Want to gain a larger following and Celebritize your business or brand?

Well, you don’t have to do it alone. The best way to gain a larger following and greater exposure is through expanding your reach and adding more people to your circle. Yes, you’re right, you can definitely accomplish this with online marketing, social media marketing, and even online advertising. It’s all great, but as a business professional, we can not forget about the most timeless form of relationship building, yeah that’s right, you guessed it,

Networking.

Networking!? Yes, networking is one of the most effective forms of relationship building available today. You can receive all the comments, likes, and subscribers in the world, but nothing can beat a face to face relationship with a like-minded professional. We also know that the word is associated with some pretty rough experiences, but guess what, It doesn’t have to be hard. Networking can be a friend, not a foe, if you just refocus your strategy. We know, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Refocus my Strategy?”. Yes. Think about these tips for a minute to understand what we mean.

1. Don’t walk into a room of potential and see a sea of potential clients, instead see a bunch of potential referral partners and friends.

2. If you view people as a means to an end, then your business is going to become one big transaction instead of a life-sustaining brand with room for everyone.

3. Forget the phrase “what do you do?”. Elevator pitches and mindless business card swapping only ends with the followup email, “it was great connecting with you!”. 

4. Genuinely learn about other people at networking events, ask more than tell. Invite the people you meet to no-strings-attached events and talk about collaboration and connections the two of you share.

5. The more you can learn about your connections, the more interaction and value you can provide to each other. No amount of hard selling is going to keep people coming back. If you want repeat clients, build relationships through adding value. 

So just like a celebrity, the more people that you know, can add to your network, can build real relationships & build trust with, the more potential you have to be perceived as a celebrity and a person that others want to work with. Impacting, influencing, and attracting new fans and clients doesn’t have to be hard. Let’s grow.