Ten Ways to Get Into the Right Clique for Networking

Lan Nguyen

When Michelle Tepper and Jen Turoff decided to open a law firm specializing in real estate, one of the first things Tepper did was update her Facebook account and join LinkedIn.

While she hasn't scored any new clients as of yet, she says it has, with a minimum amount of work, publicized her firm to those she needed to reach out to -- real estate agents, mortgage brokers and other attorneys.

"I feel like it's a good networking method," says Tepper. "Word of mouth is our best way of getting clients, so when people see that they know me and what I am doing now, I feel like I have a bit more credibility right off the bat for them to feel good about referring me."

Whether you tap into mainstream social networking Web sites (like Facebook or MySpace.com ) or those more geared toward businesses (like LinkedIn, Fastpitchnetworking.com, or Ecademy.com), here are 10 points to keep in mind:

Social Networking Is Networking

Consider every profile as your company's calling card. While it may be cool to upload a picture of you holding a drink while vacationing in beautiful Mexico, doing so is not going to encourage people in your network to recommend you to their friends and colleagues. So act as if this is a business mixer and don that professional demeanor.

Pitch Softly

Networking is about relationships, says Dr. Ivan Misner, founder and chair of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. No one wants to do business with someone who, upon an introduction, suggests you work with him. Before asking people in your network to refer you to others, make sure there is a relationship first. "I teach in my programs, VCP. V is for visibility and C for credibility. People need to know who you are and what you do first. Only then will you go to P, profitability. So be active in the community. Send messages to people. Participate in the bulletin boards. Look to help people -- frankly this is the best way to build a relationship."

Build for Posterity

Having a large number of "friends" won't necessarily get you far. You need to ask, will any of them do you a favor, explains Misner, who is also author of 10 books, including the bestseller Masters of Sales (Entrepreneur Press). "It's about building relationships with those people, staying in contact and helping them."

Have Others Toot Your Horn

Upload up to three positive news clips with help from LinkedIn's "Add Web sites" function. Get fans to send in testimonials and photos to beef up your Facebook profile. Link to your own blog via Facebook's Mini-feed. These are easy, and cheap, ways of letting potential customers know how great your company is.

Do Your Research

Before reaching out to friends of friends, make sure you take the time to learn all you can about them from their profiles. "Look at schools and the different companies they've worked at and see if there are commonalities," says Krista Canfield, publicity manager at LinkedIn. "That way, the email is more personal." And they are more likely to help you or recommend you.

Be Centered

Keeping up to date with all the social networking sites can be pretty time consuming. Ease your burden somewhat by including your company URL in your profile. That way, those who want more information can go there and you don't annoy those in your network with too much business talk.

Reach Out and Ask Someone

One of the best ways to get the conversation going and build a deeper network is posting a question that pertains to your industry. Or use the feedback feature to float a business idea or product. According to Canfield, 93% of questions asked in LinkedIn's Answers section receive responses.

Make the Most of the Relationship

With the social networking Web site that is. For example, LinkedIn lets users create a customized LinkedIn URL. Facebook lets you upload video and allow viewers to comment. Both networking sites can offer you snapshots of people responding to your questions or profile. And both companies have recently added applications specifically aimed at small businesses. LinkedIn's DirectAds allows you to target your advertising, while Facebook partnered with Visa (V Quote) to create the Visa Business Network.

Spend Quality Time

Setting up a profile should not be the end all. Experts advise to keep your content fresh. If you're going to list events on your Facebook profile, update them. If you're going to post pictures, update them. But don't spend every day trolling the sites. According to an ongoing BNI survey, the sweet spot is eight hours a week, says Misner.

Hire a Pro

Still not sure how to keep up with this? Companies like Dotster can do the heavy lifting. Dotster can build a community tab onto your Web site, monitor community activities, even moderate chat rooms, starting at $199 a month. "We also offer portability," says Ross Johnston, vice president of business development. "When you're conducting forums or chats or even putting in classified ads, you don't own that data. The data sits on MySpace's servers. We choose an open source, open social and open ID. On our platform, we can move it to their site."

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