The Value of Building Your Network During Lockdown

By CopyHouse on

Is your content marketing agency looking for new ways to win clients, engage with leads and boost brand exposure? As businesses continue to adapt to the ongoing pandemic, now is the perfect opportunity to embrace virtual networking and expand your professional network.

Expanding your current network now could unlock opportunities for future growth and help you weather the present storm.

So, while it’s easy to view your competitors as the enemy, collaborating and networking with other like-minded professionals can open new doors. Whether it’s hosting online webinars, discussing trending topics or partnering with other agencies to tackle complex projects, content marketing associations and online networking platforms provide a smorgasbord of opportunities for stand-alone agencies.

Join us as we explore the value of networking as an agency and how you can get started.

What Is Agency Networking?

Agency networking involves building professional peer-to-peer relationships with other agencies and media organisations. Instead of creating barriers between your rivals, sharing insights and encouraging collaboration with other like-minded agencies can unlock exciting opportunities and partnerships.

If you’re a stand-alone agency, finding your voice and incentivising industry-wide change can be tough. However, if multiple agencies unite and create peer-to-peer networks, they can pool their resources and social reach to empower change.

Agency networking presents valuable opportunities for your business to tap into new markets, learn from others and establish yourself as an influential player in your industry.

While the upfront costs of joining a network may deter you, the return on investment from collaborating with global partners can take your business to a whole new level.

Benefits Of Collaboration In Global Networks

So, what is the value of building your virtual network and joining remote networking groups during the COVID-19 lockdown?

  • Business Development Opportunities. While winning clients as an individual agency can feel like an upward battle during these difficult times, working alongside other agencies can give rise to a host of collaborative opportunities and referrals from trusted partners. Try to identify agencies who face similar challenges to your business and think about how you can join forces to find mutually-beneficial solutions.
  • Access New Markets. Global networks can help you win clients from overseas and take advantage of remote working to build a borderless client base.
  • Media Partnerships. Partnering with media organisations can boost brand exposure by combining agency-side skills with media-side reach. Media partnerships allow your business to explore new engagement channels and expand your client base.
  • Matchmaking. CMA offers a dedicated matchmaking service to connect your business with the right agencies to help you scale.

Top Tips: How To Build Your Virtual Network

So, now that we’ve established the value of growing your professional network, what practical steps can you take to make it happen?

Here are our four top tips to help you nail your networking skills:

  1. Stand out from the crowd

When people are scrolling through their timeline or chatting with large groups on a Zoom call, you need to create a memorable first impression and give people a reason to interact.

That said, there’s a fine line between standing out and attention-seeking. Try asking thought-proking questions on LinkedIn posts or suggesting fun ice-breaker games on networking calls to kickstart memorable conversations.

  1. Journal your networking experiences

When you’re meeting new people every day and taking part in lots of different conversations at the same time, it can be difficult to keep tabs on your connections and valuable opportunities can fall by the wayside.

Taking notes during virtual meetups and jotting down quick reminders is a simple way to keep track of new leads and stay connected with your network.

  1. Take part in trending conversations

One of the best ways to build your network and boost online exposure is to contribute to the latest debates in your industry. Try searching for relevant hashtags or using the ‘trending’ feature on LinkedIn to connect with key thought leaders in your sector.

  1. Create a reason for follow-up messages

The biggest mistake you can make is to connect with a valuable lead but fail to keep the conversation rolling. When you meet a new lead or contact, try to plant a seed to kickstart another interaction down the line.

Whether it’s asking for their website and telling them you’ll get back to them with your thoughts or asking for a book recommendation and messaging them when you finish, it’s important to keep the relationship alive.

Connect Your Agency With The World

Are you ready to make the most of lockdown and embrace virtual networking to discover promising opportunities for your business?

While COVID-19 presents businesses with a new set of challenges, building powerful peer-to-peer relationships by joining The CMA can open doors to a world of opportunities to help you thrive.

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