Is Networking A Part Of Your Internet Marketing Arsenal?
By Kimberly Clay

Are you an entrepreneur, locked in your business silo (home office/desk area that's shoved into the corner of your bedroom or kitchen/cleared space in your basement or garage), hovering over your computer, intently focused on success? Are you trying to figure out what you need to do and how you're going to do it, barely coming up for air, never interacting with anyone because there's not enough time and you have to concentrate?

If you're a small business owner just beginning to create and develop online ventures? Or are you a more seasoned entrepreneur, but you've only met with marginal success? If so, one of the most valuable things you can do to advance your entrepreneurial success is to network.

There is a long-standing truth in business that many of the most successful ventures emanate from relationships developed through networking. Whether it's a conference or seminar event, a chamber of commerce function or tee time at the local golf course, networking provides numerous opportunities for business people to get together, to meet one another, and to share ideas and make deals.

Unfortunately though, many individuals involved with online businesses tend to separate business practices between the world of offline business and the online business environment (I'm not exactly sure why). As a result, they tend not to be as involved in networking activities as perhaps they would be if they owned “brick and mortar” businesses rather than a web-based enterprises. But, if networking is a successful tool offline, doesn't it follow that it would probably make sense to do the same thing in terms of your online business?

While you may not have the opportunity of meeting people “face to face” in your online contacts (although oftentimes once a business relationship has been established, face to face meetings eventually result), there are still plenty of opportunities to network with your online peers.

Networking isn't complicated. It is simply about getting to know others, helping them to achieve their goals, and hoping that in turn, someone will help you. It's about connecting people and resources to “make things happen”. In fact, the Internet is really just one big network of people sharing information.

Networking has various benefits. It provides a source of new and reliable information that can be of immense benefit to you as you grow and develop your business. In terms of marketing, networking can also serve as a valuable, and often surprisingly accurate, market barometer. It can be an information source for new ideas and products, and provide a source of support for dealing with common issues, technique sharing and more.

Networking is also an excellent means of discovering how successful people do things, how those things are different from what you do, and discovering how their tools and strategies cause their businesses to succeed.

Other networking advantages include:

• Providing a means for you to find opportunities before they're published.
• Providing you an environment to create opportunities or have them created specifically for you.
• Allowing you to bring your strengths and qualities to the attention of others.
• Establishing a means for you to develop a “warm” market for your products and services.
• Providing a safe place for product or promotional testing.
• Opportunities for mentoring
• Opportunities to receive advanced training

Established networks can take a variety of forms that may range from very casual to quite formal, such as the network of a professional society or membership. Networks serve a variety of different purposes based on the objectives of its participants or members, and they also require different levels of involvement, again based on their established purposes. Prior to joining a network, it is beneficial to evaluate its purpose, mission, membership and potential benefits relative to your needs and goals.

A note of caution: Always be aware that networking carries with it an inherent risk. When information is shared, there is always the possibility of a breach of confidentiality. Whenever you choose to share information of a sensitive nature, be certain that you are completely comfortable with and confident in the integrity of the individual or persons with whom that information is being shared.

There are a number of places to find networking opportunities online including forums, blogs and membership sites. If you aren't familiar with any, simply search Google, Yahoo or any of the main search engines for “your topic” forums, or “your topic” membership sites, or “your topic” blogs to find one you like.

Here are a few suggestions for general networking sources to help get you started:

America's Small Business Development Center Network – provides assistance for new entrepreneurs and assists existing businesses in remaining competitive in the global economy -
http://www.asbdc-us.org

Sitepoint – site and topics are geared toward the web development community - http://www.sitepoint.com

WomanOwned.com – a site dedicated to providing information, tools, advice and networking opportunities for women starting and growing their businesses - http://www.womanowned.com

Now, get to work.

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Kimberly Clay is the author of “Article Writing For Fun And Profit”. You can learn more about Internet marketing and business strategies from her Internet Marketing Wealth Building Blog at http://www.blog.GetMyWealthNow.com, and discover Internet home business opportunities at http://www.GetMyWealthNow.com/20_Ways_To_100.htm.

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