Some people find online networking difficult because they simply don’t know how to network if they are not face to face. However, the principals are pretty much the same. Here are a few simple rules (that are often forgotten) to help you make your online networking a success.

1. Always say thank you

When networking in professional/social groups online, please remember to always say thank you when someone responds to your discussion. Do not  just read the response, ignore it, and move on to the next topic.  If someone takes the time to respond to our discussion, we should thank them.

We can thank them by sending a private reply, or if you are overwhelmed with the number of responses, send a group thank you by adding a comment in your post.  It is very simple to do. By saying thank you, people will be willing to help you, and  provide feedback the next or  time you reach out to them.

2. Personalize invitations to connect

Some people “accept all invites” and some will only accept personalized invites. Instead of sending a default request to connect, try personalizing your message. Let the person know why you would like to connect if you don’t already know  them.  It does not take a lot to do and does not have to be a long message.

When you personalize your message, it shows that you took the time to review their profile, and you are not just trying to build network numbers. Personalized messages which state the reason for connecting are viewed as very professional, and usually are accepted right away.

3. There is a right and wrong time to pitch

Many people view it as bad networking manners to respond to a discussion post question with a sales pitch, or to join someone’s group and solicit members to join  another group.  This is a common occurrence in many online networking groups. Some networkers are so eager to tell the world about their service, product, or group, they don’t even realize that they are doing it (been there, done that myself in the past).

Is it wrong to tell people about your company’s products or services?  Of course not.  If you did not tell people, you would go out of business.  This is where your LinkedIn profile and status messages come into play (some might disagree with the status message part but…).

If someone asks a question, instead of jumping in with a pitch or telling them to buy your service, try briefly answering the question (without giving the store away, of course).  If you provide a valuable answer, people will look at your profile to see what you do for a living; or what makes you qualified to answer the question.  If you have your Website listed on your profile, they will check it out and contact you for further information. Remember this point, when people ask a question, they are seeking an answer, not a sales pitch.

In my humble opinion, it is okay to include a link to your website, your title, or your company name after your signature in the discussion.  This is another way to gain interest.

Always keep in mind that networking is about building relationships first, not making a quick sale, or landing that new job.

If you want to pitch something, and the group allows it, then start your own discussion.  First open with a challenge that many face, and your pitch can be the solution.  This has been very effective from what I have seen.  If you have a group that you feel members would also benefit from, send a message to the group manager and ask if it is okay to post. If they say no, respect their wishes.   As  you build rapport with members, then you can invite them to your group.

It is okay to sell, but there is a time and appropriate place for that in networking.

4. Networking requires two-way dialog

We all have worked hard to build our professional networks. Now that these people are in your network, how do you respond when they send you a message? Do you always reply within a reasonable amount of time, or do you read the message and respond only to some? Time and again I hear from people who send messages to their network contacts and they never receive a reply. This has also happened to me a few times and leaves me wondering why I am connected to this person.

It is a good practice to respond to messages from people in your network. This is part of building relationships. Networking is also about sharing and exchanging ideas; so we need to have two-way dialog with our contacts.  However, if you later find that this is not someone that you would like to network with, simply remove them from your network. This is sometimes necessary when you connect with someone and then find out they had a hidden agenda.  Trust me, it happens.

5. Provide  value

As I mentioned before, networking is about sharing and building relationships.  One great way to build relationships is to provide value to your network. When you provide value, people will trust you and they will seek to know more about you and what you do.

As you learn more about individuals, share information that you think would be a value to them or their business. When you are posting discussions in groups, think about what the group is about and what most members appear to be interested in; then post discussions to help them. You can learn this information by viewing the group’s website, viewing the group profile, and reading a few discussions from members. You can then tailor your discussion to the group’s needs. Note, I did not say your needs.  If you look to help others first, your needs will be taken care of later.

There is a lot more that I could share about networking online; but if you follow these 5 simple rules, you will be successful!

Copyright 2009 Marleen Graham