Networking with personal brands in your niche can help you grow your own brand, learn from others, and create opportunities for collaboration. But how do you connect with them in a meaningful and authentic way? Here are some tips to help you network with personal brands in your niche.
Before you start networking, you need to have a clear idea of what your niche is and what your goals are. Your niche is the specific area or topic that you focus on and that distinguishes you from others. Your goals are the outcomes that you want to achieve by networking, such as building relationships, gaining exposure, or finding partners. Knowing your niche and goals will help you find and approach the right personal brands for you.
Identifying your niche and clear goals ensures that your networking efforts are directed and purposeful, allowing for meaningful connections with like-minded personal brands.
Once you have defined your niche and goals, you can start looking for personal brands that match your criteria. You can use social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, or online communities to find and follow them. Pay attention to their content, style, values, and audience. Learn as much as you can about them and their work. This will help you understand their perspective and interests, and prepare you for reaching out to them.
3 criteria I use to choose people to network with - - Those with at least 50K+ followers, and - post consistently (3 or more times a week) and - post at a time so I can be one of the first ones to comment And then start commenting on their posts to get you on their radar quickly. This gives you the best RoI for the time spent.
The next step is to engage with their content and conversations. This means liking, commenting, sharing, or replying to their posts, stories, or messages. The key is to be genuine, respectful, and relevant. Don't spam them with generic or self-promotional comments. Instead, show your appreciation, curiosity, or insight. Try to add value to their content and conversations, and spark a dialogue. This will help you build rapport and trust with them, and show them that you are interested in their brand.
Always leave a thoughtful comment. Or ask a genuine question. If you don't have any opinion or anything to say, just skip it. Each of your interactions should add value to them.
After you have engaged with their content and conversations for a while, you can reach out to them with a personalized message. This is where you introduce yourself, explain why you want to connect with them, and suggest a way to collaborate or communicate. For example, you can invite them to a podcast interview, a guest post, a webinar, or a coffee chat. The key is to be clear, concise, and respectful. Don't ask for too much or too soon. Instead, focus on how you can offer value to them, and how you can benefit from their expertise or experience.
Once you are on their radar, and they choose to interact with you by replying to your comments - that's the right time to get on to their DM.
The final step is to nurture and maintain the relationship with the personal brand that you have connected with. This means following up, keeping in touch, and providing feedback or support. Don't disappear after the initial contact or collaboration. Instead, show your gratitude, appreciation, and interest. Keep the conversation going, and look for ways to deepen or expand the relationship. For example, you can share their content, recommend them to others, or invite them to another project or event. This will help you establish a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with them.
Share something that may interest them. Connect with another influencer that they may find helpful. Give credit to them in your communication wherever it makes sense.
In my experience, genuine connections outlast transactional ones. It's vital to approach networking as a two-way street, always seeking ways to add value and not just to gain from the relationship. Regular check-ins and celebrating their successes, even if they're unrelated to your collaboration, solidify trust and mutual respect.