Networking in the Age of Social Media

Just out is an article I wrote for Association for Accounting Marketing's bi-monthly newsletter, MarkeTrends, on the subject of the coolest way to build personal credibility and your business network.

Here's an excerpt:

Blogs, despite their silly name, are the “next generation” in networking. Without leaving the comfort of your sofa and jammies, you can simultaneously snuggle with your kiddos and connect with people who share your professional interests, namely referral sources, prospects, peers, and even media.

For many young professionals juggling work and family, online networking is a viable alternative to cocktail parties and evenings away from home. For shy professionals, it’s even more appealing.

Professionals are discovering how to leverage social media technology—blogs and networking sites like Linked In and Pulse—to meet good connections and demonstrate their expertise, mostly by participating in online discussions related to their practice areas.

Some (not many) CPAs are even starting their own blogs. If you have a blog or want to have one, the sort of networking discussed in this article is requisite for a blogger to build a solid readership base, gain respect, and have their efforts really take off.

But plenty of opportunities exist through this same sort of networking approach for non-bloggers, too.

Even if you never want to blog, ever, this is a way to skip those cocktail parties and still develop a social network that elevates your career.

Download my article (pdf)

(reprinted with permission from the May/June 2008 issue of MarkeTrends, copyright by the Association for Accounting Marketing, 14 W Third St., Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64105; 816-221-1296)

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Comments

[Michael Ramos]

Good points, but I would like to make the point that blogging is a supplement to, not a replacement for traditional "networking." I agree that blogging, commenting on forums, etc. is a good way to become part of a community and build credibility. But when it comes to making a call to action, I've found that a phone call or face-to-face are much better.

Further thoughts on the topic. http://www.theeyeshade.com/?p=9

[Bill Kennedy, CA]

Now that I've been blogging for a year I think I have enough experience to comment. I agree entirely with both your conclusion that social networking is the way to go and with Michael's observation that you should still tear yourself away from the keyboard so you can remember what it's like to meet a live person in person. :)

My caution, however, is: don't take blogging lightly. Coming up with a regular stream of good content is TOUGH! A blog can be your electronic brochure and calling card, but if left unattended for six months, it starts to reek. If you plan to blog on behalf of a professional firm, don't do it alone. Share the load and you're more likely to survive. It's a pixel eat pixel world out there!