Raise your hand if you’ve ever attended a networking event and walked out thinking, “well there are two hours I’ll never get back.” 2020 was a lot of things but the one highlight for me was the way networking changed – for the better – online and off.
I’ve written about how I engage on Twitter before, most recently in this post. I love talking to people. I love sharing a great product I found, I love giving positive reviews to companies who earn it, I love listening and learning about other businesses. This is why I love Twitter. Listening and conversing with others is so easy here.
You know where else it’s easy?
In a networking group.
You know where it’s easiest?
In a networking group who was able to immediately pivot to online networking back in March of 2020 when we were all told to go home, cancel plans and lock ourselves inside.
The Chamber of St. Matthews did an astounding job at this and I’m proud to be a member of their organization. I’ve been in other networking groups through the years, but I had joined the Chamber about a year before the quarantine happened, and I’m so glad I did. But I’m even more glad that I signed up their online events. I’ve written about this before, recently, and I want to applaud their efforts. The benefits of online networking are that they waste no time. There’s no travel, no waiting, no hoping the person you’re meeting at Panera is going to show up before you finish your salad. The commute is nothing and frankly, the small-talk is minimal. We both know why we clicked the link and joined the Zoom meeting, we want to know what the other does.
Much like Twitter, there’s equal listening and talking. Getting to know people on Twitter isn’t that hard, it’s just a lot like an online networking group (but in text and not verbal conversation). So I recommend it.
I recommend both, actually. If you’re in the Louisville area, check out the Chamber of St. Matthews. And if not, you might want to inquire what your local Chamber is doing with online events (or consider a move).
And… if you need help figuring out how to do this on Twitter, you’ll know where to find me.
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