Building A Powerful Network & Its Importance via Social Media

When most people think about marketing themselves or their company using social media strategies they tend to forget about the importance of building a powerful network as well. Who do you plan on reaching with your campaign without a strong network within your industry?

I know, I get it... you don't HAVE to build a powerful network in order to market yourself or your company on social media platforms, but it does help tremendously and the concepts go hand in hand. Social media is all about connecting with people, imagine how many more connections and relationships you could develop via social media with an already developed network of companies locked into your business. In the market today, its almost necessary to have a strong and powerful network in the professional world if you want longevity.

Here are a couple tips to building a powerful and USEFUL network:

LinkedIn is a MUST! If your not already on LinkedIn, sign up ASAP. LinkedIn is the best way to join conversations and make an impact on others on the same platform. LinkedIn allows you to be proactive in participation. Join groups and conversations. Look at what your peers are doing and try and follow their lead. The internet allows us endless possibilities when trying to connect with others in and outside of our industries; its your responsibility to take control and use the tools that are available to us today.

One thing that many people don't think about when developing their network is the need for diversity. Try to build a diverse network by reaching out to professionals from other industries and backgrounds that support your own industry. For instance if you work in the Marketing business, make sure you include people from the Music, Sports, Fashion, Movie, Social Media, Communications, Public Relations industries. All of these industries can go hand in hand and you never know when you'll need a connection in either one of these industries throughout your professional career. By expanding your network to other industries your not limiting your opportunities to connect with other important industry leaders.