Networking Online - Marketing Made Easy

Networking and making business contacts is one of the toughestaspects of running a home-based business, but also one of themost successful to develop your business. One must constantlyfind creative ways to meet new people and introduce them to yourproduct. If you are working from home with small children aroundthis becomes even more difficult. Networking online may be theanswer.

There are several ways to network online. One of the mostinexpensive is to visit message boards (for an example of amessage board, visit http://www.cwahm.com/messageboard ). Youcan register on message boards for free and post about yourproducts, business or any topic on the board that interests you.This is a good way to meet other Christians who also work fromhome and to develop Christian business relationships.

It may also be possible to become a "moderator" on one of themessage boards that you join. A moderator is usually in chargeof one forum and helps to generate conversation; delete poststhat may not belong in the forum and answer any questions peoplemy have about the forum/topic. This is a win-win situation forboth you and the message board owner. They are receiving help inmaintaining their message board and you are making contacts andbuilding relationships.

Another way to make business contacts online is throughnetworking websites such as Ryze (http://www.ryze.com). On Ryze,you can create your own page describing yourself and yourbusiness. You can also join various networks and meet peoplevirtually who may be interested in your product or business.This not only allows you to build business relationships, butfriendships as well. There are many Christian networks on Ryze,such as the Christian Business Women's Network (CBWN). The CBWNnetwork exists to bring Christian women together to help oneanother succeed in the work at home world.

For a small fee you can also create your own network on Ryze. Ifyou have a unique product or business opportunity, it maybenefit you to create a network where others can come to findinformation. You may also use a network to create a communityenvironment if you have a team of people that you support inyour work-at-home business. Your team can work together and findinformation easily all in one place.

Kelly McCausey, host of Women by Grace Radio, had this to sayabout Ryze, "Ryze has been an incredible source of networkingfor me. I have made at least two of my most valuable businessrelationships on the networks there. I enjoy the variety ofpossibilities and the ease of making connections."

There are also networking groups on websites like Yahoo, Googleand MSN. You can search for groups on these sites by topic andjoin for free. There are countless Christian groups as well aswork-at-home networks to be found on these sites. These groupsgenerally are email based, so you will receive emails from thegroup that will be formatted similarly to Message Board posts.This allows you the flexibility to read them when you have thetime and choose the topics that interest you from the subjectline. Many groups will allow you to place ads and generateconversation about your home-based business. Just check theirguidelines before posting and watch the group a couple daysbefore becoming active. You can then get a general feel for howthat group works.

Another way to network and build relationships online is tovisit blogs. You can search for Christian blogs or blogs thatmay relate to your product or service. Take the time to readsome of the blog entries and leave a comment for the blog ownerwith your website address. Blogging is a great new trend in thework-at-home world and many people are learning to blog as a wayto increase awareness of their business.

One very important, and often overlooked, way to make onlinecontacts is to include your business name and website address inthe signature of every email that you send. This makes peopleaware of your business and allows them to easily visit yourwebsite. Including your website link (and maybe a catchy sloganalso) will catch the readers eye and give them easy access toyour website. If you send emails 15 times during a day that is15 more people that you have marketed your business to. An emailsignature is also a way to ensure that your current customerscan effortlessly find your website. It is important thatcustomers can find your website with minimal searching and anemail signature is one of the easiest ways to achieve this.

Networking online is a great way to meet people without havingto leave your home. The internet is one of the best resourcesavailable to home-based business owners. Once you have an ideaof how and where to network online you will be well on your wayto a successful new form of marketing.

About the author:

Jill Hart is the author of the e-book, 2 Weeks DevotionalJourney for Christian Work at Home Moms, and the founder andeditor of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. This site isdedicated to providing work at home moms with opportunities topromote their businesses while at the same time providing themspiritual encouragement and articles. E-mail Jill atjill@cwahm.com for additional information or stop by her site atCWAHM.com.

[Reply] [Back to Top]