Networking allows you to create connections and build relationships with individuals that benefit you and your career. The more long-term the relationships are, the more effective the networking. Roughly 87% of business owners use networking to explore new contacts and growth opportunities. While about 61% of professionals agree that regular online networking leads to job opportunities.
Surviving in the business world requires some ability to network but it’s not necessarily natural for everyone. Whether or not meeting and making new contacts is your forté, it is essential to learn the skill. Here are a few tips to use when approaching networking.
Use Networking Apps to Aid Organization
The longer a contact list grows, the more unwieldy it becomes, especially if the list spreads across varying media sites and databases. Tracking and data clarity becomes difficult causing important connections to fall through the cracks.
A networking app combines all contacts into one database, allowing you to keep them well-organized. It’s not always easy to remember when and where you made a connection. Some apps feature the ability to make notes on each contact entry, allowing you to record important details for future reference.
Smart apps weed out duplicates, and well-designed apps will update a contact’s information if they also use the app. Apps like StayTouch allow you to set alerts on specific contacts, reminding you to reach out and what platform to use. You don’t have to fumble through networking on your own. There are so many helpful apps that assist with organization and creating connections.
2022 Digital Networking Platforms Reach Farther
Before covid, businesses were on a slow trajectory toward more digital networking. The pandemic in 2020 forced the issue, requiring everyone to transition almost exclusively to online. Digital networking became a requirement instead of an option. Even after lockdowns lifted, 84% of people in 2021 still preferred remote meetings over in-person.
The continued popularity of virtual events made attendance far more accessible. More people connecting online created better opportunities for digital networking. A little over 80% of digital event organizers were able to reach a wider audience with their virtual events. Digital connections require digital networking options. Apps like StayTouch allow you to keep track of and exchange digital contacts with ease.
Design a Digital Business Card
Especially in the internet age, having a digital business card is essential to building a brand identity. A card can be fully digital or a hybrid of physical and digital, by adding a QR code. With either, your network is able to spread wider when the online component is included.
A well-designed business card is an expressive and personal marketing tool. The problem is that these cards are analog and space is extremely limited. The QR code challenges these limitations, providing a hybrid tool that appeals to more than one demographic. Users can tailor the digital space to fit the preferences of a target audience whether it’s customers or potential networking contacts.
StayTouch
Success depends on not just establishing relationships, but by pursuing and growing them. Networking is an essential part of any business’s growth. StayTouch helps you nurture and maintain those professional connections. We are delighted to help relieve a little of the networking stress by consolidating them all together and assisting with organization. We provide digital business cards, contact management, relationship building, calendars, messaging, and more. Visit our blog if you would like to learn more about expanding your network with the StayTouch app. Don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions, we look forward to helping you build and cultivate your own network!