Networking Online and In Person: Making Facebook and LinkedIn Support Your Weekly Meeting

Face-to-face networking is hard to beat. Shaking hands, sharing breakfast and hearing someone talk about their business every week builds a kind of trust that is difficult to create any other way.

But a weekly meeting only takes a couple of hours out of a 168-hour week. What happens in between matters too. Used well, Facebook and LinkedIn can keep your relationships warm, help people remember what you do and give your referral partners more ways to talk about you.

The key is to treat social media as a support for your in-person networking, not a replacement for it.

Connect after you meet

The simplest habit is also one of the most useful: when you meet someone at a meeting, connect with them online within a day or two.

• LinkedIn is great for professional connections. Send a short, personal note with your request, like "Great meeting you at breakfast on Thursday."
• Facebook works well for local business pages and for members who are more active there.

This turns a single conversation into an ongoing connection. It also makes it easy to find each other later when a referral comes up.

Keep your profiles referral-ready

When someone refers you, the person they refer will often look you up before reaching out. Make sure what they find helps your case:

• A clear, friendly photo
• A headline or bio that says what you do and who you help, in plain language
• Your service area, such as Peoria, Glendale, Surprise or the West Valley
• An easy way to contact you
• Recent posts that show your business is active

A good profile backs up what your referral partner already said about you.

Engage with your fellow members

One of the easiest ways to support your networking partners is to interact with their posts. It takes a few seconds and it helps more than you might think.

• Like and comment on their updates, especially project photos, milestones and tips.
• Share posts that your own followers would find useful.
• Leave recommendations on LinkedIn for people whose work you know firsthand.
• Review their Facebook business page if you have used their services.

Engagement helps their posts reach more people, and it shows them you are paying attention. That is Givers Gain® in action, online.

Share what you are learning

Social media is a great place to show your expertise between meetings. You do not need to post every day. A couple of useful posts a week is plenty. Ideas:

• A quick tip related to the season, like getting ready for cooler weather or year-end planning
• A before and after photo from a recent job (with permission)
• A common question you get from customers, with your answer
• A short post about what you are looking for in a referral this month

When fellow members see these, they get a refresher on what you do, and they have something easy to share.

Highlight your referral partners

Posting about other businesses you trust can be one of your most effective posts. A short shout-out like "If you need a reliable handyman in the West Valley, I recommend..." helps your partner and shows your audience that you are well connected.

Just be thoughtful. Only recommend people you would truly stand behind, and ask before you tag someone if you are not sure they would like it.

Bring online conversations back offline

Social media is great for staying in touch, but real trust still grows in conversation. Use what you see online as a reason to connect in person:

• Notice a member posted about a new service? Ask them about it at the next meeting.
• See someone celebrating a business milestone? Congratulate them face to face.
• Find a common interest? Use it as an opening for a one-to-one coffee.

A simple weekly routine

Try this for a month:

1. After each meeting, connect with any new person you met.
2. Engage with three fellow members' posts during the week.
3. Post one useful update about your own business.
4. Use one online conversation as a reason to set up a one-to-one.

It only takes a few minutes a day, and it makes your Thursday mornings even more productive.

See the in-person side for yourself. Visit BNI A1 Networkers any Thursday at 7:00 AM at Brothers Family Restaurant in Peoria. Plan your visit.