Connections are the new currency. They have the power to transform your business almost overnight.
The right connections can lead to:
- More customers or clients
- More opportunities, such as being able to guest post on a high-quality blog
- More fun! Who doesn’t want to be invited to a party across the world?
The problem lies in the wealth of info on the web. When you google “networking”, hundreds of different articles appear, each offering a different approach. Who do you listen to?
To help simplify things, we’ve created a summary of the best advice, covering the three areas where making connections can prove immensely valuable to your business.
And here they are:
1. Networking.
Networking can open up a world of new and exciting possibilities. But how do you cultivate connections which generate a return?
Here’s our hint: Focus on making relationships, not “connections”!
Here are our top tips for putting this into practice:
a) Don’t look at people based on what you perceive their transactional value to be.
b) Seek out relationships with people you can naturally connect with, not based on a self- serving agenda.
c) Look for ways you can add value, listen to the other person’s needs and try to be the one to facilitate a solution for them.
d) Stay in touch, add your new connections on LinkedIn so you can “like” their posts, and keep a presence in their lives.
2. Referrals.
Referrals are the reward of a well nurtured relationship between a business and a client – and often the most lucrative of customers. People are 4 times more likely to buy when referred by a friend or colleague.
We’ve discussed referral marketing before , but here are the key takeaways:
a) Ask for what you want.
b) Add value.
c) Run a competition.
d) Create shareable content.
3. Digital Marketing.
Think of Digital Marketing as the sister to referrals. Where referrals focus on cultivating relationships with the client, digital marketing focuses on creating connections with potential clients that can lead to a relationship.
We’ve recently shared our digital marketing secrets, so I highly recommend checking that out. For those of you too lazy to read it, here are the key takeaways we touched on:
a) Change with consumers by investing in your digital presence.
b) Ensure your online and offline presence is seamlessly connected.
c) Add online reviews to your focus.
d) Make sure your website looks great and functions well.
e) Create content of value.
Making connections via digital marketing can seem daunting… Especially when faced with syphoning a google search worth of advice into actionable points. So, we decided produce a series of eBooks to help you become a digital marketing machine.
