Using Social Media as a Networking Tool for Your Business

A few weeks back, at a networking luncheon hosted by the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce, I happened to sit next to a gentleman I’d never met.

When we looked at each other, sincere smiles flashed across both of our faces and we extended a warm handshake normally reserved for old friends greeting each other after a long absence…

We knew each other’s names, we were genuinely happy to see each other and we were eager to engage in conversation – and all without ever having met in person before.

How were we able to get to this point in our networking relationship so quickly and effortlessly?

Social Media.

Social Media Establishes Trust Before Business

You see, weeks before this face to face meeting, we’d been introduced to each via Twitter. We’d also watched each other’s business videos on YouTube and we connected to each other’s profiles on Linkedin.

Because both “Dr. J” and I were quite active in Social Media, we quickly realized that we were both in Nanaimo and made a point to connect in person in the coming weeks.

We continued to stay in touch via Twitter and I tweeted about his new chiropractic practice to my Twitter followers (many of who are also in our local community) and Dr. J reciprocated by tweeting about my marketing consulting services to his followers.

So by the time we fortuitously sat next to each other at a face to face networking event, we felt as if we’d already known each other. More importantly, we were ready to talk business and exchange referrals even though we had literally just met!

Social Media – More than just ROI

This is the true value of Social Media for business. It is not merely about immediate ROI – it’s about building relationships and trust in advance. That way, when you meet a prospect face to face, you can get down to business right way – knowing that a trust relationship has already been established.

And the added benefit of Social Networking (as opposed to face to face networking events), is that you can scale up and leverage the social networks of others to build trust relationships with dozens or even hundreds of business prospects simultaneously! And let’s face it – when was the last time you spoke with more than a handful of people at your last face to face networking event? And did you speak to the SAME people at the following event too? Be honest!

So, bottom-line…You can effectively use Social Media for business – as long as you view it like a extension of your network marketing. Like traditional networking though, if you do nothing but talk about yourself and never make the effort to promote other people, your networking campaign will never reap any tangible rewards.

So, go ahead – take the plunge. Tweet your friends, tweet your friend’s friends and in the process, you know what? You’ll be come a trusted friend and trusted business partner too!

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1. Partnerpedia: A Great Example of How to Use Social Media for Business
2. Nanaimo Does Business BEFORE Business
3. Nanaimo’s 1st Ever Tweetup a Twemendous Success
4. Going Local – How do You Use Social Media to Boost Local Business?
5. One of the Top 10 Reasons to Attend 2nd Nanaimo Tweetup – PRIZES!!

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