Virtual Networking is Here to Stay: Here’s How to Master It
Photo by Humphrey Muleba
The world has changed. 2020 took everyone by surprise and affected a lot of our traditional social habits, notably networking.
Networking was a way to meet new people in-person for friendships, professional relationships, learn about new ideas and opportunities. 2020 took that script and flipped it as everyone was staying home to combat a global pandemic and found many people scrambling to find a corner in their abode to present to the world - after all, home is a safe space and usually exempt from criticism.
I personally found myself angling to find the best corner in a NYC apartment where I could use the white wall as a “green screen” before Zoom and eventually Google Meet upgraded their offerings; barring that I experimented with scarves as backdrops. I also invested in a small clip-on ring light that attached to my laptop before I had to upgrade to the lamp ring light. And all of this was just in preparation for a meeting!
There are a lot of events happening across the Internet and we are no longer encumbered by boundaries such as cities, time zones, language. So, what to do with this new reality? Virtual networking has become an integral part our new world and it will for sure be an option for many events going forward.
As a card-carrying introvert, I personally am on board with that option. In the early days of “let’s ignore the pandemic and social unrest going on and continue connecting with others for opportunities,” I crashed trying to do way too much. I had to take a step back and attend the events that fed my soul, find a way to reach out to the people who I found interesting, rigidly schedule my time so that I wasn’t burning the candle at both ends.
Ok, so now let’s talk resources and tips to help you get your networking on track this year in this new world we live in.
Join a Networking Platform
First things first: before joining any virtual networking event, always clear your area, test microphones, and video beforehand, make sure you are at least top appropriate. Always be cognizant of your eyeline and framing – no one needs to see up your nose or only half your face. Finally, make sure any virtual background you use doesn’t clash with your clothing.
Now that you are set to turn on that camera, here are some focused networking platforms you can join to grow your network this year:
Hopin – one of the more interesting platforms that I found during this time was Having attended a few events across industries and topics; I found that the platform was well equipped to host events no matter the size with an added bonus of being able to speed network during events that really mimicked real life.
LunchClub – a one-on-one networking platform that matches people by interest using AI via the information you load onto your profile. You can meet at least one person a week for a 45-minute conversation. They share profiles, so you’re not going into the meeting blindly. LunchClub initially started as an in-person meetup and switched to virtual during the pandemic…and it’s only getting more popular.
Power to Fly – this platform connects companies to women that are in tech, sales, product, marketing, etc. They regularly host workshops and virtual job fairs. They also tackle social and intergenerational topics on their blog.
Eventbrite – the OG! Eventbrite was established years ago and only became more popular in this era of virtual networking. You can search for ANY topic. 98% chance there is either an upcoming event or past event that you can use to hunt down information.
Meetup – the same as Eventbrite! Many events have now expanded to include people from different time zones and countries. So. Many. Groups.
Bumble Bizz – Bumble also expanded in the professional arena after being launched as a dating site. You can connect with others and expand your network, even find a new role.
That’s Cute, But I Want to Connect One-on-One
What if you are trying to grow and expand your circle in other places online? What if you have to *gasp* reach out via a cold email?! I found this blog post by Luvvie Ajayi-Jones to be invaluable advice for professionally approaching people who do not know who you are. So I adapted the template to fit into my goal of reaching out to strangers on LinkedIn. It went a little something like this:
Hello [Name],
I am reaching out to you because I would love to get 15- 20 minutes of your time on a phone or virtual call. I recently learned about [Company/Topic] and am interested in learning more about [how this person can help]. I [why should they respond? Did you take a course, volunteer, consult]?
Your profile is impressive, and it resonates with me [how]. I aspire to your [what drew you to their profile] and your insight would be helpful to me in this critical moment I find myself.
I know you must have a whole team at your disposal and I may not be able to adequately compensate you for the value of your time, but if that is something I can do within my power to thank you, I am more than happy to do so.
If you have the time to speak with me, I’m thrilled! If not, I’m still thankful, as I am inspired by you from afar. This would certainly be a bonus.
Thank you for reading this up to this point. Your time and consideration is already appreciated. If email is easier, my address is [email].
Regards,
[Name]
I can honestly say it was about 50/50 on getting a response back!
Follow the Trending Topics
If you are interested in a topic, search the hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn (whatever your preferred platform is) and join the conversation! If a conversation hasn’t been started, start it yourself.
After all, if you build it, they will come.
Bottom line, you don’t have to completely change yourself, nor do you have to overextend yourself to seem engaged. Figure out what your limits are – which social platforms, which events, which topics you are really interested in – and be intentional about contributing. Put events on a calendar if you must (I personally cannot do anything without being alerted by my calendar). Journal your activities so that you can remember and retain what was discussed. And don’t forget to maintain etiquette. Before you know it, you have successfully networked online, and with the way things are going, you might get that in-person cocktail meet-up soon!
About the Author
Amanda Baird is always on a journey to learn and evolve – in the past few years she’s explored social impact, blockchain, product management, and data science. To talk about entrepreneurship, career transitions, pop culture, and many other subjects, connect with her on LinkedIn.