Networking
Everyone knows someone. And being humans, a social lot, we like to increase the amount of people we know and associate with. Naturally the best way to get the word out about your business is to meet people face to face, and let them know who you are and what you do. Get out on the street. Go to different industry expos. Give lectures in your community.It gets tricky, of course. In the business world, everyone suspects everyone else of getting to know them for less than altruistic reasons. And in situations such as trade shows or business groups, it can feel even more synthetic. People pitch at you rather than talk with you.
As simple and as corny as it may be, being an honest and straightforward person can be your greatest asset. Get to know the people you’re talking to for who they are, and let business come second. People like to do business with people they like. We are, after all, only human.
Social Networking
Social networking refers to networking online via social media – the tools, software, and services that allow people to interact and to share ideas, information, and content, and comment or shape those same ideas, information, and content. Facebook or MySpace are probably the first things people think of, but there are numerous different types of services that fall under the umbrella of social networking.
Suffice it to say that social networking allows for the same type of relationship-building that traditional networking creates, but in a magnified way and on a global scale. What it lacks in personable human contact it makes up for in its geometric potentiality and its rapid-fire viral nature. YouTube videos can become overnight sensations, and bloggers in their living rooms can affect geopolitical landscapes, simply by connecting with many other people.
What does this mean for small business? It means whatever you can envision and create. Google was formed by two Stanford grad students; Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg from his dorm room.
For local businesses dealing in real (as opposed to virtual) commerce, it can mean the difference between being discovered by local consumers. A staggering 94,000,000 people use the internet every day. 63% of those access search engines every day, and of those, 54% have substituted the internet for the phone book, and 43% are looking for local merchants to do business with offline (stats according to the Kelsey Group). Being found online is crucial moving further along into the 21st century and the new economy, and social networking provides one more powerful tool to connect with people who would value your products or services.