12 Most Effective Ways to Expand Your Professional Network
Have you ever asked how people got the network they have? When people ask how I’ve grown my professional network, I make clear to them that it was never by buying followers, gaming any system or just for the pure fact of having numbers!
Building a community of people that you want to be aligned with takes time. Here are the 12 most effective ways to expand your professional network:
1. Attend networking events
This may seem obvious, but so many people get stuck in the rut of going to the same networking events that always have the same people. Want to expand your network? Go to an event where you don’t know anyone.
2. Targeted networking, part 1
When deciding what networking events you are going to attend, be sure there will be people that you can do business with – or will at least be able to connect you with others you can do business with.
3. Targeted networking, part 2
Don’t waste your time attending events in which you will be surrounded by your competitors if you anticipate there will be very few qualified connections. You’ll all be competing over the same prospects.
4. Volunteer
The quickest way to get to meet people is to volunteer. Working registration at events is one of the best jobs to have. You see everyone as they come in (and they see you). You are usually done in plenty of time to follow up with your targeted prospects (and it beats clean up duty!)
5. Host an event
No one is looked at as more of a thought leader… than the host of an event. Outside your current comfort zone? Start small, or collaborate with a strategic partner.
6. DM new followers on Twitter
(No, I did NOT say auto DM). Nothing gets someone’s attention more than a DM mentioning their most recent blog post, status update, the city the live in, etc. You get the point…all about them, nothing about you. That will come. (Just to be clear: your free e-book is all about you, not them)
7. Customize your LinkedIn invitation
State how you know the person, where and when you met them and why it would be a good idea to connect. (Just to be clear, again: you being able to sell them a widget is NOT their idea of a good reason to connect.)
8. Your avatar
If you are networking at events, make sure your avatars are you, not a logo, cartoon or the default. Also make sure it’s a recent photo, not one from 20 years ago and 50 pounds lighter. After all, people will introduce themselves in large part because they recognize you from your avatar.
9. Links ( everywhere!)
Be sure to include links to your: blog, website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook (page/profile), etc. Where? Everywhere! Want people to connect with you? Make it easy for them to find how.
10. Your profiles
At minimum include a bio on your social profiles that give someone and idea of what you do, where you do it and what your interests are. While there is value in placing keywords in your bio, if it doesn’t make sense to the average person, you probably lost more value than those keywords would ever get you.
11. Promote others
Sharing, Liking, RTing, G+, +K for someone else, their content or their events will build your social cred. Warning: You cannot expect to receive it, if you never give it.
12. Be helpful
The simplest, and most powerful, advice I can give: Nothing expands your network faster than being helpful.
These are ways I’ve found to expand my professional network both in person and on line. You’ve noticed the underlying tone has been to make it about others, not about you. What do you get? You’ll be amazed!
These are not intended to be the only 12 ways, as I’m sure there are over 100, but in the last 3 years, I’ve grown my professional network in Chicago to over 3,000 people that have attended events at groups I’ve started, assisted or volunteered. What have you tried that works for you?
Tim McDonald
Tim McDonald is the Founding Mentor at My Community Manager. Tim is responsible for mentoring those wishing to become community managers using new media methods. As the Senior Community Manager at Astek, Tim develops and implements online communication strategies. Tim serves as the Director of Communications for Social Media Club Chicago, the local chapter of a not-for-profit international organization of over 300 chapters worldwide. Tim is the founder of Lake County Social Networking, bringing local brands and people together and he also co-founded the Chicago Community Manager Group in Chicago.
53 comments
Yes, volunteer! RT @MatthewLiberty @12Most: 12 Most Effective Ways to Expand Your Professional Network http://t.co/gkJN81jh
Hi Tim, great article and I love #4 to volunteer. Not only do you give to other but the reward is so much greater and you can make some awesome connections. I belong to several organizations like www.thebossnetwork.org and www.suwn.org it's the best way to meet good people.
@tamcdonald Great post! #9 "Links (everywhere)!" Often forgotten - email and print! http://www.linksharegrow.com
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@JeriVespoli1@tamcdonald Jeri, so true! window signs, invoices, quotes, business cards...
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Make sure you also have plenty of contact cards with you when you are out and about. At a one hour networking event, however, you should plan to meet no more than three people....that way you can learn something about them and start building relationships with them.
@Kathy Condon Thank you Kathy! Great point. I tend to like smaller, targeted events for this very reason.
Thanks for sharing a great article again. I really like this blog and all your posts. Really keep on posting great posts like this one. Thanks for sharing these great ways on how to expand my professional network. Keep on the good work!
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@cristerdelacruz As a writer, 12 is the perfect number to really make you think. cc @12most
@cristerdelacruz @dawnbertuca And I'm sure @12most would be happy to publish that post as well!
@dawnbertuca Now THAT will really make you think why it's your favorite number. Right @tamcdonald? cc @12most
@tamcdonald @cristerdelacruz @12most 12 is my favorite number. Now I will have to come up with 12 reasons why.
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What I like most about this post is that it is authentically "Tim". He walks the talk with each of his points above!
@Heather Acton If you don't do what you write, your readers will see right through you, sooner or later. Your comments, as someone I know, makes the meaning that much more special to me. Thank you @heatheracton78
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@jerivespoli A comment like this makes it worth writing. Thank you!
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@tamcdonald@tamcdonald Tim, so glad you included #3. But #12 is by far the crown jewel. Since the majority of us are in the service industry, focusing our marketing to show how we can help others is just good business. It spreads goodwill. And goodwill in extra doses is something we can all use right now. Nice list.
@shawmu@shawmu That's why I saved Be Helpful for #12! I found my days in real estate taught me a ton of valuable lessons, both in networking and social marketing. Always happy to share what I've learned even if a few maybe a little obvious to some.
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Love this post, @tamcdonald ... and will share with our @youtern audience as a "MUST READ" for networking. From beginners all the way up to those of us who do this daily (and too often forget some of what you say here) this is really good information told in a sincere way. Well done, Sir!
@YouTernMark@youternmark Thank you Mark! I'd be honored to have it shared with the @youtern community. I need to tweak my bio, so lmk before you do so we can get it corrected.
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Great post Tim...while some of your suggestions are ones that we hear again and again, many of them are beyond the obvious...like #5. I have a friend who has been hosting events for years. She gets one of her clients to provide the physical space, and she invites like minded C-level contacts she knows and ones she wants to know to round-table ideas and topics that she develops specifically for that particular group, These events position her as a thought leader & it definitely has expanded her network of prospective clients.
@awardwinningprod Thanks for sharing. Specific success stories are the best way to show any of these 12 most tips actually work. Now if we can get others to share for the 11 others!
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@tamcdonald I especially like #12. Have you met @ThomasMangum? You two would get along. #intro
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Enjoyed and tend to do most of what you describe, Tim. I definitely agree that Volunteering can open doors. I still struggle against #2 and #3. The events I attend usually are filled with competitors (so they are never going to be clients) or companies that are too small to generally use Mantis services. Entrepreneurial cultures are great, but the 1-20 person company generally will not be clients because we do social media monitoring and software/business intelligence development. Still contend with "inside track" issues where competitors may have inside track with the ever-more prevalent "Vendor Management Groups"
@dbvickery Brian, from what I'm understanding, even though the people you describe may not be direct clients, it does seem they offer the chance to refer you to larger organizations in their industry or use you once they are at a firm that can use your services. To me that is valuable. Appreciate you sharing your comments!
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@tamcdonald My experience is that is rare. I still see a lot of "playing it close to the vest" approach and very little collaboration. I do seek out deeper business relationships with folks who might have complementary offers, but Denver specifically is a town "built on the backs of small businesses". It's a proud and worthy accomplishment, but that culture doesn't play well with services companies accustomed to doing large-scale projects. We hope that Pulse Analytics opens a few more doors, but even it may be seen as a bigger ticket item than several free monitoring tools (or tool combinations) out there. People still do not consider "time spent" as a valid resource cost to contrast against a subscription service price.
Hey Tim, so glad you made point #11. Recognizing and highlighting the work of others is really the way to build networks, especially if you really respect their work. There are great local individuals producing quality work that should be promoted.
@JenJenkins Jen, Thank you. I learned of social cred from @billlublin a few years back. Realized I practiced it before knowing what it was. Thank you for making it a point to comment here.
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Thanks for your post. Great common sense approach to building your professional network. All of your points are extremely important. A couple that stand out to me are #8 and #12. It's absolutely imperative to have a recognizable picture as your avatar. This is professional networking that hopefully leads to meeting that lead to trusted business relationships. A good close up works wonders when meeting a person for the first time. It's also helpful when trying to confirm the Mark Smith you're looking for is the one you found on the social media channel you're searching. As far as being helpful is concerned, you become irresistible when you are helpful. I tell my clients constantly to practice the four B's: Be Interesting, Be Relevant, Be Helpful, and Be Yourself. Again, this is a great list of ways to expand (and maintain) your professional network
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@mdyoder Michael, Thank you for adding to the conversation. I can tell we will be able to recognize each other when we meet in person. In addition to the four B's, I would encourage others to visit your profile on Twitter @mdyoder to learn about KISS as well!
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Tim, if I may say so myself, you are amazing at this. I love that you live your word. Thanks for the post!
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@danielnewmanUV My words are only as true as my actions. And since I don't consider myself a great writer, you know it comes from the heart. Appreciate the kind words Daniel and look to you as someone who can add to this list of 12!
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Great post, and re the DM, it's so wonderful when someone reaches out to you, knows your name and has researched what you do. That kind of connection is priceless.
@ProjectQuinn Thank you Carol! I live my words as I followed your comment on Livefyre over to Twitter to get your name and started following you. Hope this is true to the form of practicing the art of social as you do at @projectquinn.
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RT @johnaparsons: Thanks for sharing this John... 12 Great Ways to Expand your Professional Network http://t.co/ATvrhJS6
Thank you for this insightful, detailed post. I love your advice: "Nothing expands your network faster than being helpful." It is so easy to forget that networking should occur on a two-way street. Being helpful also empowers you and gives you a sense of purpose while networking. We recently discussed what NOT to do in your job search and networking, and we will definitely add "Don't make networking just about you" to the list! Thanks again! http://bit.ly/ocosBU
@tamcdonald more than welcome...sorry I missed #lcsn...was dealing with a sick baby :-(
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Tim, great post! You really walk the walk, and I think that's why so many people count you as a friend, not just a networker! I love the personalized LI invitation. I also appreciate that I can look back on my invitation and refresh of exactly how I met someone. It makes reconnections after a while much more personal. Thanks for sharing all these! See you soon.
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@jeanniecw I must admit the inclusion of "where we met" was taken from @mjcarter But I'm sure he won't mind!
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Love this! My personal favorite not-so-secret weapon is the customized DM for new followers. I've met so many great people simply by taking 5 minutes to send a tailored message back. Great list!
@rosemaryoneill It's amazing how powerful that 5 minutes can be for you! Always impressed when I receive one done with thought.
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