When it comes to social media, we talk a lot about connecting with new people. After all, if you are doing social media for your business, that’s the point – to get in front of new people, right? And it should be.
But that’s not the whole picture.
There are actually a lot of benefits to tapping into your existing network. What do I mean by existing? It’s simple. Who do you already know? Your colleagues, customers, friends and family members, referral partners… it’s the people you are in contact with on a regular basis. Your goal should be to take your network that you have offline, and create it online.
Why should you do this?
If you can recreate your existing network on social media, it gives you a solid foundation to start on. These are the people that you work with on a regular basis. These are the people that refer business to you already. If you can maintain those same relationships on social media as well, there is significant potential for leveraging those relationships in ways you could not otherwise do.
For example, if you are connected to everyone you know on LinkedIn, then you can see who they know. You might find that they are connected to someone who you have pitched your business to, or met at a networking event. Having that shared connection might help create a level of trust quicker.
Another example is if you are posting great content to your Facebook page, and one of your friends shares that on his or her page, or likes it, that post is now being displayed to all of his or her fans. Might one of your friends friends be interested in your services? Possibly. And now they know who you are and that you have a friend in common.
Creating your business network online can have huge benefits, but it’s important to note one thing. Often times, people tend to just stay in the circle of friends they already know. Tapping into your existing network is just one way to grow your social presence, but it shouldn’t replace reaching out to new people online as well. Having a solid balance will help keep your social media presence growing, and keep your business growing as well.
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