Gone are the days of attending conferences, events and meetups in person, and for now at least, there is no sign of things returning to the way they were any time soon, says Ashley Friedlein. So, to excel at online networking, when you want to grow the number of connections you have, focus on quality over quantity.
No matter what industry you want to advance your career in after completing your MBA, when it comes to making new connections who can help you along the way, the approach to do so successfully has changed considerably since the pandemic began.
Opportunities to expand your network have been replaced almost entirely with virtual networking spaces. Many event planners are still getting to grips with how best to deal with the challenges that come with migrating events online, while also managing the expectations of delegates who relied on these gatherings to make professional connections. As a result, attendance and perceptions of how valuable virtual events are have fallen drastically when compared with physical events.
Clearly, something needs to fill the networking void. Fortunately, beyond virtual events, there are still plenty of digital alternatives like online communities, forums, and social media platforms where it is possible to build, foster, and maintain professional relationships. LinkedIn has dominated as the place to network online, however, it’s important not to fall into the trap of investing all your efforts in just one platform.
The pros and cons of using LinkedIn for networking
LinkedIn remains the largest professional networking site in the world, and for good reason. It is still possible to use the platform effectively to build a list of contacts – but it’s more of a digital rolodex than a little black book of valuable connections. A survey of LinkedIn professionals revealed that many feel very few of the connections they have made here are actually useful. Rather than adding people who are unlikely to have any bearing on your future career prospects, it pays to be more selective.
One of the main problems with the platform is that it can be noisy once a certain number of connections are made. Added to this issue, is LinkedIn’s algorithm, which dictates what its users see, resulting in a feed that is dominated by ‘humblebrags’, ads, and content published by connections whose posts see the highest levels of engagement.
Sadly, many LinkedIn Groups have fallen victim to being spammed with promotional content rather than being a space where like-minded professionals gather to share information, advice and ideas. Niche communities, that are well run by their admins, are likely to add more value but these are few and far between.
There are ways to filter out the noise and engage in more meaningful conversations. Following hashtags can be a good way of locating influencers on specific topics, and introductions can be made by way of engaging with the content they have shared. Additionally, seeking out people that you want to get to know better and tagging them for their opinion on a post or piece of content you have written can present an opportunity to kick off a discussion.
Despite the many pros of LinkedIn, it is only one professional networking space. There are plenty of other places it’s possible to connect with others in the absence of physical meetups.
Before you start
Before embarking on a big push to build your network online, make sure you are presenting yourself in the best possible light. This means tidying up and updating old profiles, restricting access to personal social media accounts, and also collating resources from across the web that can be utilised to build a strong professional profile.
After linking professional profiles together and pointing people away from personal information, a personal or portfolio site can really make an impact by allowing you to pull together projects that you have worked on in a single location. For example, in the field of marketing, Muck Rack is good for content marketers, Behance for designers and creatives, or about.me for marketing consultants. Provide links to industry sites you have contributed to, blog posts you have written, research you have conducted, or events you may have spoken at to showcase your skills and expertise to prospective employers and other professionals you wish to reach out to.
Be part of the conversation in communities, forums, and Q&A sites
When you need a question answered, the first port of call is usually a Google search. But when it’s an answer to a very specific question that requires a high level of knowledge, you can often find the best information being shared in communities, forums and on Q&A sites.
Whether it’s sharing knowledge or seeking out advice, these platforms offer a chance to network in an environment not influenced by algorithms or full of people who are responding purely to promote themselves or their business.
Participating in communities builds trust, providing the perfect setting to form relationships. Those who contribute the most, or those who provide the best responses, are often rewarded by the platform hosting the community in the form of upvotes, kudos, points, or badges, which again, demonstrates expertise, making you the go-to person on specific topics.
High quality forums, communities and Q&A sites will have measures in place to prevent spammers. This might be in the form of being invite-only or a vetting process in place to check the credentials of those applying to join. Additionally, the best communities have active moderators so be aware that posting a lot at once, linking to external sources that take the conversation away from the platform, posting anything overly promotional or deemed to be otherwise inappropriate is likely to be removed and may even result in a ban. If in doubt about what can be posted, read the guidelines and adhere to them.
Be willing to invest the time and effort it takes to be known within the group, and most importantly, don’t join just to lurk – it’s the digital equivalent of attending a conference and standing in the corner not speaking to anyone! If you don’t have anything to say, it’s unlikely it’s the right place for you.
Niche is nice
As well as finding groups where you can speak to others who are in the process of completing their MBA, it can be hugely beneficial to seek out niche networking groups around your specific sector, specialism, or challenge. No matter what niche you choose, being around like-minded people who ‘get’ you and with whom you have great commonality, is always hugely beneficial.
Likewise, alumni communities are an often overlooked place to share experiences and ask for advice. Professional associations, like AMBA, as well as trade bodies and membership organisations can provide a way to find national networking opportunities as well as local groups that have moved online in one or another capacity.
Connect, nurture, grow
The next 12 months will be challenging. Although in-person networking is not set to return for the foreseeable future, connecting with key contacts and building your personal brand online can be just as effective when done correctly. By laying these foundations now, it puts you in a much better position when it is once more possible to meet your digital connections in real life.
The way in which we network is changing. But it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, we are all human, and any relationship needs nurturing to be successful. Technology is enabling us to form strong bonds with people we have never met, but there is no doubt that it’s hard to pick up non-verbal and social cues that can only be physically seen and heard when face-to-face. Not so much of an issue with existing contacts – but certainly more problematic when you want to grow your professional network.
To truly excel at online networking, when you want to grow the number of connections you have, focus on quality over quantity. Research has shown that humans have a cognitive limit of around 150 connections, after which point they can no longer maintain social relationships effectively. Networking is not just a numbers game, it’s about investing time with a select number of people and building a meaningful relationship with them that like a friendship, is mutually beneficial.
Ashley Friedlein is the CEO & Founder of Guild, an app designed for businesses, professional groups, networks and communities who want the advantages of messaging – ease of use, immediacy, intimacy, engagement – but who also care about proper privacy, quality, legal compliance, and professional standards of support and service.
