by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting
Start the New Year with strategies to networking for maximum results, especially for marketing.
First list your objectives and pray about them
You’re more likely to hit the mark when you set specific goals. It’s great to meet people, but better to make the most of each connection.
1. Professional connections
List connections you want to make and why. This may include agents, editors, producers for film, etc.. These connections can move your career forward. Be ready to pitch ideas or find out when and how to pitch to them for good matches.
2. Marketing network connections
These are people can help you market such as media hosts and bloggers, or people with ideas on promoting your books and brand. Some may charge fees, such as coaches. These are people to follow and learn from, as well as people to see if there’s a way to provide content in return for promotion, such as interviews.
3. People who want content you write
Magazine editors, plus website and blog owners fall in this category. They hire people (some do not pay) for content. They seek good writers or want to find people who match with their target market.
Ask what they need and see if there’ a common link. Otherwise, you may know someone they would like to meet who fits the need. You can give a referral. They may also know someone who needs content on your brand or focus, and may give you a referral.
4. Relationships within the writing world
It’s good to build your personal writing network. You might strike up a friendship with an influencer or even a professional like an editor. Nurture these connections for advice, and support you can offer one another. Some are more advanced who can share their expertise, some who are on about the same level as you, and others who may be starting out and need your expertise. They are all valuable as friends and people with common interests.
5. Potential readers
You may find someone who likes to buy what you write even if they do not work in that genre. This may include spouses who accompany a writer. They may want a bookmark to remember you and your titles. Invite them to follow you and engage them in social media.
6. Potential clients
If you’re a professional you may be looking for specific people or clients if you’re an agent of coach. Be sure to hand exchange cards with likely connections.
Get networking
Once you list goals it’s easier to network. With each person you meet, ask questions to discover where they fall within your desired network connections. If so, share something about the possible intersection of your interest in what they do to start a networking conversation,
So, if you meet and editor or agent, you can ask what types of manuscripts they publish or represent. If that has matching potential, give your elevator pitch to see if that sparks interest. Listen to what they need to see if you have an idea they might to have you develop and pitch later. If you don’t match listen to what they want and file that for later, to help someone else or to reconnect if you are pulled into their genre. I’ve picked up in-house jobs this way.
If you meet someone in marketing, ask questions to see if you can fill a need, such as a topic within audience needs to be a potential interviewee or guest blogger. Ask how they built their expertise and how they help their clients. That way you’ll know if they might be someone you’d like to hire.
If you meet someone looking for content, ask about specific needs, where it is published, and the rights they want. I wrote children’s church content for a publisher I met after we discovered we shared a focus in that area. I also wrote devotional content for a media website when someone else networked with the person and referred him to me.
When you meet someone who is another writer, see what you have in common within genres, locations where you live, topics you like to write about, and level of experience. These are people who can become friends and network connections. I have developed many friendships over the years and value them all. Some of them changed positions and became editors or agents. Other formed part of my support circle of friends where we bless one another.
For people who become your audience, be grateful you met them. That has happened for me from Uber drivers interested in where I was going, to wives of professionals interested in my brand. This provides an opportunity to ask them as readers and potential followers what grabs their interest and keeps them returning to authors they like. That expands the information about your reader’s Avitar.
Follow through with Connections Made
Email or send thank you notes to people, continue conversations started with an email to see if your pitch or idea might get somewhere, or ask if your publisher can send a review copy to possibly get booked on the person’s show or blog. Follow the people you met and invite others to follow you. Send emails to potential friends.
I generally leave conferences with new work and new marketing opportunities, and you can too!
TWEETABLE
Karen has a heart to grow tomorrow’s wholesome families today. She has written more than eight hundred articles for more than sixty publications and loves to let creativity splash over the pages of what she writes. She writes for Crosswalk. Connect with Karen on Twitter @KarenHWhiting Pinterest KarenWhiting FB KarenHWhiting
Great post.
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