Over the past few weeks, I’ve had face-to-face interactions with people in a number of business situations: training a group of executives from a West African nation; participating in a networking workshop with fellow consultants;  facilitating a sales meeting with a medium-sized client.  In each of these situations, the topic of social networking came up. In each of these situations, the discussions varied widely…with one major theme: What does business have to do with social networking, anyway?  Here is one consultant’s perspective on the topic:

Getting in and getting on

What you share about yourself online is up to you. Some people simply restate their resumes or CVs. Others use the social networking forum to share information about their interests and goals. Keep in mind that when you note that you are interested in getting touch with people for job opportunities that your employer or colleagues may also see that information.

Getting the most out of social networking

In addition to getting your virtual self on the internet, social networking has the following benefits:

·         Get a job or a contract: some networks have job postings that you can access either free or for a fee;

·         Get a referral or a testimonial from someone you know;

·         Research your competition;

·         Prepare for a job interview by understanding the background of your interviewer(s);

·         Learn about a prospect’s business;

·         Investigate business, research, and industry trends;

Keeping current

It’s important to keep your profile up to date. Just completed a professional certification class? Add it to your profile. Signed up for volunteer work? Add that too.

Tying online and offline networking together

Now that you’re tapped into a social network, how do you coordinate your online and offline networking activities? Here’s how: After each social or business gathering that you attend, make it a habit to log those collected business cards into your favorite contact database. Then, invite these new acquaintances to become part of your online network. You’d be surprised at how quickly your network will grow.