “tools” to “communicate”.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I agree with Gary's sentiment completely. You really never know where you
will connect with a community or one great individual – so why not try many?
They are not “games” to “win” but “tools” to “communicate”.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Hey Eric, came across your blog on twitter.
I recently say a presentation by Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV and he said how people always ask him what social networks to use to develop their business. His response was every single one. Every chance you get to enhance your online profile and connect with customers is crucial to developing whatever your business is.
I couldn't agree more. Even if your business isn't online I'm sure your looking for more customers. All of these social networks that are out there provide huge opportunities to find these customers. You just have to spend the time to figure the stuff out but its that extra effort that separates the winners from the losers.
Jared
@jotoole4
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I agree with Gary's sentiment completely. You really never know where you
will connect with a community or one great individual – so why not try many?
They are not “games” to “win” but “tools” to “communicate”.
October 6th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Networking has become very important online, and there are many sites out there that allow you to connect with people very easily. The problem with a lot of the social networking sites though is that they are focused on the social aspect and not on trustworthy referrals.
There is a great new site called Referral Key that allows you to create and manage trusted referral relationships. The tool allows you to effectively network while making sure that your relationships are mutually beneficial. The site has worked out great for me so far, so I highly suggest checking it out.
October 6th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Networking has become very important online, and there are many sites out there that allow you to connect with people very easily. The problem with a lot of the social networking sites though is that they are focused on the social aspect and not on trustworthy referrals.
There is a great new site called Referral Key that allows you to create and manage trusted referral relationships. The tool allows you to effectively network while making sure that your relationships are mutually beneficial. The site has worked out great for me so far, so I highly suggest checking it out.
October 6th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Networking has become very important online, and there are many sites out there that allow you to connect with people very easily. The problem with a lot of the social networking sites though is that they are focused on the social aspect and not on trustworthy referrals.
There is a great new site called Referral Key that allows you to create and manage trusted referral relationships. The tool allows you to effectively network while making sure that your relationships are mutually beneficial. The site has worked out great for me so far, so I highly suggest checking it out.
December 9th, 2008 at 4:49 am
thanks for the encouragement, i really appreciate it, keep it men
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:28 am
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November 13th, 2009 at 7:08 am
italian language schools italy
Choice of a number of foreign students today, Italian is an interesting language spoken by 70 million people across the world. The University for Foreigners, Siena, is one institution that offers internationally recognized certificates in Italian language course. The other institution is “Accademia Italiana di Lingua” (AIL) in Florence. This institution in Florence also offers similar official certificates. CILS certificate is issued after passing the various levels of exams in Italian as a foreign language.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:40 am
italian language schools italy
Choice of a number of foreign students today, Italian is an interesting language spoken by 70 million people across the world. The University for Foreigners, Siena, is one institution that offers internationally recognized certificates in Italian language course. The other institution is “Accademia Italiana di Lingua” (AIL) in Florence. This institution in Florence also offers similar official certificates. CILS certificate is issued after passing the various levels of exams in Italian as a foreign language.
December 29th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Many people don't realize that their every account is visible if searched on Google. I have a friend who lost her job because her boss searched her name and found a comment she wrote on a blog. The comment was about her job and it wasn't flattering at all. Seeing her dissatisfaction, her boss fired her instantly.
________________
Mathew Farney – Web Hosting
March 7th, 2010 at 8:55 am
simply because internet marketing is a pretty effective way to advertise or market your site or business and social networking sites pretty useful in this kind of strategy
March 13th, 2010 at 6:28 am
All of these social networks that are out there provide huge opportunities to find these customers.
March 14th, 2010 at 4:31 am
that's why many business owners had used these sites to market their business for these sites have millions of users that can be their potential clients
March 16th, 2010 at 8:06 am
well i read this site and i think this is the best tips for every all.