7 Powerful Ways to Build a Business Network Online by Janelle Martel

Building a strong business network before the pandemic was challenging enough—there were events, conferences, and meetings to wiggle into a full schedule. But since networking in real life is canceled for now, you might be wondering how to ramp up your network while planted firmly in your house.

Thankfully, it’s easy and convenient to build a business network online. If you’ve never tried it or want to hone your skills, you’re in the right place. Read on to find out how to network online for business in seven simple steps featuring expertise from some of our 5.5 million members.

Even better? We’ll break down easy online networking tips you can use on Alignable to expand your connections without leaving this site.

Interested in finding out why building relationships digitally is worth your time? Check out the five benefits of online business networking.

Want to learn more about what online networking is in the first place? Find out how to make the most of online networking in today’s business world.

How to Network Your Business Online in 7 Simple Steps

So how do you build a strong business network digitally? Try these expert tips for online networking, and you’ll be on your way to meeting people, building referrals, and growing your successful business.

1. Set a goal

Before you jump into a networking webinar, take a second to think about your goals.

Are you looking to:

Gain more knowledge about your industry?

Generate referrals to your business?

Expand your network to have more resources to rely on?

Find opportunities for lead generation?

Thinking about what you want to get out of professional networking online can help you to determine where to build your business network and who to connect with. In other words, it helps you prioritize the events, methods, and platforms that will work best for you.

To get started, set measurable goals for networking, such as adding 10 new contacts, responding to 5 forum posts, or sending introductory messages to 5 new people each week.

Alignable exclusive: If you want to offer your advice on Alignable forum posts, check out the topic pages. For example, to provide marketing expertise, head over to the marketing topic page.

Member tip: Laura Brandt of Brandt Law PLLC says:

I set a goal to meet 3 people and exchange contact information. I then follow up with social media connection requests and, if it makes sense, a request for a follow up call (formerly, coffee meet up).

2. Choose the right platforms for your goals

If you haven’t jumped into social media yet, now is the time. Your social media profiles will provide other business owners with much-needed information about you—and why they should connect.

If you’re already active on social, ensure that your profiles are up-to-date with current projects you’re working on. Post articles showing your knowledge and thought leadership in your field to add even more pop.

If you’re just getting started, that’s okay. Here’s a brief rundown of the best networking platforms out there and how they can help you.

LinkedIn: If you’re on the market, searching for job seekers, or simply looking to build your personal brand, LinkedIn is an essential social network. In addition to creating connections, LinkedIn groups offer a great way to network within your industry.

Facebook: Facebook has a huge user group—about 70% of US adults reported using it in 2019 alone—which makes it a powerful place to connect beyond friends and family. Using industry-relevant terms in Facebook’s search feature can help you find business groups to join and meet new people.

Twitter: Twitter’s use of hashtags makes it easy to find trending topics and experts and join the conversations too. Use ‘em in your posts to stay up-to-date on industry trends and news.

Alignable: We might be a little biased, but Alignable is the go-to networking site for generating referrals and growing your business. We created Alignable as a space for small business owners to connect locally and nationally. So if you’re not yet a member, join over 5.5 million business owners by signing up asap. Once you join, share your expertise and authority in the many active discussions taking place in your industry or community and connect with folks locally that complement your business. For example, if you own a flower shop, connecting with wedding planners and gift shops can be powerful ways to refer business to each other.

Member tip: “I use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Alignable. To compare all of them together is tough. For very large businesses or to get a broad network, I use LinkedIn. For the best bang, dollar for dollar, Alignable is proving to be an excellent way to focus on connecting with local business.

So the messaging is different for each platform. I liken it to a fisherman’s tackle box. Each lure is used to catch fish, but depending on what and where you are fishing, you will use a different lure.

If you’re only casting your networking line in one networking ‘lake.’ you may be catching the sweet bass but could be missing out on the big bluefin,” says David Peterson of Prime Communications Kingston.

3. Complete and maintain your social media profiles

When professional networking online, your profile is powerful, as it acts as your first impression. So, how do you make sure yours paints a great picture of yourself and your services?

Regardless of the network, here are a few essentials:

A professional photo: When you can’t meet face-to-face, your profile picture adds that personal touch. Choose a clear, close-up image of yourself wearing something that you would wear to work. If you can customize your background photo, pick something that represents you or your business. Own a bakery? Use a photo of your delicious treats.

A carefully crafted description: Your description is your story—make it count. You might outline how you got into your industry, what makes you so passionate about it, and why your services or products stand out above the rest. Show a little personality and have fun with it.

Keywords that make your profile easy to discover: Want potential customers and business people in your industry to find you? Do a little keyword research to find what words they’re searching that are relevant to your work. Not sure where to start? This guide to using keywords in your social profiles can help.

Links to your website and other social media profiles: A link to your website makes it easy for those who are interested to check out what you do. But you can also use your social media profile to cross-promote, linking to other social media platforms where you’re active. Each one features slightly different things, so people can dig deep into your business by exploring them all.

Alignable exclusive: You can list out your ideal customers including businesses you want referrals from and businesses you can provide referrals to. This can help expand your network by helping you partner with businesses whose customers might need a service or product like yours and vice versa. Refer back and forth for more business.

4. Connect away

When beginning to build your online business network, start with those who you are already connected to offline. From here, you can discover mutual connections, which also provides you with a natural introduction. Here are a few ways to connect by platform:

On Alignable, explore the Grow My Network page to find like minded business owners near you, those who are new to the platform, people you should consider connecting with due to your ideal customers, and people you might already know. You can also look on your community page.

On Twitter, consider joining Twitter chats within your niche to get in on important conversations. You can also follow leaders in your field to find more professional connections and stay up-to-date on industry news.

On LinkedIn, view your connection’s connections to discover relevant folks that you have a mutual contact with. You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to find LinkedIn groups to join based on keywords.

On Facebook, you can navigate to the Business Groups page to discover groups that are local to your area. You can also search industry-relevant keywords to find even more applicable groups to join.

As a whole, being active on these platforms by posting original content, commenting on other people’s posts, and responding to forum posts are other great ways to get your profile out there. Once you find the place where your niche is hanging out, it’s easy to grow your community quickly.

5. Introduce yourself memorably

While making the connection is the first step, it’s not the end goal—true networking is when you begin to build a relationship. Your first impression counts, so when you see someone accept your invitation, use it as an opportunity to introduce yourself.

Here are some quick tips for making your intro count:

Be personal: Use the person’s name. If you’re familiar with them or their business, mention it.

Mention mutual friends or previous run-ins: If you have a mutual friend, are involved in an online group together, or have attended an offline event together, refer to it in your intro.

Take a moment to tell people about what you do, nailing down a quick elevator pitch.

Keep your introductory message short.

Consider asking a question. Doing so can be a great way to start a dialogue.

Do a little research on your contacts to find a mutual interest.

Member tip: “...find out their interests, what school they attended, sports they like, or hobbies they have, something they are passionate about, and try to reach out to them with a message about one of those things or at least something you have in common. Try to open communication that way," says Maury Kosh.

6. Foster your connections

Once you’ve made the connection and nailed your intro, the real fun starts. Make it a point to have ongoing conversations to build and maintain your new relationships.

Jeffrey Krantz from JAKrantz & Associates points out:

Networking is fundamentally communication, an ongoing dialogue, not a one and done. Networking tends to fail when people think the world will change because of one conversation, one exchange of business cards, one sided expectations.

Here are a few tips for staying connected with your new connections:

On social networks or business networking sites, share other people’s posts that are relevant to your business, post your own helpful tips, and ask questions. Your updates are also a great place for you to share current industry news and things that you’ve learned.

Set up Google Alerts to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your industry and community—so you can share it with your connections or use it to start a conversation.

Take the time to listen and learn about others, too. Respond to their questions, be active in forums and groups, and reach out when someone shares something interesting.

Check out some more tips about building business relationships online.

7. Take things to the next level

Now that you’re fostering those new connections consistently, take it a step further by checking in one on one.

Virtual coffee dates are a great way to get some face time and get to know each other on a personal level from the comfort of your own home. You can also set up a recurring phone chat, a monthly small group brainstorm, or even a Mastermind group.

Just know that your network is there to help, and you’re there to help them too. Keep the traffic flowing both ways, and you’ll have a stronger business as a result.

How will you build your online business network?

Expanding your network takes time and effort, but moving online actually makes it a little easier. In fact, some business owners think they’ve been able to get more out of business networking online.

“With digital technology, the ability to go from meeting to meeting in moments has been a real plus. I am far more productive by eliminating travel time,” says John Heck from Adagio Financial Group.

So get out there and give it a shot. And remember, we’re here to help and so is our community. Ask our members a question if you get stuck and let us know how you do.

What are some creative ways to network online that you’ve tried? What online networking methods work best for you? Share in the comments.

Looking to learn even more about online networking? Here are some great reads and resources.