Making Connections

Reaching out to people / organizations

• Google to find organizations and connections you would like to make and then follow them specifically on social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
• Don’t worry about being on all platforms, but be willing to consider platforms you don’t normally use if there is appropriate activity related to your project on the platform
• Follow groups, hashtags to broaden your network and find others to connect with

Professional Profile

• People will check your social media profile to learn about you
• Check your privacy settings, make sure at least some info is available
• Clean up your feed before starting to connect with others
• Think about your profile like your business card – is the information relevant to those who may be viewing it?
• Review your about me – update to include information about your Gold Award project
• If you have a website or other resources, link / list them in your profile
• If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, now may be a good time to start one

Social Media communication

• Build a relationship before making an ask
  • Follow groups related to your project and comment on posts and make your own posts
    • When you connect one-on-one you will have name recognition
    • Builds your knowledge base and shows others your knowledge you already have
  • Keep track of those that are active in the group, they could be good contacts
• Private messages
  • The recipient may not see your message if you do not have a connection already
  • Messages are less formal than emails, but try to use some of the same concepts (next week’s blog)
  • Be concise

Next week: Writing a good email