Don’t put off going to a large networking event until you’re out of school or have saved up enough money. The best way for a student to network online is this.
It’s not about the things you know, but rather the people you know. You’ve probably heard this before. In addition, as any long-time reader of our blog can attest, we strongly advise our students to begin building their professional networks while they are still in school. This will give them a leg up when it comes time to apply for positions after graduation.
Thanks to social media, you may network without spending a dime, no matter how hectic your calendar becomes as a student. However, the number of social media platforms seems to be growing annually, making it easy to feel bewildered and overwhelmed.
Good news: if you want your networking efforts to be successful, you actually do not need to be on every platform.
Making the Most of Social Media for Professional Connections
Focusing on one or two channels makes networking, which is all about creating connections, much easier. With this, your username will stand out more in a crowded room and be seen by the appropriate individuals when they are looking for it.
But which social media platform should you focus on first?
Everyone will have a unique response. The optimal mix is to use a social media site that both you and many of your colleagues in the field like.
Here are a few possibilities to get you started, but you’ll need to do some study to determine the most active locations for your particular industry:
Twitter Makes It Easy to Connect with “Celebrities” in Any Field
An excellent starting point would be Twitter. Industry heavyweights and other thought leaders use the site to voice their opinions and connect with others who share their interests.
There’s no need to follow each other to engage or see each other’s tweets, making it the ideal platform to have a direct online discussion with “celebrities” in your field. For example, you may look for “top people to follow in industry X” on curated lists or use hashtags to find influential individuals in your field.
Facebook Facilitates Networking with Individuals at Your Level or Just Above You
If you’re looking to network with individuals who are in a similar or somewhat higher position to you in your profession, Facebook might be a fantastic place to do it.
Get involved with clubs that cater to students or those just starting out in the field, and strike up talks with other members. This will help you meet new people, establish connections, and maybe even make some friends.
Regardless of your level of expertise, LinkedIn is the best place to talk shop about work-related topics with other professionals.
If you want to discuss anything related to your career, LinkedIn is the place to go. People of various skill levels and interests may find a community here, with organizations devoted to a wide range of sectors and subjects.
You will become well-known more rapidly the more active you are in conversations. Consequently, this improves your chances of having your connection requests approved, even when you’re just starting out.
LinkedIn also gives you the option to search for any firm and see the employees there. Consider using a title search, such as “marketing manager,” to identify people with whom you may have common ties.
Although reaching out to strangers is perfectly acceptable, it’s important to be smart about who you invite. For example, look for individuals who already know you or who are members of similar organizations. Additionally, adding a customized note is of equal importance. They may be able to deduce your motivation for reaching out if you just state that you are an undergraduate business student seeking connections in the marketing field.
Alternatively, you may find them on social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram and connect with them there.
Thanks to Instagram, Getting Involved and Making Connections Instagram’s hashtag search feature makes it simple to discover others who share your interests. Look for the most popular hashtags in your field on Google or see what the top influencers in your field are using.
To help you understand who is driving the discussion on Instagram, Instagram displays the nine most “liked” posts for each hashtag at the top of the search page. It may be more difficult to contact with these individuals on this site, but they may sometimes be easier to reach on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Smaller profiles, below those top nine postings, are more inclined to network with you if you start a discussion.
Although it may be safe to assume that someone with a modest number of followers on Instagram is new to the profession, that’s not always the case. There are probably some business heavyweights who have already established themselves on other platforms—or maybe even outside of social media—and have chosen to give Instagram a go.
Social Media Networking the Wrong Way
We will begin by avoiding certain actions. Do not ask someone for anything while you are only reaching out to them. It’s not appropriate to ask someone to follow you back, recommend you, interview you for a job, purchase anything from you, refer you to someone, or even just spend 15-30 minutes of their time helping you find your first job in your field.
Professionals you’re seeking to network with probably have a million things to do, including tending to the demands of their employers, employees, customers, long-time contacts, friends, family, and themselves.
They’re probably swamped with requests for favors, and you’re not the only one.
A Social Media Networking Guide to Success
Consequently, providing value is the greatest approach to attract their favorable attention and keep them open to getting to know you.
Be sure to provide a remark on any social media posts they make. Leave a remark that stands out from the crowd instead of simply saying “great post” or ask them a question that doesn’t have a simple yes or no response.
If they mention a problem they’re having, offer to assist them in any manner you can. Perhaps you can put them in touch with someone else you know or provide them with an excellent resource you discovered on the internet.
It’s okay to go personal, but ease into it. Do not, for instance, begin by disclosing your most intimate secret. An easy way to celebrate a special day is to simply say “happy birthday.” Use the phrase “happy new year” if the year is brand new. When their team wins, contact them to offer your congratulations if you know they’re a huge sports fan.
Connecting with People on Social Media with the Purpose of Establishing Lasting Relationships
Keep in mind that the whole point of social media is to connect with random people all over the world, people you would never have met any other way. Be consistent over time, and it will take time.
You may ask for a favor, as you would from a friend, if the relationship strengthens. You shouldn’t ask a complete stranger for a favor on social media for the same reason you wouldn’t.
Do your best to provide greater value than you expect from other people. The effort will be rewarded later on.
Consider this: in five years from now, you may be able to say that you are friends with the successful individuals in your business if you begin now.
