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22 Business People Reveal Their Post-Covid Online Networking Plans

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Think networking is all about the handshake and in-person rapport? Online networking has many tangible benefits and that’s why 49% of businesspeople polled are planning more virtual networking in the future.

Here, twenty-two professionals shared their insights and the benefits of online networking to their professional development and business.

 

Online Networking Reduces Travel and Expands Reach

One of the most obvious benefits to virtual networking is the elimination of travel time and the extension of who you can reach from a geographical perspective. As Damian Birkel, Founder & ED of JobSearching.org  said, “Zoom has made ‘non in-person’ meetings acceptable and opened doors to people who you would have to drive or hop on a plane to go see. Zoom has broadened my networking abilities without impacting in-person networking.”

Online networking also means accommodating more people or opportunities in your business schedule. As Nick Chernets, CEO of DataforSEO  pointed out, “Online networking is especially useful when I can’t physically visit a certain location due to my time schedule. I can simply sign up for an event and attend virtually. This can be the first step…and if I make meaningful connections, we can plan to meet in person afterwards.”

Martin Seeley, Chief Executive Officer of MattressNextDay  said he prefers attending online networking events because they “…help me to meet people from all over the world without having to travel. Who wouldn’t want convenience in doing business networking, right?”

Tom Mumford from Undergrads LLC shared, “One of the biggest benefits of online networking is the ability to meet people across the country. As an entrepreneur, having connections across the nation is so helpful when attempting to scale your business. While the ambience and experience of in-person networking is great, having access to online events is so helpful when you want to focus on reaching new markets.”

Lauri Kinkar, who is the CEO at Messente, explained, “… participants have a greater reach to the network that wasn’t possible to access before because of the location and travel costs. Virtual events are also cost-effective and are more accessible than in-person networking events before COVID which sometimes require travel.”

Simon Elkjaer, Chief Marketing Officer at avXperten admitted, “I would still be open to attending it <a virtual networking event> since it has great value as well. Attending virtual networking events opens you up to engaging and connecting with people with diverse backgrounds and experiences who you can learn from.”

Samantha Moss, Editor & Content Ambassador for Romantific advised that As long as we do it right, online networking can help us develop deep professional connections and create meaningful relationships. And virtual networking can also help us easily reach out and meet with anyone wherever they may be.” 

 

Online Networking Offers More Accessibility 

Rachel Coleman, Editor at College Essay loves the accessible opportunities of virtual networking and feels like people are finally experiencing what she has loved about at all along. She said, “For me, the best part is how accessible these opportunities are now that I don’t have to fit a plane flight into my schedule. I can meet the same people, learn from great speakers, and take diligent notes, all from the comfort of my own home office.”

Eden Cheng, Marketing Director & Founder for WeInvoice said,I have seen various advantages of virtual networking. The thorough evolution of such networking is no longer about making sales. Instead, it is making human connections with mutual value. It has generated long-term and meaningful collaborations with people.”

 

Virtual Networking Establishes You as an Innovative Professional

Okay, so virtual networking may not mean you are an innovative professional, but not acquiring the skills to network virtually shows that you aren’t doing much innovating or keeping up. As Reuben Yonatan, Founder & CEO of GetVoIP said, “Networking is ‘virtual-first.’ If you’re not in LinkedIn groups or on Bumble Biz or browsing industry-relevant publications and forums, then you’re simply not engaged in modern networking.”

Early adopters have been enjoying the benefits of online networking for years. Robert Johnson, Founder of Sawinery said, “One of my main strategies when it comes to networking has always been ‘digital-first’ inclined, wherein I have been doing a lot of my advertisements and promotions online. Even before COVID, this approach has been my key method to create appealing experiences, gaining new audiences, and consistently growing my business networking entirely online.”

 

Virtual Networking Protects Your Time and Money

When you attend in-person networking events, you must safeguard your time if you want to meet several people, not just one. But ending conversations can be awkward when face-to-face. Jack Vawdrey, Content Strategist shared, “I much prefer virtual networking to in-person events. Networking virtually via platforms like LinkedIn enables me to be more selective about who I spend my time interacting with, which I find more effective. In many cases, I feel the individuals who are most worth interacting with are also too busy to attend networking events, and their schedule is better suited to online interaction.”

Virtual networking reduces travel budget. It also saves on the time required to travel to the event as that is time you could be spending doing something else.

Alina Clark, Growth Manager and Co-founder of CocoDoc talked about how there are additional cost savings in going virtual. She said, “The total cost of the event is significantly reduced in a virtual networking event. Also, it can save you, your employees, and your visitors a lot of time. You can easily promote your event by sharing the link via email, website, and social media. Furthermore, It is critical to integrate both face-to-face and virtual networking into your career management strategy.”

Caroline Lee, Co-founder of CocoSign said, … we have seen the benefits that come with virtual networking. It saves time and resources in that you do not have to travel or pay for things like overnight accommodations. You also do not have to worry about transitioning from your to and from the trips. For me, we will consider such factors in some cases. I will only do in-person networking in only critical situations. Otherwise, I will opt to carry on with Zoom and other infrastructure we put in place during the pandemic.”

 

Non In-person Networking Can Be Creative

Many professionals we talked to said, virtual and in-person don’t have to be either/or options. You can incorporate multiple forms of networking. Plus, not all non in-person networking is virtual. It needn’t be all about the tech. According to Michelle Devani, Founder of LoveDevani, “…there are ways in which you can still build connections during these tough times. During a pandemic, networking is the ideal moment to reach out to others in innovative ways! Send a handwritten message, write a smart piece that pertains to your customer’s problem, or pick up the phone and contact them.

“I think networking during this time might be easier because everyone is just sitting in their houses, using their phone. Building up their digital presence and reaching out. The advantage of the pandemic is that it allows you to connect beyond your conventional boundaries. Everyone in the universe is now within reach and more willing than ever to communicate. Traditionally, you could only interact locally or at a conference, but networking now allows you to interact virtually with people all over the world.”

Sharon van Donkelaar, CMO of Expandi said, “My networking has been bolstered by the WFH life. This is because one of the best ways to network digitally has been social media. In particular, LinkedIn and Twitter have become great places to network. Networking doesn’t have to be during big events and social gatherings. Networking includes engaging with people on their posts, offering to share your own work and opinions, and having a peek into the personal lives of your network that they comfortably share. Plus, it is more accessible to meet people from all walks of life, who have their own important contribution to the industry. Online networking has truly changed the game, and it’s not just for privileged big event-goers anymore.”

 

Should Online Networking Completely Replace In-Person? 

There are benefits to both types of networking. It’s most likely that the best option is to to incorporate both kinds for a well-rounded networking strategy.

As Sonya Schwartz, Founder of Her Norm said, Understandably, networking online is easier. It is fast, convenient, and providing that you associate yourself with the right online crowd, enables you to connect to the right kinds of people. Nothing beats in-person interaction, it gives you a different view of people than meeting them through a screen, but some factors give online networking the advantage. Whichever works for you, networking in-person or online should suit your needs, and adapting both methods is an excellent solution.”

George Santos, Director of Talent Delivery & Head of Marketing at 180 Engineering admitted, “Due to the intimate bonds that you are able to forge with people in person, I do think that I will primarily be networking at physical events. At the same time, however, I will continue to attend virtual networking events as a supplement to my usual strategies.  I think that it would be a shame to shut myself off to either type of networking.”

Mark Chambers of English Blinds said, “I’m certainly open to in-person networking once more (and I think once all of the pandemic restrictions ease in full, there’s going to be a sudden glut of these) but I think in the future I will have to see a good reason for attending them. If an event can just as easily be held virtually but is going ahead in person anyway, I’m far more likely to swerve on it unless there’s a real incentive to go.

“One thing I really do think is that hybrid events, incorporating both in-person and virtual attendees are likely to be trialed, and while I’m interested to see if I may be proved wrong, I cannot really envision this working. I tend to feel that the real-life attendees will largely ignore (albeit unwittingly) the remote attendees, and as the remote attendees are likely to be observing the live scene, aren’t hugely likely to pick up the slack and negate this effect with a high degree of interactions among themselves.”

Jodi Smith, Consultant for Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting said, “Just like we did not throw away our stoves when we added microwaves to our kitchens, I will continue to attend virtual events and Zoom networking as well as adding in-person events back into my calendar.”

Andrew Taylor, Director of Net Lawman added,I feel it would be a little silly if I were to revert back to my normal way prior to the COVID pandemic without learning from the past 18 months. Every experience shapes us, in my opinion, for the better, so I will continue to work on attending virtual events where possible and allow myself the freedom to choose the right in-person events that suit my character and allow me to shine, essentially making the most of every possibility.”

Ben Lamarche, General Manager of Lock Search Group shared that “Pre-pandemic networking was localized, but it is now possible to make meaningful connections with people in different cities and countries with the massive shift to virtual communication. There is a lot to learn from professionals from other parts outside of my immediate locality. Virtual networking makes this possible, not to mention affordable in a way that would be impossible with in-person networking. Other than the cost-saving benefits of virtual networking, there is also the time factor.

“Even pre-pandemic, setting aside time for business networking wasn’t always easy. With Zoom coffee meetups, it is a bit easier to invest more time growing and nurturing your network… I will definitely be leveraging the networking opportunities available in-person and virtually. Both networking channels have their benefits worth pursuing, and the best part is that they complement each other.”

Conclusion

What about you? Do your preferences agree with my survey on changing preferences for online networking events instead of in person? Or will you find a balance that’s right for you?

 

 

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