It’s 2020 and the way we do business has completely changed, especially within the last decade. The dynamics of apps and business social network has taken priority and word of mouth is now more in the form of online reviews than calling a buddy up and asking his or her advice about it.
In the last decade alone almost all of us have started using one or the other form of social network.
Even if we don’t use computers during our work hours (which is rare), we have our phones (mostly smartphones) almost always attached to us.
With the presence of so much social media in people’s lives, it would thus be stupid not to use some if not all forms of business social network.
Here’s a list of some business social network that we’d recommend to professionals:
1) LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business and employment-oriented service that operates both via websites and mobile apps.
LinkedIn is the leader in business social networking for professionals and helps you find people for all your professional needs.
Be it in the form of employee or in the form of other professionals you can partner with, LinkedIn helps you find communities of other professionals that you can network with.
2) Twitter
One of the fastest ways to communicate with consumers and other professionals, Twitter is an open online forum which instantly informs you what your consumers think about your product and also helps you connect with them when required.
Depending on your need, a quick search will help you find years of data which will not only help understand your consumers but also give you an insight into your competition’s consumers.
The forum also gives you the option of taking your conversation to a private chat and thus gives your consumer a sense of security when needed.
Despite being an open forum, Twitter is more private about your information than others. Further, Twitter only divulges your name, id and if you chose to show it, your location and email address.
3) Facebook Groups
Compared to LinkedIn which is more professional in nature, Facebook groups have a more informal feel to it. Here your profile isn’t directly linked to your professional qualifications and you can thus keep your personal and professional life separate.
But that doesn’t mean that Facebook groups can’t be used on the professional front. With Facebook comes millions of people and with the opportunity to connect with those whom you might not find on LinkedIn.
You just need to find Facebook Groups that are industry specific to your needs and where you can connect with other professionals in your industry and can even connect with other industry members who might be linked to your profession bout are not in the same industry as you.
Further, unlike LinkedIn where you need to constantly update your profile and resume with job switch and qualifications, Facebook is casual and thus less intimidating. It also offers you the same features that you get on LinkedIn but more on an informal front.
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4) Instagram
Just like Facebook, Instagram is a must have app for every professional.
The app, which is now owned for Facebook can also be connected to your Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr account and thus helps you post on each platform in one go.
With more than 500 million people using the platform on a daily basis, Instagram is a growing business social network that businesses shouldn’t be afraid to use.
Just like Facebook, Instagram also has a business tool, which helps you connect with other professionals and also helps you monitor the performance of your post and ads.
In addition, Instagram also has stories and Live features which is like a combination between Facebook Live and Snapchat and thus also gives you a chance to interact with your audience and help you connect with them as they get to see what goes behind the scenes of a business.
5) Coworking Spaces
A coworking space is defined as a sharing of office space which has typically self-employed and independent professionals who wish to work together in a collaborative setting.
Unlike online platforms where you don’t get to meet other entrepreneurs in person, a coworking space is an offline platform which is occupied by like-minded professionals.
A coworking space has a lot of advantages that you may not have thought of like myHQ has over 100 locations where you can work out of and connect with other people.
Further, myHQ has a vibrant community of over 10000 entrepreneurs, freelancers and working professionals working out of these spaces and they can help you find your next client or even partner with you on projects where you need their help.
The platform’s mixer also gives you an opportunity to meet, greet and connect with other individuals who can help you back each other’s dreams and visions together.
The biggest advantage of a coworking space is that helps you personally connect and network with other professionals and collaborate on projects as an when required.
It also makes it easier to find individuals in other professions when you or your client needs them (like a web-designer might also need a content writer) and work with them on a project to project basis.
These people would also help you network, as they can easily recommend your name based on their client needs.
Further, these coworking spaces also have apps with its dedicated message boards. For example, myHQ has an HQ Board on its app which is a chat platform where members can hold conversations and discussions as and when required.
6) NODD
For the unknown, NODD is an app-based networking platform for the professionals which helps people discover and meet like-minded people through curated experiences while using data analytics and algorithms.
The biggest advantage this app brings is that it was founded by a group of Mumbai based professionals and thus has a huge database of people whom you can contact according to your needs. NODD helps you join communities of interest be it a community of investors, founders or mentors.
The app also helps you view the profile of community members and chat with them and from there on allows members to create a ‘NoddIn’ which is a proposal to get together at some venue for socialising or business.
7) WhatsApp groups
While WhatsApp’s family groups might annoy you to the core, on a professional level a WhatsApp group is the quickest way to reach out to other professionals and also helps you stay connected with them.
Further, just like on Facebook and other business social network, a WhatsApp community member can add you to a group which has other members that you might not know and thus help you connect with them and thus expand your business network.
All the business social network will not only help you connect with your future and current customers but would also help you get feedback, and allow you to get in touch with other like-minded business professionals.
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