How do you use digital platforms for networking?

Digital platforms is playing a very vital role in networking. A lot of persons are able to attain a very important point and role in their career, profession and even ministry via Digital platforms. The key thing is knowing what you aim to achieve and connecting with the right audience who can directly or indirectly help push you on course.

Whichever platform you choose, consider having a separate web site for making selected, priority content available independently from changes in the digital platform's content publishing policies. Even as a paying subscriber of a digital platform, evolving choices by your publisher may come to hurt your very special visibility targets.

In my experience, it is not a matter of how many digital platforms one has a presence on, but which platform(s) can be strategically leveraged to reach the intended goals. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize platforms that have the right audience and tools to help you accelerate progress towards your goals.

I have 3 suggestions for you: 1. Participate in relevant discussions on social media platforms. Share valuable content related to your field of expertise to showcase your knowledge. 2. Check your messages and notifications on these social media platforms. Respond promptly and professionally to messages or comments from others. 3. Maintain a professional tone in your interactions while being authentic and approachable. Networking is about building genuine connections.

To use digital platforms for networking: 1) Choose relevant platforms like LinkedIn, 2) Create a strong profile highlighting skills and achievements, 3) Engage in discussions and groups, 4) Send personalized connection requests, 5) Share industry-related content, 6) Attend virtual events and webinars, 7) Be supportive and helpful to others, 8) Respect privacy and boundaries, 9) Follow up and stay in touch with contacts, 10) Utilize direct messaging for personalized conversations, and 11) Be authentic in your interactions. Build meaningful connections for professional growth.

As much as I agree that your digital profile should highlight your value proposition,I also think that keeping it simple and punchy is the best. Especially the first few sentences.This is because people really has little time to go through lengthy profiles except if they are attractive or inspiring.

Writing attention grabbing and compelling profile is one desirable step in networking with professionals. However, it is equally important to engage regularly. One thing I have found helpful is to make insightful comments on relevant professional discussions. LinkedIn sometimes falls short of its potential. It may be that professionals are too busy, or there is a disconnect between the talent recruitment team in organizations and the researchers. It would also help if position postings are less generic.

In my experience, building and growing your network is all about starting conversations from a place of genuine curiosity. Don’t just go straight in for the sell. Think about how you can connect on a more meaningful level. Ask questions. Show that you’re interested in the person beyond any motive you have to connect with them. And keep the conversation going! If you pop into their comments one time or send a DM once, that’s not relationship building. Put in the effort and treat each connection with care.

To be perfectly honest, It has become somewhat difficult to find the balance between oversharing, being pushy, being boring, being lecturing and being followed and respected. Virtual communities are just as complex as the live communities we navigate through day in, day out, and the role good or poor algorythms play in the development of any group is not something we can intuitively adapt to. One issue is meaningless comments: many people think it is good for their visibility [on LinkedIn] to say things like "Well said, Sir!", or "Absolutely!" or "Great insight!". It does not require a degree in social sciences to see how meaningless and irritating these are, since the only thing that is really and objectively scarce in our lives is TIME.

In my experience, the true value of networking is not just about building your network and how many people we can meet, but instead how many people we can introduce to others, connect, and ultimately help, inspire, and learn from.

Use that repost function when you read something that you find insightful and that others in your network could find value in. It’s not all about creating your own content all the time. Adding commentary to other people’s posts can be a great way to engage and add value while also expanding your own network.

Whilst follow-up conversations are critical to maintaining relationships, these conversations must be relevant and tailored to the needs and interests of your contacts. It is important to be circumspect and moderate in personalised messaging so as not to make your contacts view your conversation as a nuisance.

Keep tabs on the people in your network. Find opportunities to reconnect if it’s been a while. Stay curious. Be helpful first. When people see that you are genuine and helpful and are not all about leveraging every person in your network, you build trust and from there, you ultimately build relationships, which are always more valuable than contacts.

Not every like or support emoji is genuine, we all know it. However we all still shoot off the quick like button or ???? hands to show which ever individual we see them. People who post on social media / digital platforms want to be seen and even if it passive support it means something. With is said adding a quick sentence or giving small props on a current project that you notice them working on or have been following for some time has a high value for their day/ week. Also “sliding in their DMs” can be bothersome ; so the quick reply under post that can be read via the Lock Screen is superior for maintaining networks and distance relationships.

Key to note is the continuity of the discussion about your post. Some of the comments on your posts created or shared need response. So, keep checking your notifications and inbox and respond in time. Further more, keep your network Upto date with the course of events. For example if u have posted at the beginning of the event or season, we may need to know the progress or the end. Some of your followers use this info in different ways including your customers

In each of those activities, and especially in the one you choose to focus on, make sure you define your own objectives and measure how you achieve them. Be prepared to tune your practices and work based on what your measures show to work better on the platform, and watch out for evolutions in the platform's publishing rules that may change how effective your methods are.

Consider “who” you want in your network. It does not have to be a numbers game. Quality will always trump quantity. How do you know if you’re network is quality? You are engaging with one another, having conversations, have had direct communication with them and you are adding value to each other’s network.