Strategic online networking propels business success, forging vital connections that amplify visibility, foster collaborations, and ensure sustained growth and prosperity. Boards, loops, forums, and groups; they’re all synonymous with online locations to assist online networking. Some are totally public, where anyone and everyone can click on the URL, and read the messages. And if they have no interest in contributing, they can just hang around. Some need active involvement and others require enrollment before members can enter. These online boards, loops, forums, or groups are opposite from paid membership sites in that there is no cost to network at these websites.
Some are sleepy, some are active. Some are purely for online business related topics; some social interaction and accept more OT (Off Topics). There are forums for every possible topic: Web Designers, Writers, Job Seekers, Programmers, Entrepreneurs, Inventors and Virtual Assistants, Copywriters, Health related fields, Internet Marketing, International online business, Work at Home Moms, just to barely scratch the surface of what’s out there on the World Wide Web.
Time management skills need to be dominant when involved in online forums. You can very easily get enclosed up and spend hours and hours online networking with others who have online businesses, yet you fail actual opportunities to get some productive work done!
From an online business viewpoint, there are two fields you should study before participating in a loop. It’s always good to have a network of similar online business people. If you’re a web designer, hang out with other designers. You can help and support each other. If you’re just opening out, you can discover from the pros.
Mastering the Digital Landscape: Networking Strategies for Online Business Success
Don’t get stuck though, just hang out with your own kind. You’re not going to be very booming trying to upgrade your design services to other designers. This is where equality comes in. Pop into the boards, check new posts of interest, ask or answer questions, and then get out. Then move on to groups who need your products or services. Who is your mark market and where do they hang out? Go there. Word of caution: Do not go to these forums with the single goal of SPAMMING the group. You’ll be thrown out on your ear faster than you can blink if that is your sole goal. People like to do business with people they know and trust – or at the very minimum have at least heard of.
If you’re trying to deal your program to a group of home school parents and you just pop in, spew your sales rap all over the boards. Then anticipate any sort of return, you’re lacking the point of online networking. It’s networking – not advertising. You need to build a rapport with your other “loopies”. Then if a need grows and they know one of their own fellow networkers has that specific product or skill, guess who they’ll call first? You hope it’s YOU.
For beginners check Yahoo, AOL, Ryze, Google, and MSN. Inside there are literally hundreds and thousands of groups just ready and waiting for you. Kick-off networking your way to online business success today!
