How to Network Professionally Through Social Media

Professional networking nowadays involves more than a handshake and a couple business cards. The following advice will help you use social media to build and nurture lasting professional relationships.  A CRM tool can help to manage these network relationships.  For example salesforce.com is adding a feature called Social Contacts as part of the Winter ’12 release.

1. Email is a great way to follow up after an initial meeting. Use e-mail to thank colleagues, prospects and customers for their time or to follow up after a long break in communication. A tool like VisibleGains for Sales can make your follow up email a much richer experience for the recipient.

2. LinkedIn is the most professional-friendly social media platform. If you know where someone works, chances are you can find them on LinkedIn, and vice versa. LinkedIn allows you to connect with people whose contact information you may not already have. You can also get in touch with professionals you might not normally have the chance to meet with in person. Although people can adjust their privacy settings, most profiles allow other LinkedIn members to see their name, the company they work for, and their job title. In turn, others can search for your profile and get in touch with you through a LinkedIn message.

3. LinkedIn also allows companies to post jobs that they are hiring for. If you work in human resources or recruiting, you can post jobs for candidates to apply to or search for profiles that are a good fit for the position. Most people input at least some of their educational and professional background into their profile.

4. Join groups or create a group on LinkedIn. You can meet people, start your own discussions, or join conversations that are already in progress. You’ll receive a badge on your profile displaying that you are a member of the group, showing others that you are passionate about and active in your professional community.

5. Use Twitter to start a conversation with people in your industry. Start following industry leaders or other users in your line of work. Comment on their tweets or ask a question through one of your own tweets. You’ll learn more about your trade and keep up with the latest news.

6. Start a blog.  You’ll gain from researching topics, “meeting” other bloggers, and acquiring a readership. Your devoted blogging is sure to impress colleagues and will exemplify your enthusiasm for and knowledge of the industry.  There are a number of personal blogging options, including Tumblr, WordPress, Blogger and even Google+.

7. Although Facebook has a less professional feel than LinkedIn, you can still professionally network through it. As with LinkedIn, you can join professional groups and gain insights and connections through them. If you want to further separate your personal and professional life on Facebook, split your social contacts from your professional ones. To accomplish this, go to your “Lists” and create a list for “Professional Contacts.” You can adjust your privacy settings for this specific list and unveil only what you want your colleagues to know about your personal life.

Although nothing beats face-to-face interaction, you can use these social media tools to widen your professional network, learn more about your industry, and demonstrate excitement for your work. You’ll also appear noticeably tech-savvy!