Many professionals and businesses who rely on networking for business have been greatly affected by social distancing during the pandemic. Many events where networking takes place have been canceled, put on hold, downsized, or transitioned to virtual gatherings. So how do you adjust your business development and networking activities given these limits on business events and social gatherings? I was invited to speak at the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York Virtual Leadership Training on “How to be Social while Social Distancing.” I shared with the Leadership Team practical tips on how to stay connected and build new connections in our dramatically changed virtual world, and I’ll share those tips with you here.
Easily and Authentically Build Your Social Media Presence
The interactive presentation provided tips for easily and authentically building your social media presence, communicating virtually, and hosting and participating in virtual meet-ups. Participants received scripts for reaching out to long-lost business associates, acquaintances, and old friends. They learned how to avoid oversharing or coming across as narcissistic, tone-deaf, or creepy on social media. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions like how to handle trending and potentially divisive topics like civil unrest, politics, or business reopenings on social media.
“Cultivating connections on social media doesn’t replace face-to-face time, but it can help you stay connected and amplify your reach to a broad array of potential business contacts relatively easily.”
Nelida Ruiz
If you’ve been hesitant to use social media for your business development and networking, now is the time to start. It can take up to 16 touchpoints to gain a new client and that may be over a few years. Social distancing over such a long period without in-person meetings or socializing with potential clients at community and business events is bound to stifle your business development pipeline and networking success. Cultivating connections on social media doesn’t replace face-to-face time, but it can help you stay connected and amplify your reach to a broad array of potential business contacts relatively easily.
Cultivate a Reputation for Being Knowledgeable and Professional
While WBASNY participants noted their hesitation with social media citing time constraints, unfamiliarity with social media platforms, and risks, all acknowledged they know of other attorneys and professionals who use social media effectively, describing them as knowledgeable, professional, and well-connected.
There are many examples of attorneys and others who have gained new clients and new business from sharing not just their own content, but that of firm peers, industry associations, and business publications as well. Many attorneys, like other professionals, think of social media as a heavy lift, perhaps because of a learning curve and the time and effort of producing original content. While producing original thought leadership content is important, it doesn’t have to be frequent. Attorneys can maintain a consistent presence on social media simply by interacting with their contacts and sharing information from trusted information resources. Regular use of a social media application like LinkedIn will help you learn how intuitive it is, and you’ll benefit from seeing how others use LinkedIn effectively as well.
Social Media Tips
The following tips included in the training can help attorneys, business owners and professionals use social media more effectively:
- Update your profile on LinkedIn. You should include a current photo and recent relevant experience and representative matters. (If you’re an attorney, be sure to follow your state bar association’s Advertising Rules.)
- Expand your online network by reaching out to current and former contacts, including clients, law/ graduate school and college classmates, associates on volunteer committees, boards and associations, and colleagues and peers you interact with in the community and your career. To download a contact tracer worksheet to help you identify potential connections, visit NelidaRuiz.com/contacttracer.
- Support your online network by simply liking and commenting on their posts consistently.
- Celebrate clients (companies and individuals) and contacts online when they launch new products, expand operations, receive positive press coverage, change jobs, celebrate work anniversaries, etc. You can choose to do so by commenting on their posts or sending private direct messages through social media.
- Follow industry news and business resources you find valuable, and reshare content you find of interest that might benefit others, especially if it relates to your business.
- Post when you receive recognition, author or are featured in an article/press, participate in a volunteer activity or community event, or speak at an event, etc.
By using each of these opportunities in combination to network on social media, professionals and business owners can cultivate a consistent personal brand that demonstrates knowledge, professionalism, influence, and well-connectedness. By using social media not just to promote yourself but to support others, share useful information, and celebrate others’ successes, your overall social media presence will be positive, supportive, and professional.
*Republished with permission from WBASNY. This article originally appeared in the October 2, 2020, WBASNY Newsletter.
About the Author: Nelida Ruiz is a GRAWA and WBASNY member with over 15 years of experience helping businesses with their marketing, communications and business development efforts. She is a certified business development coach and professional marketing and communications consultant. She offers business development coaching programs and social media training like this one to individual attorneys, attorney associations, and law firms as well as other professionals.