Social Savvy: 5 Tips for Using Social Media to Expand Your Business Network
Social media isn’t just about staying in touch with friends and family. It’s also a powerful way for business owners to connect with their customers and expand their professional network.
While it’s effective for these reasons, not all business owners are getting as much out of their platforms as they could be. If you’re trying to expand your business network for growth, experience, and recognition, here are five tips to get you started:
Hold Giveaways
Many businesses can struggle to get noticed when they make a business social media page for the first time. Grow your following quickly by holding a giveaway. You might include promotional merch in your competition or even free products or services from your own business.
The goal of a giveaway isn’t always just to treat current and future customers. Often, it’s to draw attention to your pages and help professional contacts see that you’re now online. You might then find it easier to expand your business network.
However, don’t just expect a significant following right away. Many platforms encourage you to spend money on promotional campaigns to broaden your reach.
Join Pages and Groups
Your business forms part of a broader industry. Keeping up with industry trends and changes can sometimes be hard, but joining social media pages and groups can certainly make it easier. Head on over to your preferred social media site and search for pages that align with your interests and business operations.
However, you don’t have to be a silent participant once you’ve joined. Introduce yourself and your business, tell everyone why you’re there, and welcome people to contact you if they’re interested in idea-swapping and knowledge-sharing.
Reach Out to Industry Professionals
You’re not the only one in your industry at your level. Countless business professionals like yourself are trying to learn, grow, and expand their business network. Sometimes, connecting with like-minded individuals on similar pathways to you can accelerate that process.
Once you have a business social media page, use it to contact people you believe could be beneficial for your career – and vice versa. The more personal your message, the easier it might be for you to receive replies and start building those connections.
Attend Social Media Events
You might already know how helpful in-person business networking can be for building your brand and reputation, learning and development, new opportunities, and increased confidence. However, similar opportunities also exist on social media.
The COVID-19 pandemic paved the way for many online events, and they remain popular even today. While you can still attend in-person networking events, don’t be afraid to join online events with other like-minded individuals. Sometimes, they can be just as beneficial, especially regarding learning opportunities.
Share Your Skills
Gatekeeping your skills and talents can be tempting when you’ve worked so hard to obtain them. However, there can be value in being helpful and sharing them. Look out for people on business social media pages requesting help and ideas to start their own careers. When you comment and message with valuable advice, you can become an authority in the space and gain a reputation for your helpfulness.
Social media might be a fun platform for socializing, but it can be so much more. Use it to expand your business network by sharing your skills, attending online events, joining groups, and holding giveaways to expand your reach. You might be surprised by how easy it is to connect with other professionals and shine a spotlight on your business.
