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Networking Events…Ugh!
When I started Life Simplified,going out to a networking event was hard. As soon as I walked into the door,I wanted to leave. The thought of walking into a room of strangers,froze me in my tracks. I’ll even admit,there were times when I drove to the venue only to turn around again before going in the door.
The sames happens for a lot of people who want to use social media to market their business.
But I Don’t Know Anyone
Getting involved on social media,at first,feels just like walking into that networking event. You don’t know anyone. You don’t know what to do. And come on,it’s so much easier to walk away than walk in.
Tips To Warm Things Up
If this is how you feel,I have a couple tips that might help get you started. Not only that you might have some fun in the process.
- No one likes to walk into a party alone,so begin by connecting with people you know. When your connected to people you know,you’ll feel more comfortable commenting and sharing.
- Hang out where your friends hang out. If you don’t know what groups to join,what blogs to read,what pages to “like,”check out where your friends and business associates are hanging out. Join,read and “like”them. If they aren’t what you’re looking for,you can leave and find more places to explore. Just like at a party. If the conversation is boring in one group,you look for a friend in another group and join the conversation there.
- Listen for a while. When you join the groups,you don’t have to come up with profound things to say. Just read or “listen”for a while. Soon you’ll feel comfortable sharing a thought,idea,solution or start a discussion of your own.
- Explore your hobbies and interests. There are groups,blogs and pages for just about every interest. Do a Google search and find things that interest you. It’s much more fun to talk to people about something you have in common rather than just business.
These are just a few tips to get started. Relax into the process. You don’t have to be perfect. People want to connect with other people and then talk business.
Have Fun
Have some fun building your social media network. When you do,it won’t become such a chore. You’ll find you meet lots of new potential customers,clients and referral partners.
Oh and if you still hate live networking events,these tips work just as well there too. I’m used them all and now I enjoy going to live networking events and networking online. I’ve met some fabulous people and my business had grown because of it. Now it’s your turn.
I don’t know it all so if there are other tips you have to enjoy your social network marketing,share them below. I’d love to hear them.
Jen Vondenbrink is a business life coach who helps small businesses put the systems in place to grow while still finding time to enjoy life. She 
