Networking on the Net

Networking is one of most effective ways to find clients for any consulting or professional services business. But if you limit your networking to only what you can do in person, you'll be missing out on a huge number of possibilities. Networking is more than entering a room full of people and exchanging business cards. It's creating a pool of contacts with whom you can exchange clients, referrals, resources, ideas, and information. Networking can happen by phone, by mail, over coffee, and increasingly, over Internet. The growth of Internet has created many new ways to network without ever leaving your home or office. Pick a topic, any topic, and there will be multiple web sites and online communities devoted to it. Almost any type of Internet presence offers opportunities for networking. In your favorite search engine, type name of your profession or specialty, e.g. "interior design" or "marketing communications." Or, if you have a clearly defined target market, you can use that, e.g. "baby boomers" or "biotechnology." Skip sponsored links or banner ads and focus on detailed results. What you will find is following: Professional Associations & Schools -- Many association or school sites provide member rosters, resource pages, back issues of newsletters, event calendars, and bulletin boards or discussion lists. Not all of these features will be restricted to members or students. Resource Sites & Online Communities -- These include directories of people in profession, vendors, articles, event calendars, bulletin boards, discussion lists, live chats, and links to even more resource sites. Publications -- Magazines and newsletters maintain sites that offer everything from back issues to complete online communities. Job Postings -- These may appear on any of above sites, and often include opportunities for independent professionals, not just those looking for full-time employment. Colleagues & Competitors -- Colleagues and competitors may be exactly same people, depending on your relationship with them. Their sites will tell you more about them and their work, and may offer many of same features as resource sites. Potential Clients -- Their sites will tell you about work they do, current and upcoming projects, and even names of executives and managers. Also, if you subscribe to an online service offering interactive "channels," like America Online, CompuServe or MSN, there may be an entire area dedicated to your profession or target market. Some of these resources are available to non-members as well. Now, how can you use all this information to network? Here are some of most common ways: Bulletin Boards -- These are web pages where you can view and post questions and comments on a specific subject. Answering a posted question is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise, become known to people who frequent board, and get to know others in your field.

Five Proven Ways To Promote Your Web Site

1. Holding a contest or sweepstakes is an proven way to promote your web site. You can announce your site to hundreds of web sites that list free contests and sweepstakes. Send out a press releases about your contest or sweepstakes. Ask entrants to your contest or sweepstakes if they would accept offers from your business in future by e-mail.

2. Use online chat rooms to promote your web site. Find right chat room where your targeted audience would gather. Announce to everyone in chat room something interesting or free that's offered on your web site. This will draw visitors to your web site. Always be aware of chat room rules before engaging visitors in a sales pitch that could be considered spam.

3. Cross promote your web site with other sites. I try to find other web sites. that have same target audience, but are not in direct competition with my business. Doing cross promotions with other businesses increases your profits, sales, and beat your competition. You can find businesses to cross promote all over Internet.