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.