Networking IS Your Marketing

Business networking involves maintaining positive relationships with colleagues, customers, leads, and other professionals in your industry. There's no going around it; if you're a business owner, you need to spend time and effort networking. Networking is also a vital part of your marketing. Keep in mind that how you show up is your marketing.

Dictionary.com defines marketing as "the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising." In other words, it's letting people know how you can help and that you care about solving their problems and pain points. You can do this through networking and how you communicate with the people in your network.

Here are key points to remember when thinking about networking and marketing:

Networking IS your marketing

We can all agree that 85% of all business comes through referrals.?That’s because our personal branding and how we show up and deliver IS our marketing.?If 85% comes from referrals, then surely our most robust funnels must be those for networking and referrals. Consistency is key with networking.

How you follow up and communicate with other people IS your marketing

After you meet new contacts at events, continue to reach out to them. Are you polite? Do you respect other people's time? After meeting a prospect or someone in your network, how you follow up and communicate with them is part of your marketing.

How you conduct one-on-one meetings IS your marketing

Establishing professional relationships and connecting with other people can be done by setting one-on-one meetings. For instance, after meeting an industry expert at a workshop, set an appointment with them to continue to keep in touch. How you conduct yourself during the meeting is also your marketing. Make sure to ask yourself, are you listening or pitching? There is a time and a place for everything.

How you help people afterwards IS your marketing

Check-in with former colleagues and invite them for lunch and coffee. Maybe you saw them again at a conference connected via LinkedIn. Reach out and see if you can set a personal meeting with them to build and strengthen your professional relationship. Show the people you meet that you sincerely care about them and their problems.

How you actively nurture your database and contacts to develop your relationships IS your marketing

Building a robust professional network is a big part of your marketing. Growing your contact list and nurturing this list to develop business relationships is also part of your marketing. Networking also allows you to receive leads on professional opportunities and potential customers and, ultimately, achieve your business goals.

There are several ways to build your business network effectively and grow your marketing efforts.

1)???Attend network events

Industry-specific seminars, trade shows, conferences, and workshops are networking events. Typically, people who attend these events are from the same or closely-related industry. Meeting and conversing with other attendees during networking events helps you grow your business network.

Within a business or company, there can also be internal events to encourage employees to network with each other. Events such as company mixers and corporate retreats allow you to meet other colleagues that you may not interact with regularly and add them to your network.

2)???Pitching

Another critical part of professional networking involves pitching yourself. A pitch is a valuable way to market yourself and your business. While it can be awkward and uncomfortable to "sell" yourself, you can make it easier by preparing your elevator pitch ahead of time.

An elevator pitch introduces who you are, your business or position, and what you have to offer. It is usually 30 to 40 seconds long and introduces yourself and what's unique about your business clearly and concisely. The goal is to quickly explain your unique value proposition and leave a good impression for more opportunities in the future.

3)???Professionalism

Of course, it's essential to always keep networking professional. Yes, you can form authentic friendships while networking, but your primary goal is to network and market for your business.

For example, your LinkedIn profile should not be the same as your Facebook profile. People are on LinkedIn to grow and build their professional networks and learn from industry experts, not to read about the new restaurant you ate in last weekend. Take note that you are also marketing through your profile. Keep it cordial and professional.

Keep it professional and business-like when you set up a meeting or get in touch with someone from your network. Remember, the person you're meeting with is also there for the same reason - to see how you can help each other professionally.

Networking is essential to putting yourself and your business on other people's radars. This is essentially what marketing is all about. Even if your network as an individual, you are also marketing the organization you represent. Keep the above points in mind while growing your professional network, and ultimately, continue marketing your business.

Lorraine, District32