Top 5 Tips to Make a Connection Online

In today’s digital world, it’s hard but not impossible to make connections with people. One of the major reasons that small businesses tend to get competitive is that they lose sight of the “grow together” mentality that Australia is built on. 

Additionally, in general, we tend to lose sight of the big picture. You should be treating the fellow online entrepreneurs that you meet online like you would the “mom & pop” shops in your local area. Therefore, why not step outside your comfort zone and reach out to some like-minded business owners online?Talk about what they’re doing to get customers in the door - and give them tips on what you’re doing that’s working for you. Discuss what you can do to build a business relationship and grow together. If you’ve been around for some time, you have some experience that you can share with them. You can also offer them some encouragement and allow them to teach you some new methods for marketing, as well as new tech and anything else they know about that you don’t. 

In this tutorial, we’ll discuss 5 tips to make a connection online.

 Utilise Video Chats 

A few years ago, online relationships came with the stigma of the lonely kid in his parent’s basement. However, this isn’t the case anymore. There are many true friendships and partnerships that are coming out of online interactions. One great way to build these relationships is through video calls. Simply being able to hear someone’s voice and see their face makes a huge difference in online relationships. When you meet via video chat instead of text chat, you create a much deeper connection because you can see their mannerisms and body language and hear their tone of voice instead of guessing. Make some time in your schedule to have video calls with your connections. It doesn’t have to be anything major- just some time to interact and get to know each other. 

Join LinkedIn 

One great way to branch out with new contacts and relationships online is through LinkedIn Groups. This will allow you to connect with a target audience, as well as expand your knowledge and converse with others in your industry. Another great way to build connections online is via LinkedIn Articles. Write an article, asking a critical question to encourage engagement from others. Share the article on LinkedIn and Facebook groups or send it out to your email list to get the conversation going. Be sure to follow up with those who comment and build your connections from there. 

Reach Out First 

When working online, networking often feels strange/forced- but there are some ways that you can overcome the awkwardness. Start by reaching out to someone by commenting on a blog or social media post or responding to an email. Mention something you like about them, the content, their business model, etc. If you would like to make a deeper connection, ask if they might be interested in a coffee chat - usually via video or phone if you’re not in the same town- to see if there are any you could collaborate with each other. Typically, the hardest part of starting a relationship is that first contact. Most people do crave human connection though. If you make the first move, you dramatically increase your chances of being able to talk to that person. 

Join Facebook Groups 

Take some time to join a few relevant groups on Facebook and then engage as much as possible. If you’re a member of a lot of groups, your attention will be split in many directions. However, if you only have a few groups to focus on, you are able to create more quality connections. 

Connect on Instagram 

Instagram is a great way to make online connections. Instead of going through and randomly following accounts, look for those that you really like in the hashtags. Then, leave meaningful comments on their content. If you interact with them, they are more likely to interact right back with you. This will help you build valuable connections - especially if you take the time to respond to comments and ask questions to start conversations. 

Conclusion 

These days, it seems that everyone has gone digital. This has made it difficult to build lasting connections. However, it’s not impossible. If you use these tips, you can easily make lasting and valuable connections online with like-minded people. 

Join this course and learn the importance of social media and which sites to use.