With any entrepreneurial journey, one thing is critical to your success — networking. As marketing and business expert, Porter Gale once stated: “Your network is your net worth.” You may know the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. This is a quote we all know to be true.
Many entrepreneurs may already understand the importance of networking. However, novice entrepreneurs may find it challenging to know precisely how to begin growing their network. Not to mention how to turn it into business — if this is you, stay tuned.
In this article, we’re going to go through 3 essential tools that will help you to grow your network.
#1 LinkedIn
No matter what stage you’re at in your entrepreneurial journey, you must sign up for LinkedIn. LinkedIn (for those who don’t know) is a social media networking site. It is specifically designed for entrepreneurs and businesses. LinkedIn enables users to connect and view each other’s activity — current business ventures, their skill set, etc.
Using LinkedIn is simple. To begin making use of this networking tool, all you have to do is to search for people within your local area. These people should either share similar interests or would be interested in what you have to offer.
For example, if you’re starting a marketing agency specializing in marketing for photographers, you would search for photographers through LinkedIn. Once you’ve found them, you can connect with them. Then offer to help them generate more income using your marketing expertise.
#2 Meetup
Meetup is an excellent tool for networking. As the name suggests, it’s a platform that helps you meet up with like-minded people. Meetup can help people connect for many different reasons. For example book clubs, outdoor adventure groups, and arts. However, the platform also has a Career & Business section, dedicated to entrepreneurs.
Explore Meetup’s Career & Business section to find upcoming entrepreneurial events in your local area or the nearest city.
#3 Facebook Groups
Every man and his dog use Facebook. With nearly 2.5 billion users worldwide, there’s literally a whole world of opportunity — if you know how to use the platform correctly.
Facebook groups are an awesome way to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and business owners. There are many groups specifically set up for entrepreneurs. Jason, the founder of Intentionally Inspirational, has created a group entirely for entrepreneurs looking to boost their business’s profits using marketing funnels.
Entrepreneurial groups can be found all over Facebook. Simply request to join and get interacting with the group members. This is one of the easiest and best ways to generate new contacts — especially with like-minded individuals who will be able to give you advice along your entrepreneurial journey.
Bottom Line
Knowing how to start networking can be tough. The thought of meeting up with new groups of people can initially seem quite daunting. However, thanks to modern technology, you don’t need to converse with hundreds of people in real life to grow your network. Networking nowadays is as easy as adding a connection on LinkedIn, joining a Meetup event, or becoming part of a Facebook group.
To learn more about how to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey, check out one of our latest blogs.
Written by Lewis James