Supercharge Your Networking With Newsletters, Blogs, and Podcasts
We've seen a wave of innovation in professional networking in recent years, transforming how we connect and build relationships.
Networking is in flux.
How we connect with people is undergoing a major transformation.
The future for networking will be dynamic, inclusive, and deeply integrated with technology.
That’s in sharp contrast to traditional networking which has been historically:
Static - rampant with 60-second elevator and sales pitches
Exclusive - one profession per networking group
Antiquated- old school rules and regulations
Three platforms that are poised to revolutionize networking and how we connect:
Blogs
Newsletters
Podcasts
Each pioneers a new approach to to building meaningful relationships.
Let’s dig in…
👨💻BLOGS
Blogs are nothing new.
They became popular in the early 2000s, and there are now millions of blogs on the internet.
Blogs can be used for a variety of purposes, such as sharing personal experiences, providing news and information, and promoting businesses.
How can they be used to connect people?
Many focus on specific niches or topics, attracting readers with similar interests. This creates a natural community where people can connect over shared passions.
They can encourage interaction by actively engaging with comments. Respond to questions, foster discussions, and create a welcoming environment for readers to connect with each other.
By promoting a blog and content on social media platforms, you can expand your reach and allows readers to connect with you and each other on their preferred platforms.
↪️ My goal with the The Strategic Networker blog was to be a content creator and thought leader in the strategic networking space.
On Substack, I’ve been able to reach thousands of people and sparked meaningful conversations.
From the start, I envisioned my blog as a platform to educate and inspire through the power of storytelling and sharing my professional experiences.
I measure my blog's success by engagement (likes, shares, comments, and DM’s) rather than reach (open rates and clicks).
🗒️NEWSLETTERS
Before launching a newsletter, you need to determine the purpose of your publication.
A good newsletter operator connects with readers to serve a community.
But a great newsletter operator will unite readers to become part of a community.
↪️I designed my newsletter, The Strategic Network, with the goal to foster a community around curated content.
My strategy for connecting people centers around encouraging engagement, segmenting audiences, and creating valuable content.
Engagement
The positive response and engagement of my newsletter was as encouraging as the feedback on my blog:
A newsletter without engagement is a missed opportunity to connect with your audience.
Segmentation
Segmentation is crucial to a newsletter's success and connecting your readers.
It allows you to send highly relevant content to specific groups of subscribers based on their interests, demographics, behavior, or other criteria.
For me, I segment my audience by location.
The result?
The following is the open rate when an email newsletter was sent to all my subscribers:
And these are the open rates after I segmented my newsletter based on location:
My goal is to provide local communities with tailored information and unique insights via targeted mini-newsletters.
Effective segmentation is crucial for newsletter success and reader engagement.
Content
It’s important to foster a strong community by providing readers with engaging content and information they value.
To do this, I share referrals, community highlights, career opportunities, networking events, and spotlighting remarkable business people.
For example, I recently featured Nicolas Cole and his networking tips, which are particularly relevant to my target audience.
The key is to share valuable and relevant content related to your niche or industry.
This includes articles, insights, and resources that your network would find useful.
🎙️PODCASTS
While I haven't launched my own podcast yet, I understand its value for building professional connections.
To learn about podcasting's networking potential, I turned to my friend Ben Albert.
I relied on Ben, the “Podcast Ninja”, to help me understand the value of podcasting for building relationships and making real connections.
According to Ben, podcasts are simply conversations.
And conversations are at the heart of strategic networking.
During our conversation, Ben mad some great points about how podcasts can be used to connect people.
“I ask questions for a living. And podcasting is a great tool to build relationships strategically with people you can help. The best way I’ve found to collaborate and create content while networking is through podcasting.”
How is this done?
One way is to invite industry experts or thought leaders as guests on your podcast to share their insights and experiences. This can expand your network and provide valuable content for your audience.
Another is to host discussions on relevant topics to engage your audience and encourage interaction.
Afterwards, make your podcast easily accessible on various platforms, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
Ben had to think long and hard on the number of valuable connections he’s made over the years that he didn’t meet through podcasting.
By consistently creating valuable content and engaging with your audience, you can effectively use newsletters, blogs, and podcasts to build and nurture your business network.
Have a great weekend!
- Mike
👀 WHERE TO FIND ME
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tipclub
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipclub.inc/
Mike, this is such a thoughtful breakdown of how blogs, newsletters, and podcasts can reshape the networking landscape! I really appreciated your focus on engagement and segmentation for newsletters—it’s amazing how tailoring content based on location or interests can make such a huge impact. Your insights into podcasts also resonate with me; it's like having meaningful conversations with industry leaders, which naturally builds relationships. I’m definitely going to rethink my approach to networking by leveraging these platforms. Thanks for the valuable advice!