Even in a digital age like we live in today, networking is still a vital marketing tool to launching and growing a business. If you’re not embracing the power of networking, profit margins and customer numbers can dip because you’re not making new connections on a regular basis.
If you’re looking to network more effectively, here are a few ideas on how you can use networking to help grow your business…
Re-connect with existing connections
If it’s been a while since you’ve contacted a customer or prospective customer, chances are they’re forgotten about you and what you can offer them. Every client, past and present, should be contacted regularly just to help keep your brand at the top of their mind. Plus, the best marketing is always referral marketing. So remind them about who you are, what you offer and how your products make their life easier.
Additionally, one of the best ways to make an impression on new customers is to show them how much your existing customers love your products and services. If you’re not asking for referrals, reviews and testimonials, you are losing out on future sales. So, make sure you’re requesting Google reviews and customer feedback whenever possible so your customers advocate for your business online.
Online networking
Some people prefer to network online. This can be easy to do with websites like LinkedIn, or with a simple Google search to find contact details like email addresses or phone numbers. Don’t waste your time connecting with irrelevant companies or individuals. Email is an easy networking tool, and utilizing a landing page to gather new email addresses helps grow your contact list faster. Use online forums to post messages or information as well to network to those in your community or industry online. Messages stay in forums for a long time and can reach a huge number of prospects over time. And, it doesn’t cost you anything (like it does to run digital ads).
Face-to-face networking
The prime locations for networking are conferences and exhibitions within your industry. Be proactive in talking to individuals and giving away your business card to those you meet at these places. Consider setting up a booth and offering special deals and discounts to those at the conference as well. Talk to those you feel you could promote and team up with to possibly run giveaways or work with on social media if that’s something you’re interested in. Learn from others in your industry and don’t be afraid to ask questions or get advice.
Make contact after you meet
Don’t wait for the person who was given your business card to get in touch with you. They’re busy and who knows, they might have misplaced it. Contacting them demonstrates you’re committed to making new connections. Even if they don’t need to hire you or use your product or service at the moment, this could easily change in the future. Nurture the relationship and communicate often so when they do need your product or service, they come to you instead of your competitor.
Promote others
The last tip we want to leave you with, is to remember to promote others. No one wants to listen to someone go on and on about themself and their business, however everyone likes the guy who gets excited and enthusiastic about their friends, colleagues or business acquaintances. Promoting others is a humbling way to put others first and to build trust between colleagues and even within your customer base. In fact, cross-promoting is a marketing strategy where companies with similar audiences collaborate to promote each other’s products and services. This can help increase brand awareness, sales, and generate leads. Network to form strategic partnerships. Working with other businesses to achieve common goals helps everyone. An example of a partnership could be agreeing to market another company’s products or using their services exclusively to scale your company. Be sure when you’re making an agreement with another company that each business benefits from the relationship equally.
Are you ready to network to grow your business? As you work with our team at 3 Steps to Startup, we will connect you with individuals and companies who will build your team and help you network each and every step along the way through the three steps of our program:
- Education
- Technical Assistance
- Funding
Plus, we have a list of strategic partners we can connect you with to explore connections with other entrepreneurs, collaborate with, and to find help with research, technical assistance, legal work and more! These partners are both national and local and understand how to grow a business in West Virginia, online or internationally.
Explore our partners today.
Tags: 3 Steps To Startup, Entrepreneurship, Generating leads, West Virginia Small Business