The explosion of social networks and the development of increasingly-sophisticated smartphones over the past few years mean that B2B online networking is now more popular than ever before. Here are five trends to watch out for that will help you to make the most of online networking in 2011.
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1) More Focus on Fewer Networks
vCompanies have been quick to jump onto every social-media bandwagon that comes along in order to establish their presence across a number of platforms.
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However, maintaining a solid presence across multiple platforms requires a lot of effort. What’s becoming clear is that, in terms of online networking, it is far more effective to maintain a solid presence on just a few networks rather than spreading yourself too thin.
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This allows you to get more involved in the community and focus on forging a smaller number of valuable contacts, a practice that is likely to become more common throughout 2011.
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2) Rise of Geolocation
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Mobile devices are now more sophisticated than ever before, and one of the key innovations of recent years has been the arrival of geolocation applications such as Foursquare.
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So far, Foursquare and other geolocation apps have been more popular with B2C companies. However, the B2B networking possibilities are becoming increasingly evident.
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Geolocation apps can be used at trade shows to build relationships with customers, integrated into event sponsorships and used to broadcast details of your own events, seminars and meetings. Although they haven’t caught on in a big way yet, this could be set to change.
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3) The Power of Tweeting
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Twitter is perhaps the most important platform for online networking, and its importance for business networking is only set to grow as we go into 2011.
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The informal setting allows anyone to post content, start conversations and share ideas and information with interested parties, making it the perfect tool for online networking. With decision makers in every industry having a presence on Twitter, it is one social network that you cannot afford to ignore.
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4) Continued Importance of B2B Networking Sites
vLinkedIn is probably the most popular online networking site specifically for B2B networking, although others such as Ecademy are also popular.
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Whereas Twitter and other social networks provide a more informal platform to network, B2B networking sites place a greater focus on making introductions, forging contacts, joining business groups and running your own networking events.
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As businesses continue to trim down their profiles across numerous social networks, it is likely that more attention will be given to such B2B networking sites, and we will probably see more of these appear in the near future.
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5) Integration of Online and Offline Networking
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Perhaps one of the most significant online networking trends as we go into 2011 is its increasing role in facilitating traditional networking.
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Whether you are meeting up via LinkedIn to organise a real-world meeting or advertising your online networks on your business cards and brochures, the combination of online networking and offline networking can produce excellent results, and we are likely to see more of this in the near future.
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Explore Online Networking
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Online networking presents a world of opportunity to expand upon your current networking activities. Explore the above areas as we go into 2011 and see how you can take advantage of online networking for your business.
