I watched a very interesting piece on 60-Minutes this week called the 99’ers. The term 99’ers is based around the idea of people who have been receiving unemployment checks for 99-weeks. These individuals have received an extension of their unemployment benefits to 99-weeks which has now been exhausted. A lot of the people in this situation are older individuals that have to re-invent themselves and creatively tap their networks to identify new ideas for employment or revenue generation.
How do you build a network? Very carefully! No seriously your network is your NET Worth. The best time to start building your network was at least a year ago and more importantly before you needed it. You don’t know when you are going to need it so you should be in a consist state of growing your network. Growing your network doesn’t necessarily mean growing the quantity of followers. Growing your network could simply mean growing the quality of the relationships that will encourage people to act on your call to action.
Hash Tags
A hash tag is more than a cute word with a pound sign. A hash tag represents a community, a group of individuals that collectively share information, ideas and a common interest. Hash tags can focus on Twitter chats (#journchat or #mbachat) , social good causes (#charitywater), or news stories (#backchannel)
People that you collaborate with around a hash tag could become valuable members of your community or trusted mentors. There is rich intellectual capital that can be used to create new relationships
Online/Offline
This is probably the most powerful networking tool of them all. Nothing beats face-to-face. Building an online network is not about numbers but relationships and relationships thrive with face-to-face engagement. Versus just chasing numbers as you organically grow the quantity of your networks look to create offline interaction which is what strengthens your relationships and helps you to build your network with people that you are truly connected with.
Online/Offline Ex: @PRSarahEvans:
1.) Followed her in Twitter
2.) Meet her at SXSWi Conference
3.) Interviewed her and uploaded the YouTube Video (at SXSWi)
4.) She spoke at Brand Camp ’10
Now @PRSarahEvans was in my network prior to me attending SXSWi but the engagement online happened after I made a connection in the real world. Your network is not a number but a relationship.
Personal Branded Business Cards
Most people have a corporate job that has your corporate information. What happens when you are at events that you want to drive people to your personal information: email address, Twitter handle, etc. What if your regular job is different than your passion and the space that you operate in after hours. Your Linkedin profile shouldn’t be linked to your corporate email anyway if it is your company can lock you out. I recommend that most people have two business cards that should used appropriately. Business cards are typically your first piece of collateral material to market yourself.
Your network is not the social networks that you are apart of or the sum total of followers that you have. Your network are the relationships that you have. Your inner circle exist inside your networks. They are the people that will act upon your call to action.
