6 - Grow your Network (B2B)
Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar! We are sharing a marketing tip or trick every day until Christmas. To make sure you receive these updates, don't forget to register here. Happy Christmas!
Networking and forging new relationships and connection with other professionals is one of the most effective and long-lasting ways to grow your business.
Business to business (B2B) networking is different to business to consumer (B2C) in that your targeting should be much more refined. Reach out to relevant others but remember not to expect anything in return. Be kind, offer genuine advice, support and shared information. Simply building your network based on your how your knowledge or experience can help others is enough to gain recognition in the industry and eventually that recognition will lead to sales. Become an industry expert in your sector and word of mouth will spread.
Don't neglect digital
- Utilise social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter
- Attend trade shows and follow-up by email or on LinkedIn
- Attend industry specific webinars and events
- Join selected Facebook and LinkedIn groups
- Connect with those around you!
Top tip: Network closely
New businesses - think about where your business is located and begin to network close by first. If you're on a high street why not go and chat to the business next door? If you're in a shared office why not connect to those around you? The 'people' aspect remains one of the most underestimated marketing tools in B2B. After all, even in B2B, people still buy from people!
That's all for today. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks from our free advent calendar.