Once upon a time, the only way to speak to a person was in-person. If you wanted to send a message, then you had to do so via the local postmaster or homing pigeons. Makes you feel grateful to live in these times, doesn’t it?
These days, there are more ways to connect than ever, and in this fast-paced world, staying connected is of the utmost importance. This is especially true for those who own their own business.
If you are a small business owner or at the helm of a startup company, then staying connected is not an option for you — it’s a necessity. Your competition is constantly reaching out to their consumer base (and yours as well) so you have to be a proactive networker to keep up. Here are a few tips for doing just that.
Smartphones
Networking in this new age is quite different than it was decades ago. This is due both to changes in technology and changes in the culture of the economy.
In this current day and age, the smartphone reigns supreme in the world of communications. The days when all a phone could do was make and receive calls are gone and all but forgotten. In fact, there has been a total dwindling down of the use of landlines altogether.
Today in America, less than 40 percent of homes have landlines in them, and as few as six percent have landlines only. Smartphones have nearly eradicated the need for the old house phone. With the way that cellular providers bundle phones and plans these days, it’s more cost efficient to add a smartphone for your business to your current account.
If your business is headquartered in an area where a signal is hard to come by, then get a Sprint, Verizon, or T-mobile signal booster. These systems can greatly increase your cell signal and rid your home or office of “dead zones”.
Social media
Social media is the world’s new favorite means of communication. And, why not? It allows you to stay in touch with people that you wouldn’t normally get to spend time with in person or on the phone. You get to meet people from all walks of life and communicate with people around the globe for free. What’s there not to love about it?
If you don’t have a social media account for your business, then you are missing out on a valuable opportunity to engage prospective customers. Statistics show that nearly 80 percent of Americans have at least one social media profile.
Word of mouth is still the best form of advertisement that there is, and platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the new word of mouth. Creating a social media presence for your company will undoubtedly introduce your products and services to whole swaths of untapped customers.
Setting up networking events
Not every change in the way that people network today has to do with technology. Millennials are on the rise as entrepreneurs, and they’ve brought along a bunch of their ideas with them into the business world.
More than any other generation, this youngest generation of adults is all about sharing and partnering. Why fight against the tide when you can ride it? Set up a networking event at your business, and invite other local businesses and the general public.
These events provide you with the perfect opportunity to get to know other small business owners and generate new customers. You also get to show off your products or services to the customers of the companies that you invite to your event. While business is still a competition, it has evolved in a way that also fosters and rewards cooperation as well.
