Is networking part of a marketing strategy? ABSOLUTELY YES. Not only can you build lasting business relationships and partnerships but it can be the ultimate lead generator if it’s pitched the right way.
We at Wild Bird, love a networking session, chatting to local business owners (for valuable insight) with a spot of food in a lovely setting can be the perfect way to spend three hours.
So, where do you start? There are so many networking groups with their own acronyms that strike the fear of god into us whenever someone mentions one…“Have I been to that one? What does it stand for, they all sound the same!” Finding the right one for you is all about what your business needs and this is where we always start:
Who are we trying to attract?
What do we want to achieve for the business right now?
Is this going to be a valuable use of time?
Where does this fit into the strategy?
It all comes back to our target audience, the person or people that are going to make the biggest difference to the business. Now that could be, collaborators that will help deliver our product or service, clients or valuable connections that will help us reach our target audience more efficiently. There will be an element of trial and error to find the right one for you – we like to call this; the kissing a few frogs stage!
Another factor is staying in touch with the business community, you never know when you will need their help and if you are a regular networker this is where it can really come into it’s own. Do not underestimate the power of a networking group when you’ve hit a stumbling block or you want to try out a new idea. You are surrounded by other business owners that have been in your shoes, use their experience, expertise and ask for advice or help. When Nicole (our director) knew she wanted to start Wild Bird but didn’t know where to start, she attended a local WIBN networking group. Here’s what she had to say about it:
“I knew I wanted to set up my own business but I was still working at ITV. I had an idea that I thought could work but I wanted to speak to business owners to see if there was a market for it. And that’s exactly what I used my 60 second pitch for. I asked if the women in the room thought there were legs in my idea, to help small businesses with their marketing strategy. The feedback was good and that’s when I started to believe it could work. It makes me cringe looking back on it – I didn’t even have a name for the business and I was terribly nervous. But the connections that I made have helped me and Wild Bird ever since. The group was incredibly welcoming and they all had nuggets of advice that I still carry with me today.”
Now, on to the format…you will get an opportunity to speak whether it’s 60seconds or 7seconds…make it count. Really think about it before you get there, most of us have a paragraph that we reel off at the drop of a hat. Have a look at your questions above…what do you want to achieve? Be bold and ask for it, what’s the worse that can happen? “Today I am looking for nude models to pose for our next art workshop!” sadly this doesn’t happen at Wild Bird but you get our drift. There will usually be time to network before and afterwards, make good use of it. Find out about other businesses and help where you can. Can you connect people in the room to your network?
Networking can be exhausting…who knew talking to people could suck so much energy. But we are in heightened top performance mode, thinking about everything we say, listening intently to others, asking the right questions all whilst trying to figure out how to pour the damn coffee out of the thermo jug (we’ve all been there, why do they make it so challenging!?).
So, network, build lasting business relationships, enjoy it, test out new ideas, go to 121’s, collaborate with others and most importantly, have fun while you are doing it! Hopefully our paths will cross at a networking event, do say hello and tell us what you are up to. You never know what it might lead to J
If you would like help with your marketing strategy, get in touch.