How To Become Good At Virtual Networking? A 3-Step Guide For Everyone

Hey, did you know that 1.8 billion people use Facebook literally EVERY SINGLE DAY?

Here's another fact: CNBC research has revealed that 71% of daily social media users worldwide suffer from feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Can you guess where we are going with this?

Even though networking has become more accessible, people struggle to develop deep, meaningful relationships virtually. Despite having a billion people to connect with, we're just staring blankly at the phone screen and wondering how to initiate a fun, engaging conversation.

With the pandemic, virtual networking is more important than ever — social distancing demands us to stray away from crowding and meeting in person. So how can someone master the art of building online friendships?

Here are three expert tips that you can practice you step your game up:

1. Make Your Bios As Creative And Authentic As Possible

An online bio is also the synopsis of your whole personality; people judge who you are, based on how you describe who you are within those limited characters.

As per Forbes, people usually fill their online bio section boasting about their professional credentials, roles, and responsibilities.

But seriously — unless you're job hunting on LinkedIn — who cares?

Your bio should intrigue the reader to learn about who you are deep inside by clicking "see more," like a well-scripted soliloquy. Our tip would be to talk more about your values, what you're passionate about, and other deep human subjects.

2. Think Of Better Ice Breakers

Unless you're in for a job interview, questions like "how are you?", "Tell me about yourself" shouldn't be how you start a conversation.

If you don't want to feel like chatting with an AI bot with preset responses, then quit asking those age-old stock questions.

Be creative and try to know more about what moves their soul. Ask for their opinion about the latest movie trending on Netflix, for instance. The more effort you put into breaking the ice, the higher your chances of leaving a great first impression.

3. Don't Forget - The Web Is Filled With Real People

As per a recent study, one common mistake people make when connecting virtually is assuming it's different from engaging with people in person.

When chatting on social media, we forget that it can have the same emotional impact as a personal face-to-face conversation.

We're very self-conscious about people not paying attention, and it kills our enthusiasm to be authentic and share our true beliefs. We share memes and funny videos and expect to build deep relationships.

Here's a tip: Always visualize that the people you're networking with virtually are present in the same room as you. This small practice allows you to be yourself, speak directly from your heart and make the conversation more engaging than usual.

Summing It Up

If you're not using social media to network with people and build relationships, you're missing out on a world of opportunities.

Making connections doesn't only help us get closer to our goals; it keeps us motivated during our darkest, loneliest times. We hope our 3-step framework has helped you start your journey to learn virtual networking.

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