How to create your own networking opportunities online and connect with key players, according to entrepreneurs, coaches, and executives who've done it

• In-person networking events have long been a major avenue for entrepreneurs and professionals looking to connect with peers and prospects.
• With coronavirus shutting down physical interactions, many of those events are being held virtually only or have modified programming.
• Entrepreneurs across industries and locations are devising virtual alternatives to serve clients and nurture their networks - from an IGTV series and a digital-only membership community to personalized audio messages for clients.
• These entrepreneurs and virtual engagement experts said that social distancing does not mean social isolation - now is the time to pivot, show clients you care, and build a foundation that will define your "post-pandemic come-up."
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Jeff Lindor, founder and CEO of The Gentlemen's Factory, was at an influencer dinner with other CEOs, venture capitalists, and founders in Brooklyn when the news broke that the NBA had suspended its season. Each guest looked at their phone, then at each other.

"That's when we said, 'Wow, this is serious. It's time to start planning for our businesses," said Lindor, whose networking organization caters to men of color. "I went home and drafted a survey asking members what they'd like to see in a digital platform."

Two weeks later, GF Digital went live, offering a host of timely virtual workshops to its existing client base and a digital-only membership tier to attract new members.

"What coronavirus shows is that businesses need to move very quickly," Lindor said. "Before, we were bound to physical locations. But with digital membership comes an opportunity to scale. Now, this is an opportunity for us to connect with the world."

In-person networking opportunities - including conferences, workshops, coworking and learning spaces, and even cocktail hours - have long been a major avenue for entrepreneurs to meet clients and contacts. Now that they can't meet physically, many entrepreneurs are finding, testing, or amplifying virtual alternatives to network. And, like Lindor, they are doing it swiftly.

Eventbrite told Business Insider it saw 250% growth in online events between March 1 and March 26. In the entrepreneurs, small business, and professional category, the increase was 3% from February to March. And since March 10, searches for online events on the platform increased tenfold.

"The surge in search for online events shows there's this massive hunger to connect," said Chloe Stewart, Eventbrite's vice president of sales. "Human beings are inherently social creatures. Now, it's so crucial to stay connected."

Virtual engagement experts say the key to connecting well is to meet your connections where they are - both in the media channels they use and emotionally.

"It's physical distancing we want, not social distancing," said Sree Sreenivasan, Marshall Loeb Visiting Professor of Digital Innovation at Stony Brook University, whose recent Social Media Weekend #SMWKND day-long summit was online. "Customers want to be connected to, but they want you to do it in deep, serious, meaningful ways, and in ways that will be compelling."

Added Melissa Llarena, founder and CEO of career coaching company Career Outcomes Matter, "Right now we are all going through this transition to online together, so it's expected that you'll network online. Use this truth wisely by bringing 20% more value to calls [and] still bringing your personality, with a dose of compassion, given the moment in history."

Here are several tips and tools for making the most of virtual opportunities to network.

1. Use the tools and resources you already know well

Whether it's Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, WebEx, or Facebook Live, the best tool for virtual meetings is the one you or your customers already know, the experts said.

On Eventbrite, Stewart said Zoom is the most commonly used, due partly to the software being integrated into the platform. On event platform Meetup, according to Emma Schwartz, vice president of product, more than half of organizers use Zoom, followed by YouTube and Google.

"For organizers, the best platform to use is the one they're able to get up to speed on quickly," said Schwartz. "That answer may be different for different people, and may change as they grow in their experience of hosting online."

Programming also drives the choice of tool. If a speaker is showing slides or plans to have participants ask questions, GoToWebinar, Vimeo Live, and Zoom's premium option work, Schwartz said. For live-streaming, she recommends YouTube Live.

Sreenivasan and his team understood these nuances when they moved their summit online. When New York announced broad closures, the team had only 10 days to shift it online and they considered numerous tools, event executive producer Neil Parekh said.

In the end, the team went with Streamyard, the livestream tool they had been using for Sreenivasan's weekly "Sunday #NYTReadalong" and daily "#SreeCOVID19Call" broadcasts on social media. The tool allowed presenters to stream from their homes, displayed slides, and featured select attendee comments in a ticker scroll. The team even managed a fireside chat featuring Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of "Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope."

"If you have to turn something around quickly and you have someone who has experience with a particular platform, you should lean into that," Parekh said.

2. Go back to event planning and management basics

Moving an event online requires the same core event planning steps to ensure a smooth experience, Parekh said. You still have to prep your speakers, show them how to use the tools, and confirm the content they will share, he said. Having a designated colleague to work through technical issues is also vital, except online that person may be monitoring chat rooms and solving logistical issues such as internet connectivity.

As with live events, engagement online is key to a satisfying participant experience. Attendee polls, curated questions, and asking for questions ahead of time are all standard engagement practices.

"It might be a little bit tricky to build a relationship with someone when you're not physically around them," Stewart said. "But using something like Zoom, where you can break out into individual or small groups and strategize, and then come back together, that allows you to really get to know the other [attendees]."

Also, be sure to test and have a backup plan in case the technology fails, Stewart said. Practice runs, testing audio and video, and having a wired connection if wireless fails are all examples of basics to cover for virtual events.

3. Give people good, compelling content

For Lindor, what mattered most was giving his 200 members what they would need during this crisis. Their survey responses helped him prioritize content for the digital platform. At launch, workshops such as products and services the government needs urgently, recession-proofing a business, and parenting advice were among the offerings.

"Entrepreneurship is all about solving a problem," Lindor said. "[With this offering], our members can continue being the best versions of themselves."

David J.P. Fisher, an author of several books on sales and networking books, including the "Networking in the 21st Century" series, offered one other way to get ideas for meaningful content: review your LinkedIn feed and customer emails.

"You can go back to emails that you've gotten recently from customers or prospects with questions," Fisher said. "Take those topics and put together a webinar or something similar that maps out strategies and tactics for your customers."

4. Get creative with distribution

Coronavirus-titled emails are flooding mailboxes everywhere, turning well-intentioned messages into noise. To break through the clutter and, more importantly, foster community requires new ways of delivering and messaging.

"This time has caused everybody to be innovative and disrupt the space," said entrepreneur Victoria Jenn Rodriguez. "The main objective is cultivation of your community. How can you provide tools and resources to people so they can level up and be prepared for their post-pandemic come-up?"

Coming off the signature event for her nonprofit The Female Collaborative in early March, Rodriguez had planned several in-person touchpoints with participants. To sustain these connections now, she is launching an Instagram TV series.

In each 15- to 20-minute IGTV episode, a guest will share insights, lessons, or advice live directly from their home. Each story will then be saved for viewers to watch anytime.

"People are looking for [us] to be more relaxed, more genuine, and authentic in our storytelling," Rodriguez said. "It's forcing us to lead in a different way."

Nikki Nash, a media company CEO and Hay House author and business coach, has continued to connect through her podcast, webinars, private Facebook group, social following, and email list. Recently, she has increased her use of personalized video messages, through tools like Bonjoro and Bomb Bomb, to make up for the lack of in-person time.

"If you start doing these things now that you're home, try not to stop them when your business goes back to normal," Nash added. "Do it at a consistency where you can keep them going."

5. Present the best version of you

In his recently-released "Virtual Presentation Crash Course," Rob Biesenbach, a communication expert and author, said his number one rule is: "Everything at an 11." That means doing everything with more energy, volume, excitement, engagement, interaction, and visuals to keep your audience engaged.

"I mean your '11' - not someone else's or your impression of what others might do," Biesenbach told Business Insider. "I mean the very best version of yourself. So it's authentic and it feels comfortable."

Getting there may take "working the extremes," added Biesenbach. In networking scenarios, for example, if you're shy, behave like a quintessential used car salesman, he said. If you're a big data person, practice your pitch without using numbers.

"Working the extremes will help you find the sweet spot somewhere between that extreme and your usual comfort zone," Biesenbach said.

To get that real you across, Llarena suggested that you "pretend they are truly sitting next to you," she said. "It's a mind trick, but important to really believe to get more comfortable using online networking methods."

Before turning on your video, be sure you and your environment look and sound good.

"Test your audio and your voice," Llarena said. "You may sound tired if you just woke up and your audio could be set to the wrong settings."

Biesenbach suggested following a few digital housekeeping rules. Among them, tidying your desktop and physical space, using a good quality mic for audio or webcam, elevating your screen to frame your face, and sitting with the light source in front of you.

Lastly, look professional even while at home, said Kimberly Schneiderman, senior practice development manager with Randstad RiseSmart career transition firm. This ranges from simple acts like combing your hair to freshening up your lip gloss to sitting up instead of reclining to wearing appropriate clothing. Tool features like Zoom's "touch up my appearance" can also help.

Schneiderman added that while everyone understands there are distractions out of your control, try to eliminate those you can. She said, "It's a business call, so treat it as such."

6. Be very active on social media

Do your research before attending a virtual networking event.

"If you can get access to the attendees list in advance, scan it and identify a handful of people you think would be valuable to connect with," Biesenbach said. "Check out their online profiles, website and anything else you can find to identify areas of mutual interest."

Not having buffet lines to strike up conversations in person should not deter you from connecting. Instead, use various forums to find people.

"Serendipity is proactive online," Llarena said. "You see an article, a social media post, a comment on someone else's social media post, and then you serendipitously reach out to introduce yourself on LinkedIn. [Send] a tailored note and schedule a call based on you adding value in some way."

Finally, if you haven't already, connect with offline connections on LinkedIn immediately, numerous coaches said.

"If the relationship began offline, then you should immediately or now connect via LinkedIn by sending a tailored invite connection that specifically mentions how you met," Llarena said. "Perhaps [include] something you appreciated from the conversation or about them. Be crisp and specific."

Fisher suggested posting on LinkedIn three to five times each week. He also recommended sending an email to prospects, customers, and connections outlining what's going on in your business and how they can continue to engage with you.

For Sophia Z. Chow, a senior brand manager, being very active on LinkedIn helped her land her current role. Updating her profile and commenting regularly got her on people's radar, including her future boss'.

"He approached me and asked me for coffee," Chow said.

No stranger to connecting virtually, Chow had been using social platforms for years to stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues across the globe. As a job seeker, she let those connections know she was looking and sent notes to companies that interested her.

7. Ask thoughtful questions and actively participate in discussions

Schneiderman suggested going into virtual meetups with questions about the virus' impact on specific industries, locations, or businesses, and to ask attendees how they're coping. Then, shift to opportunities that might exist by asking for ideas to meet those challenges.

"Networking is about building relationships," Schneiderman said. "We build relationships by getting to know people, by being curious about others, their personal lives to an extent, as well as their professional lives."

Biesenbach said in group conversation, choose a few key moments to contribute.

"Stay on message, deliver it with passion, and position yourself in a way that will appeal to those people you're looking to meet and connect with," he said.

8. Follow up every interaction with a personalized message

Last but not least, follow up with connections made online just as you would with people you meet offline.

"As [a] follow-up, find some way you can help that person based on issues you two discussed - a link, a resource, or an offer to connect them with someone you think they should meet," Biesenbach said. Llarena added that what could be even more helpful is sending the person a recording of the conversation or event for reference as a "virtual leave behind" that keeps the door open for future interaction.

Schneiderman offers the following template.

Hi [first name],

It was a pleasure to meet you virtually during [online event name]. It was great learning about your passion for [add detail] and your successful career path. Thank you for taking the time to share your insight and experiences.

As I mentioned, I am trying to break into the industry and would like to ask you 2-3 questions about your experience working at [company]. Would you be free to chat over coffee this week? I know you're busy, so I will make myself available whenever you have 15-20 minutes.

If you prefer, I would be happy to send my questions via email. Otherwise feel free to call me on my cell at [number].

In our conversation, you mentioned your interest in [additional detail]. Attached is a great [article or resource related to that detail] that speaks to the future of this field. I thought you would find it interesting.

I really appreciate your willingness to help.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

And get the latest coronavirus analysis and research from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.

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