10 tips for online networking for smes
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How SMEs can use online networking to find new business - 10 practical tips from Carolyn Morgan, Penmaen MediaTRANSCRIPT
© Penmaen Media 2009
Carolyn Morgan 27 May 2010
10 tips for online networking for SMEs
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Carolyn Morgan – Penmaen Media
• Strategist and New business development in digital media and marketing
• 20 years strategic, marketing, publishing, events, digital experience in media businesses
• Grown, launched, acquired media businesses in print, events and digital
• Consultancy for media businesses on digital strategy (Guardian, ABC, CDS, Archant, CIOnet, Eye magazine, Emap, RHS Media)
• Trainer for ebusiness programme on planning websites and SEO for SMEs
• Workshops for SMEs on digital media and marketing
• Launched Specialist Media Show for media businesses – national quality speakers and exhibitors in a regional venue
• Regularly speak on digital media and marketing at conferences, write articles for trade publications and the Penmaen Media blog
• www.penmaen-media.co.uk
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How to win business
• Best way is personal referrals
• But how to expand your network and influence?
• For SMEs time is precious
• Online networking can accelerate referrals
• Here are 10 tips to get you started
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1. You are the brand
• You represent your company best
• People buy people
• People remember people
• Social networking is based on individuals
• What are your particular strengths, skills, expertise?
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2. Know who is buying you
• Who are your best clients?
• Who is your dream client?
• What is important to them in buying your services?
• Where do they spend time online?– Linked-in– Facebook– Twitter– Industry forums/ discussion groups
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3. What makes them contact you?
• Have a problem?
• Want to buy?
• Comparing products?
• Have read a recommendation?
• Know you are the expert?
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4. Organise your online presence
• Website in order – with testimonials and calls to action
• Linked-in professional profile – contacts, recommendations, links
• Professional profile on twitter – start posting
• Company page on facebook
• Profile on professional sites with good pagerank
• Keep it all up to date
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5. Create useful content
• What are you expert in?
• What is important to your dream client?
• Start a blog or add useful content to your site
• Get it published in the right places
• Talk about it on facebook, twitter, linked-in and include a link
• Post comments on forums and add a link
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6. Take part in discussions
• Find out where your ideal clients hang out online
• Comment on forums/ discussions
• Answer questions – eg Linked-in, Yahoo
• Review relevant books on Amazon
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7. Build your network
• Add your current clients to your linked-in network
• Ask them for recommendations
• Add people you email regularly and go through your business cards
• Go to events
• Use online tools (people you might know)
• Add your personal contacts, old colleagues, suppliers…
• Invite contacts from facebook, twitter, forums to linked-in
• You can export your linked-in list to excel for mailing
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8. Be helpful and connect people
• Be helpful to your network
• Pass on interesting articles and links
• Offer recommendations
• Answer questions
• Help make introductions
• Comment on posts
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9. Use events strategically• Identify events your dream clients may attend
• Go to the most important ones, chat and get business cards
• Contact organisers and offer to speak (for free) to establish yourself as an expert
• Provide an article on your content in advance and offer it free in return for a link.
• If you can’t attend, see if there is a twitter hashtag and join in the discussion, adding helpful content and following interesting people
• You may just get noticed and someone will follow you back
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10. Repeat from the start
• Networking takes time to build
• Connections build on connections
• Business often comes from the 4th or 5th connection
• Clients can take months to make a decision
• Keep adding content, speaking, writing, helping people out to build a reputation
• Enjoy! It’s great when the phone rings!