Five ways you can to use networking to scale your brand/business

Did you know this week is International Networking Week? Each year, it’s celebrated the first week of February. If you haven’t made any networking plans, you might be missing out! International Networking Week is an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs (including aspiring entrepreneurs) as well as Marketing and PR professionals to enhance their visibility and create long term business opportunities. Networking is more than shaking hands and exchanging business cards, it’s a golden opportunity to generate leads, drive business growth, establish credibility in your industry and strengthen relationships.

If you do it strategically, your brand can unlock new opportunities, partnerships and revenue streams. Here are a few ways in which you can use networking to scale your brand or business.

Strategise…. Strategise – As I have mentioned in several other columns, strategy is the foundation. A) Develop a clear networking strategy.

Ask yourself: What type of connections will help your brand or business to grow? (clients, partners, mentors, investors). B) Create a networking action plan- what is your networking goal e.g. how many strategic connections would you like to build per month? Since it is International Networking Week, how many connections do you want to build this week or over the next two weeks? What are some of the networking opportunities? Be sure to also create a compelling pitch that states what you do and how you add value.

Make use of networking events and groups – Undoubtedly, attending and engaging in networking events opens doors to new opportunities. But where should you network? Industry conferences and trade shows, Chamber of Commerce and Business Associations as well as special occasions designed to facilitate networking. To date, I have attended every Everything Vincy Expo; at the very first one I attended, I remember setting up appointments with as many businesses as I could and walking the length and breadth of the expo with business cards. Don’t underestimate online networking groups and fora e.g. LinkedIn Groups and Facebook groups among other platforms that can help you build connections beyond your geographical location.

Form Strategic Partnerships- Often times, you can find a business that complements yours and thus creates an opportunity for a collaboration e.g. if you are a real estate agent, you can partner with a financial institution, or, if you are fitness coach or a personal trainer, you can collaborate with a nutritionist to offer bundled services. The key is to identify a non-competing business that shares your audience and develop a plan.

Be a thought leader – The more people see you as an expert in your field, the more likely they are to refer your business or brand. This can be through panel discussions or public speaking, hosting webinars and workshops where you can offer insights to your audience, being active on social media and engaging in meaningful discussions on platforms where professionals or your audience are present.

Convert Networking into revenue growth – It’s great to network, but the aim should be to convert those connections into business growth. As you prepare to network, create a referral system, e.g. encourage your happy customers or business partners to refer persons with incentives. Use a CRM such as Zoho or HubSpot to track interactions and follow-ups, and be sure to measure ROI on your networking efforts e.g. track how many new clients, partnerships or revenue opportunities come from networking.

Candice Sealey is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Ignite! a Full-service Marketing & PR Consultancy that helps businesses/brands to stand out and communicate the right message to the right people at the right time through Strategy, Marketing, Media services and Design solutions. She is also a freelance content writer, advertising copywriter, voice-over talent, media personality. Follow us on FB & IG @igniteresults Phone:784-432-2223. Email: igniteresults@gmail.com