Considering so many people work from home these days, attending an online networking event is more important than ever. Things are changing in the workplace. The average work meeting has moved online, businesses are moving their wares online, and people are switching from cubicles to home offices. Virtual networking events can be a great place for your business to flourish, whether you’re looking to share information, build relationships, or exchange opinions.
As a result of the pandemic, online networking has increased at an exponential rate. The growth has outpaced that of the virus. Despite this, finding a business networking event for professionals that won’t waste your time is difficult.
Networking events that take place online
How can you identify if you’re joining an online networking event, and what kind of events look like online? There is a wide range of ways in which you can participate in an online networking event. Below are some examples of possible ways to get involved.
- The concept of virtual happy hours
- Consists of online seminars
- Referred to as virtual lunch and learns
- Conducted via online chat rooms
- Through virtual conferences
- Via webinars
An online networking event can be defined as any form of online interaction in which you are attempting to expand your social or professional network.
Tips for participating in online networking events
You can make new connections online in so many ways, and they don’t have to be formal events. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter allow you to network on your terms, providing you with full control over the process.
- Become a member of an online group
Say for instance you are a freelance writer who is looking for new clients and who is wanting to trade areas with other freelance writers to accelerate their careers. You can do this by searching for online groups of freelance writers on Facebook. There will be many people who will support you. As a freelancer, you must encourage other freelancers to post jobs that go outside of your specialization or ones that you do not have the time or energy to complete. By doing this, you will learn how to write for various freelance writing jobs! If you need any advice or tips, you can ask them for that as well.
There are many groups on LinkedIn that specialize in specific areas such as healthcare, technology, or finance if that is the area that you specialize in. You can join those specific groups and make connections with other professionals in healthcare, technology, or finance. You will be able to make contact with them.
- Make a positive contribution
The best way to add value is by interacting with someone’s social media post and exploring their thoughts on it. If you loved it, share their most recent article on social media with your praise. There is also a possibility of leaving a suggestion or an insight on the site of your favorite blogger as a comment. As a result of all this, you are likely to connect with people you are interested in getting to know more about, and as a result, you will begin the process of building your network.
- Take part in social media
Engage with people on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. You should choose to connect with people who are in your industry you wish to connect with. Engage with their posts, like their comments, endorse their posts, and make a consistent effort to interact with them. In most cases, you aren’t going to be able to remember someone who likes his or her post every month or two.
Attending an online networking event requires certain technical requirements
Virtual networking events are sometimes plagued by technical difficulties. Nonetheless, I must admit that networking events in person can also lead to the same results. Have you ever witnessed an audience patiently waiting while a speaker struggles to start the slide show? It can happen virtually as well as in person.
In terms of technical requirements, how can you make sure that your online networking experience is successful? A virtual conference can be infuriating if you encounter technical problems.
Strong wifi
For virtual conferences and networking events, a strong internet connection is essential. A conversation should not be interrupted by lost audio or video.
Practice a bit
It is always a good idea to practice attending virtual networking or recruiting events before participating. If you want to use the online platform properly, you should know how to log in and use it properly. You can take advantage of the various interactive features offered on the site.
Should you have a chatbox
Do you have a screen sharing facility, can you annotate documents? Play around with the platform before the virtual event so that you are familiar with it so that all of your attention will be focused on communicating with others. If you play around with the platform and get familiar with it before the virtual event, then you will not feel as intimidated during the real event.
Tables and chairs for online networking
However, networking-specific apps that provide smaller tables to facilitate networking are even better than larger online rooms available on platforms like Zoom and others. Room selection based on its topic range is good, and tables (which can also be topic-specific) of 8-10 people lead to an easier way to network – and on topics that everyone is comfortable discussing.
Invest in a headset
If you’ll be spending a lot of time online, a good headset can be invaluable. By doing this you can often make your voice more recognizable to people on the other side of the screen and have a better audio experience for those on the other side of the screen.
Make sure you know how to come off of the muted mode
There are so many times when someone asks a question in an online meeting or event to be met with complete silence only to get an answer of “Oh sorry,” “I couldn’t figure out how to come off the mute.” Bahhhh. The next time you are attending a networking event, make sure that you know how to unmute yourself before you start speaking.
Conclusion
As online networking events become more common, you have more opportunities to interact with entrepreneurs all over the world, since you can network with professionals from all over the world. Make the most of your next successful business opportunity by choosing which entrepreneur networking events are right for you.