Facebook Live: 7 Steps to Create Your Awesome Networking Success Plan

Are you looking for business building tips and ideas?

I’m live every Tuesday at noon (EST) on the Ignite Your Market Facebook Business Page.

Come join me or watch for the replays to be posted on my blog – The Spark.

Each week I’ll be sharing tips and ideas to help you:

Identify your market and opportunities.
Increase your productivity.
Connect with your client and prospects.
Ignite your markets and your businesses

Facebook Live Replay: 7 Steps to Create Your Awesome Networking Success Plan

Facebook Live Notes

Step 1: Decide on Your Investment

Networking can be a very expensive activity both in time and money. There are events that are free, $10, $50, $150, and $250+. Events can go from a few hours to all day, it can add up quickly. Set a target for the amount of time and money you want to invest in networking each month.

Step 2: Decide on What Type of Networking You Want to Do

There are two broad ways to networking, online or offline/face-to-face. Both have value and I encourage you to do both. Online networking is easier and can be quick, a comment here and there. However, it can quick eat up hours in a day with little to no return on your investment (ROI). Offline/face-to-face networking has a much better ROI if you are networking in the right groups.

Step 3: Determine What Types of Groups You Want to Network In

When you start to investigate networking event and Facebook groups you quickly see there are many choices. I like to categorize the groups as peers, potential clients, potential partners and/or influencers, charitable and of course personal/friends. It important to know what a networking group is before you invest in it and create a balance in how you spend your networking investment.

Step 4: Determine Who You Want to Meet When Networking

There 4 main types of people you should be seeking while networking is peers, potential clients, potential partners, and potential influencers. I see many people out networking who are only looking for potential clients, they miss the opportunity to create partnerships and they are unaware of the value an influencer can provide.

Step 5: Identify the Groups and Events that You Will Commit to

Online: I’d suggest committing to 2 to 3 online groups. This means that you commit to visiting them daily and adding value by posting and commenting. Any more than that and you will be spending too much time during your day.

Offline: I’d suggest committing to 1 to 2 potential client/partner/influencer groups and 1 peer group if available. I personally set my goal at attending 1 to 2 events per week, 4 to 6 events per month.

Step 6: Set Goals for Each Event/Group

Networking works when you have specific goals, for example when I go to an event I look to meet 2 to 5 new people, I’m not looking to connect with everyone as that isn’t realistic. I want to have 1 to 2 follow-ups activities. Online I look to add value and see who I’d like to connect with outside of the group.

Step 7: Commit and Schedule Them for the Month

If you want networking to work you have to commit, sign up for the offline events and schedule time for your online group networking. For example, I schedule my online group networking as one to two 30 minutes slots a day. I schedule my offline networking events at the beginning of the month and review them each week.

Do you have a networking plan/strategy? What is it? Please share in the comments.

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Heather Cameron

I am the creator of the Ignite Your Market Programs and I'm passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to see beyond their current market and grow their business.

I love to see entrepreneurs follow their passions, serve more people and create the lifestyle of their dreams.