Many of us think of networking as something we do by going somewhere—a party or a professional meeting. In this day and age, we can actually network to promote and build our home businesses without ever leaving our homes. Networking with others via the Internet is becoming an increasingly popular and effective way to broaden and build businesses.
With all of the social networking sites as well as sites like Twitter available to anyone and everyone, it makes sense for even a small business owner to learn how to network over the internet. While networking over the Internet can have some similarities to the more traditional networking, it is somewhat different too. Of course, the goal is to meet and connect with new people and networking over the Internet is something we can do in our pajamas—but that does not necessarily mean it is easier than going to a traditional networking event. Just as with meeting people in person, your first impression counts. It is important to put some thought into establishing an Internet reputation just as you would your “in person” reputation in the business world. How do you want to represent yourself and how do you want to represent your business?
Many people assume that since the Internet is so casual, they do not have to put much thought into professionalism on the web. The opposite is true, however, since your information will be readily available to millions of people at a moment’s notice, you may not want your customers or clients seeing photos of your recent drunken house party or having access to other personal information. You need to manage what is available on the Internet about your business just as you would in person.
Organization and staying abreast on technology is an important aspect of Internet marketing. Keeping track of people takes time and effort and you may want to create a system for keeping track of e-mail addresses and contact information. There are several different social networking sites, but you may also want to network on web sites and in other online communities and you will want to maintain and keep up on all of your contacts.