We randomly selected 100 social media-savvy small business owners and asked them the following question:
“Do you generate more new from professional relationships with at least some face to face networking or do you generate more new business from exclusively online networking relationships?”
While this is not the largest sample size, it reminds us that a small trusted business network is much more effective at generating sales leads than a massive network of loose social media connections. The optimal idea is to incorporate both social media technology and your trusted business network into a sales focused referral marketing strategy.
Avid Twitter user and Toronto area networker Tad Mclaughlin:
“As great as social media is, and as much as it can enrich your existing relationships, the bottom line is that the majority of your new business is going to come from networking with professionals you already know and trust.”
Tags: Business Networking, referral marketing, Referral Network
Social networking is very important in todays world and can be used effectively to generate good business. Social networking can be used to interact with business people in which you already know, as well as to get referrals from other people whom you may not know. I recently found a great website that gives you a variety of ways in which you can interact with local business and its free to sign up! Happy networking:)