Virtual Networking Success by peter heywood - HTML preview

Chapter 3: How To Make New Virtual Connections

Now it is time to take a look at some of the different options that you can use in order to make some new virtual connections. As we talked about before, you may already have some connections and you can utilize different virtual means in order to make those connections and get ahead along the way. But if you want to really make a good network and lots of connections, you will need to find some good ways to make new virtual connections that you never had before.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the top places that you are able to build up the virtual network that you are looking for, especially in the professional field. There are a ton of professionals who are already online on this social media site and many are looking for connections already. This makes it a great opportunity to form some of the connections that you want.

Make sure that you have a LinkedIn profile to get started. You need to have it completed with some of the most important information about yourself, ensuring that you are able to get the most views. Take some time to form good connections too. Look for the commonalities with others when you send a connection request to make it more likely that you are going to meet someone and form that connection. Also consider adding some of the connections that you need to ensure that you will see the best results.

Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are a place where you are able to connect with others who share some of the same interests as you. It is possible to create your own group and then connect it back to your page to get the community started. Or you can look for groups in your industry or in your interests and join that to start participating.

There are different steps that you can take in order to help connect to a community, whether you are making your own group or connecting with others in a different group. These ideas include:

1. Be authentic and visible: You need to build up trust through some of your posts and comments. Make it easy for people to talk to you, talk about things that provide value, and more to be authentic on the page.
2. Be active: Do not just sit back and assume that others are going to connect with you through this. You need to be an active participant to make sure that others are able to see you and will work with you as well. Give positive feedback with reactions and comments, engage in some good conversations, and create a good environment where people want to participate.
3. Use Facebook live: When it is your own group, make sure to utilize Facebook Live. This allows you to engage with the members and make a splash along the way. Make all of the Facebook Live options unique and creative to ensure that your members will want to be part of it.

There are a lot of ways that you can utilize Facebook groups to help you make virtual connections. Take a look at some of the tips above to make sure that you will get the best results.

Google Forums

Google is a name that you know and trust, one that is going to allow you to work with a lot of different people from all over the world. Just by taking a few minutes to sign up for your own Google account, you will be able to search around the forums and meet a lot of people, as well as use all of the other tools that are available through Google.

Once you have set up your own account, you will be able to start searching for some of the great groups that you want to utilize. Search around and see if there are some that are in your industry or whether there are some of your current connections that are in a group who can get you in it as well. Once you are in the forum, follow up on some of the rules that are there and then start talking and interacting and becoming a major part of the group, ensuring that you are able to get a few connections from each one.

Online Webinars

There are a lot of online webinars that you are able to join and you should take advantage of this as well. Find something that interests you and then utilize it as a way to meet other people too. There are so many benefits of attending these online webinars so it is worth your time in order to learn something new and meet other people.

Take some time to learn which webinars are out there. You may feel overwhelmed in the beginning, trying to figure out which one is right for you. Think about what would help propel your career and get you ahead, what would be the most valuable to you. It can be something new and unique as well so that you can learn something that is brand new.

Once you find a webinar or two that seem interesting to you, it is time for you to attend and participate. While some webinars allow others to sit back and just listen and learn, this makes it hard for you to really focus on making new connections. You need to get right in there and learn how to participate and have a lot of fun. When you are able to do that, you increase your chances of meeting others and really making a difference along the way with how many connections you have.

Making new virtual connections is one of the best ways for you to get ahead and make a difference in how big your network is going to grow. Find the right webinars online and learn how to reach out to others and you will find that you can make great virtual networking is the right thing for you.