Marketing channel that is often undervalued – networking 

Marketing channel that is often undervalued – networking 

What do you think of when you think about networking? You potentially just thought of how many LinkedIn connections you have or how often you are logging into the platform. But networking can go far beyond LinkedIn and doesn’t have to be business based! 

There are many forms of networking, however not all of these forms will work for you and your business. There are a few variables to think about. You may be looking for either free or ‘one-off’ networking situations or something more long-term. You may just want to keep it as online rather than offline interaction. Or you may wish to develop a deeper connection rather than a surface level connection; experimenting is the best way to find out what’s going to work for you. 

One of the things we can overlook when it comes to networking are the wider opportunities it provides. We often focus on the person we are networking with and not the people who they might know. Networking can go far beyond just coming together for business purposes but can be something more causal or hobby based. The business connections and opportunities can just be a happy by-product of these more relaxed interactions where people share common interests like tennis or golf, for example. 

Examples of how you can get networking 

Now that we can see how networking as a marketing channel is slightly overlooked and undervalued, let’s look at some examples of how you can get networking:

  1. Formal face to face networking memberships where you can meet weekly or monthly in person. Memberships like these sometime offer casual drop in guest opportunities too. Just google “networking groups <insert your city>” to find what is available near you.
  2. Casual networking opportunities where events are hosted by association or industry partners and you’re given dedicated time to network. 
  3. Industry events similar to seminars or expos that don’t offer a time to network or facilitate it, but still give you the chance to interact with the specific group of people. 
  4. Online networking groups that are either free or paid memberships. 
  5. Hobby or interest based groups where like-minded people with similar interests come together. This could be anything you’re interested in joining from a book club to tennis club. 
  6. Community based gatherings where you have a location in common or a school. For example community centre catch ups or Parent and Teachers Associations. 
  7. And lastly our old friend, LinkedIn. Utilise the platform for all it’s worth, get commenting on your connections posts if they relate to you, you never know who will see it and reach out. 

The last example may have come as a surprise considering how this article has encouraged you to think beyond that platform when it comes to networking. It is however, important to experiment with them all so that you can discover what’s going to work best for you. Networking can sound scary but it’s a very undervalued marketing channel that may be the thing your business is missing. 

If you want to discuss your marketing channels with a marketing consultant, please don’t hesitate to reach out. And if you enjoyed this article, you can read more on our articles page!

Flex Marketing_fractional CMO

About Andie Johnson

Andie is the owner of Flex Marketing. Flex Marketing helps businesses grow by allowing them to have the help of senior marketing resource without needing to employ a full time marketing manager. How flexible! Part of this work involves copywriting – not only do we have expertise in it, we really enjoy it. We take on copywriting projects such as re-writing copy for websites or creating client case studies as one-off projects. You can enquire about project based copywriting here. Flex Marketing has been helping businesses in this way to tell their stories and communicate their messages since 2011 and is based in Auckland, New Zealand.