The importance of networking when setting up a business from home

Most people understand the importance of networking for their business – the increased contacts and opportunities for development, the ability to make friendships amongst peers and look for problem solving solutions through group discourse and, of course, to forge valuable workplace connections which can help with staffing needs. However, this can be difficult to achieve when one is working from home. The usual networking opportunities – such as dinners, benefits or events – can be relatively inaccessible for someone working alone, without the influence of big business backing.

For those coming from a self-employment background, there are other ways to network than the standard channels. The internet opens up new methods of communication. Message boards and online forums are effective ways of sharing information. Responding to other people’s posts helps to establish sources of information and make your brand appear credible and knowledgeable, and people will begin to associate your brand name with the help they received on the internet. There are forums specifically tailored to a wide range of fields and industries on which serious professionals often advertise their services. Developing relationships on the internet can be a valuable way of forging networks and connections.

Alternatively, for those who prefer to communicate on a face to face basis, the wide range of trade shows and conferences can provide an ideal platform for sharing ideas. Alternatively look for business networking events or groups in your area. Working from home does not preclude attendance – in fact, working from home means that trade shows are even more valuable in offering the opportunity to meet likeminded professionals with whom you might not otherwise have come into contact. Likewise, any social events which are advertised by local business groups are perfect places to meet other entrepreneurs. Some are advertised as discussion panels, others are informational presentations whilst others still are targeted at women-only audiences.

Social events organised for pleasure shouldn’t be discredited as places to network, either. Although it is important to be cautious, so as to not bore people and lose friends, talking about your business at every possible opportunity is to be recommended to help people learn your business name. Offer your services to suitable friends who need your industry, or ask them to recommend you to those who might need help in the future. Building a network can be done at any level, from corporate and commercial to starting on a smaller, private, scale. Gaining the support of friends and family can be valuable additions to any network. Although networking from home is harder than when working for another organisation, it is by no means impossible and remains equally important.

 

Online Marketing

Online Marketing by            

netzmarketing

Online marketing is also called internet marketing, and it uses the internet to deliver promotional messages to consumers. For better results, online marketing strategies are used in conjunction with traditional advertising methods such as radio, magazines and television. However, if you are a small business owner, the cost of using traditional advertising methods can swallow up your profits.  Online marketing is particularly highly effective if used well. You can combine different online marketing methods such as email marketing, social media marketing and web adverting to achieve maximum results.

Web online marketing includes things like e-commerce, affiliate marketing, creating promotional and informative websites for a particular product or service, employing search engine optimization (SEO) on your web site, and using pay per click advertising. Email marketing involves email companies where promotional messages are delivered into subscribers’ inbox either through the use of newsletters, or announcement of offers. Finally, social media marketing involves the use of social media networks like twitter, Facebook, linked ln, Digg, and YouTube to promote your business. Social media online marketing does well with viral marketing.

Like the traditional advertising, online marketing involves consulting online marketing where there is a publisher and an advertiser involved. The publisher integrates advertisements into its online platform, and the advertiser provides the contents to be advertised online. Depending on the type of online marketing method you are using, there could be other players in online marketing such as analytics, and designers who help to generate the ad banners, or the codes, as well as affiliates.

To ensure that ethical standards are adhered to and that the playing ground is revealed, search engines such as Google have ranking algorithms to ensure that only those website owners who employ the best SEO methods reap the best results. Consulting online marketing experts such as SEO companies can be a great investment considering that you might not be well versed with the SEO trends. Employing proper search engine methods also requires hard work, patience, and skills, which you may be lacking. In the long run, good SEO practices should give you long lasting success.

The emergence of social media online marketing is swiftly eclipsing traditional marketing tools like television. Aside from the fact that traditional marketing methods can cost you an arm and a leg, social media marketing like you tube is more effective and reaches more people. To illustrate this, views in your channel are more likely to become your customers because when in YouTube, you specifically search for what you are interested in unlike traditional advertising methods like newspaper, and television where you view adverts irrespective of whether you are interested or not.

Your Friends on Facebook Don’t Like You

A few of my younger or newer entrepreneur clients who are working on their social media, lament that they can’t turn their facebook contacts into real time connections. Or they can’t get their facebook friends to go over to their fan page and like the fanpage. There is one thing they overlook. Facebook is really good at naming parts and groups. They call the users of Facebook “friends” but the reality is, most of those people are not people who are a friend. They are an online-aquaintence.

Client A says, she lives in the same city as Person X and the person for the last 6 months has not agreed to meet for lunch or even a cup of coffee in person. However this same person had not problem making a phone call to try to sign up Client A for a workshop. Client A was a little put off. Clearly the person only had time for them when there was money to be made. Client A was interested in created a ‘REAL-Ationship” as The Career Enginner – Francina Harrison likes to say.

Sometime we have to face it. When you reach out to people who are never interested in creating an offline relationship you might have to face the fact that they are not a friend. They may not even LIKE you. In some cases they are people who “can’t stand you”. But if they can use you to make money off you, they’re in. Figure it out and walk away.

Client B says, he contacts person Z on Facebook and they never ever respond. Once again, it’s not a friend if the only way you have to reach them is Facebook. If people don’t respond to a message, then they probably have someone else posting for them. It’s not them or they have no interest in connecting with you. Take the hint. You won’t miss anything if you are no longer in their stream. They will never like or share your posts. Are there a few people on Facebook who don’t know they should answer messages? In theory yes, but if you are using Facebook for business, common sense would tell you it’s a 2-way street of communication. No one is looking for a billboard on Facebook. We have enough ads on there already.

Facebook should have online acquaintance segments. Just so people won’t get confused. Facebook is great for people to friend you and then watch you. If you read 5 articles on how to grow your business using social media, almost all of them will say, friend your competition and see what they are doing. Some of your Facebook “friends” are doing just that. All your plans are there. All your creative thoughts are being spelled out as you think them through and use Facebook as your personal diary. People are planning to knock off your products and events as soon as you post them. If you in business, the way you post is important. My friend Mark Mikelat says “Facebook is a conversation in a bar, people can overhear, join in, comment and get into the conversation. No expectation if privacy is implied or expected.” If you have something important and private to say, then say it in PRIVATE.

Can’t get your close Facebook family and friends to get to your business fan page? No problem, realize they are not a customer, so they don’t want to LIKE your business fan page. You want people on that page that WANT to be there. These same friends and family who won’t switch over have also never bought your product or service either. Get the pattern? Stop looking for support in the wrong places.

In conclusion, I just want remind entrepreneurs that you have to get out with real people and mingle. Everything can not be done online. You still have to connect. Instead of obsession with people you “met” online that would not give you a glass of water if you laying on a dessert road dried out and they were driving a full potable water bottles, take the hint, create real off line relationships that move your body closer!

I don’t rant often, but I had to get this one out!

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