Networking is a very important part of building your business. When you partake
in this form of marketing, you are establishing yourself and your reputation,
which in turn can be a big boost to your business. You can also make some new
friends, which is also a plus.
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Networking is when you come in contact with as many people you can to learn,
share, promote, and form relationships with prospective customers. You want to
talk about your business, but not blatantly advertise. Get to know others, learn
from them, let them learn from you and get to know you. This is an excellent way
of building a strong foundation for your business.
What you don't want to do is be a walking commercial. This will not get you
very far in your networking. Do not spam when you are networking.
There are many effective and free ways of networking online. Message boards
and discussion lists are the two ways I have found to be most effective.
Discussion
Groups
When you subscribe to discussion groups make sure you follow the rules and
guidelines for posting. You do not want to be accused of spam because you
haven't read the rules. Most lists will allow a sig tag, which is a great way of
advertising without spamming!
Introduce yourself and become an active member of the group. As you offer
advice and help, people will begin to visit your business because of you and
your willingness to help and your knowledge. This will help you build a
respectful reputation.
You will also learn from other members. We can never do enough of that! I
have found some lists to be invaluable in finding resources, and expanding my
knowledge.
Message
Boards
Message boards are similar to discussion lists, but are done on a website
rather than through the email. The same advice applies. Read the guidelines and
rules for posting. Do not just try to post an ad and never come back. Get
involved with the conversations, meet people, learn from people, help them and
offer advice when you can. Doing this type of advertising can add strength and
solidity to your business. You will be trusted and people will listen to you
when you recommend a product or resource.
Try to visit the boards regularly to keep abreast of the conversations and
information. Post a question, answer or experience whenever possible. Never
insult, belittle or put down a person because they do not agree with your
opinion or ideas. Always treat people with respect!
Check out these message boards for some great networking:
The Effective Marketing Group Discussion Board http://www.marketingeffect.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl
Kiki's Community Cafe http://www.start-smartz.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi
Bizy Moms Message Center http://www.bizymoms.com/discus/
CyberMarketing Info Board http://www.bizweb2000.com/wwwboard/
Willie Crawford's Marketing Forum http://www.williecrawford.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi
Networking, although time consuming, can be a definite asset to your business
because it allows people to get to know you. By doing that you can begin to form
relationships that will be the foundation on which you can build a very
successful business.
About the Author:
Terri Seymour helps people start or build their online business by providing
resources, tools, guidance and more. Visit
http://www.websuccesscentral.com
Subscribe to Web Success.
Download her new ebook loaded with updated resources, tips, links, and
information. http://www.websuccesscentral.com/data/tipsws.exe
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