5 Tips on Networking During Covid-19

It seems that in-person business meetings and networking won’t be a viable option for the foreseeable future. With lockdowns being reintroduced, and the winter months promising tougher restrictions, businesses are having to adapt. And, one of the biggest problems, is finding out how to network during Covid.

Making new connections, and maintaining the ones we already have, can be difficult when you can’t meet up.

How are we supposed to get out and meet new people?

What are we supposed to do if we can’t attend networking events?

It can be difficult navigating this new, unfamiliar territory. Especially when networking is such an integral part of your business, and you’re so used to relying on new connections.

But, that doesn’t mean that networking during Covid is impossible, or even has to be that difficult.

There are lots of ways that businesses and individuals can maintain their connections, and get to know new people.

Continue reading for 5 tips on how to network during Covid. 

According to Sky News, 36% of people are spending more time on Social Media during the lockdown.

And, according to Smart Insights, 42% of people are spending more time on messenger apps.

But what does this mean?

Well, reaching out to current contacts is a lot easier when everyone is on their phones!

One of the ways you should networking during Covid is by utilising social media and using this to start making some new connections.

LinkedIn is a great way to do this. If your business doesn’t already have a LinkedIn account, then now is a fantastic time to start one. The purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with new people online for business-related inquiries. So, it’s a great platform to get to know new people.

Social media is a great way to get to know new people and create new connections because often that’s one of the primary reasons why businesses will be running their social media.

Don’t be afraid to reach out and send a message. The person you’re reaching out to will likely be waiting for one!

So, you’ve found someone on social media that you’d like to connect with.

How do you send them a message?

When it comes to networking during Covid, you need to go the extra mile to make up for the fact that you’re not doing so in person.

A great way to do this is to make sure that your social media messages you’re sending are personal and have a special touch.

You don’t want to come across as the type of business that doesn’t put in any effort. Sending a generic or impersonal message is a sure-fire way to ensure that your message won’t be responded to. Or, worse yet, that they won’t even be opened.

So, how do you do this?

If you’re networking over social media, you’re already one step ahead. A great way to craft your personalised message is to have a quick scroll through their social media and see what they post, what they like, and what interests them.

Take LinkedIn for example.

You can see the posts they comment on and share. All it takes is a quick 30-second look to see that they recently shared a post about the future of marketing.

Now, it’s time to send them a message.

Firstly, use their name. A direct mode of address is the simplest way to make a message personal.

Secondly, let them know that you’ve check out their profile. Something along the lines of “I saw that you recently shared a post about the future of marketing, and found it very interesting!”

Finally, offer up your services.

As a general rule: keep the message short, sweet, and personal. It may take a little longer to craft, but your success rates will be much higher!

With people working at home, it’s difficult to assess what schedule people will be keeping. And, more importantly, how strictly they will be keeping to it.

People are likely to take breaks at different times, allocate their time differently for answering emails, only spend a limited amount of time networking…

How do you know when is the right time to send a message?

Well, despite everyone’s different schedules and working methods, there is one universal experience that everyone finds in their working day.

The 3 o’clock slump.

When 3 o’clock rolls around, and you’re least likely to be productive. You’re feeling a little tired after lunch, and you’re most likely to be spending a few minutes scrolling through your emails and social media.

Now is the time to strike.

This is the best time to contact people because they’re more likely to be on their phones and see your message instantly. As such, this is likely to jolt them out of their slump.

Rather than trying to compete for their attention at 9 am when they have a full day of tasks ahead of them, hit send on that message when they’re halfway through their day.

Your message is more likely to be opened, and as such, your chances of making a new connection will probably be more successful.

Now, this doesn’t mean reaching out to that one friend you made on your gap year twenty years ago.

But, catch up with that contact that you haven’t spoken to for a few months.

Maybe you were supposed to be working on a project with someone right now. Or, collaborating on a special deal together. Covid has put a lot of plans on hold, and there’s a lot of uncertainty about when these will be able to resume.

As such, it would mean a lot to your old contacts for you to reach out and let them know that you’re still thinking of them.

Telling them that you haven’t forgotten them and that you’re planning on meeting up soon is a great way of making sure that you don’t lose any contacts.

After all, maintaining connections is just as important as making new ones.

So, one great tip for marketing during Covid is to reach out and try and catch up with the people that you haven’t spoken to in a while.

It’s no secret that during the national lockdown, so many people resorted to online quizzes and chats.

The rise of video call platforms like Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams has led to a new wave in communication.

In fact, during the peak of the Coronavirus lockdown, Zoom recounted 300 million participants a day using their services, according to BBC News.

It was hugely popular!

And, as we move towards a second wave of lockdown towards the winter months, we need to continue to use them and make sure we don’t let them die.

When it comes to networking during Covid, there are lots of options you have when you embrace the virtual possibilities.

Firstly, if you’d like to meet or make a new connection, you can still meet for a coffee without it being in person.

You can designate a time of the day to call each other with your own coffees and have a chat as you do so from the comfort of your own home or office.

Or, if you really want to make a good impression and go the extra mile, you can even send them a coffee ready for your chat!

Secondly, if you’re the type of person who isn’t too comfortable with speaking one-on-one through virtual calls, make it a group meeting.

Even with people working from home, people are bored with things to do. A group video call with more than two people takes some of the pressure away and makes the meeting more casual and light.

Networking during Covid doesn’t have to be as hard, or as impossible, as people assume.

There are a lot of ways for you to work around the current restrictions and limitations, and make sure that you can keep in touch with your contacts and meet new ones too!

As we make new adjustments to the new way of working and networking post-Covid, we need to embrace the change and be flexible in our work.

If you’d like to see how marketing will be affected and how this will be achieved post-Covid, check out our article here.