Virtual Networking Tips To Skyrocket Your eLearning Business

We live in a world that’s more isolated than ever. Because of that, we here at IDLance want to give you some red hot virtual networking tips to help your eLearning biz succeed in this post-water cooler world. You stay there. We’ll stay here. Don’t come any closer!

Now, like we were saying— our world is more isolated than ever. Sad? Yeah, kinda. But it’s also opened up a world of possibility for communication that’s safe, easily-accessible, fast, and oftentimes hugely beneficial. And as an added bonus, you can do it in sweatpants or full on Winnie-the-Pooh style. That’s when no bottoms but small red shirt.

The system will work for you, so long as you know how to work the system! That being said, here’s a hug and a glass of water—now let’s check out some virtual networking tips.

What are your goals?

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but if you haven’t yet, you want to sit down and give this one a think. The best thing you can do before embarking on your virtual networking journey, is to set some goals for yourself. What do you want out of this experience? Are you looking for a new job? Are you interested in absorbing knowledge from thought leaders in the industry? Do you just want some like-minded friends to make corny ID jokes with?

There’s a good chance, you want all of those things, but you should at least figure out which one is your priority so you know where to channel the brunt of your work and how much time you need to put into doing it.

For example, if you’re looking for a new job, then you’re going to want to be all over LinkedIn like it’s your job. If you’re just looking for some cool, new buds then you can do that pretty casually via places like Facebook or Instagram. May we also suggest IDLance as a fantastic place to meet like-minded freelies, plus much more!

Join Industry-Specific Slack Groups

Slack! Not the kind you cut someone, and not the kind Winnie-the-Pooh is without— we’re talkin’ the workplace communication tool. If you don’t know about Slack yet, you definitely want to get on there right away! Slack is a workplace chat app that allows users to communicate based on industry, company, teams, or topic. What’s cool about Slack is that you can talk in chat-room style “channels” or take conversations private through direct messaging.

If you’ve been invited to join a specific Slack team, you’ll get an e-mail invite and from there you can start chattin’ up a storm, you social butterfly! If you haven’t been invited, don’t despair! You can use their search feature to find eLearning-specific public Slack groups to join. Then just jump into the conversation! It’s free to start and you never know who you’ll meet or what advice you’ll glean!

You may also find some awesome webinars or community events to attend while Slack-surfing. Webinars (or web seminars, get it?!) are a great opportunity to build up your contact list, meet new people, and get your name out there. Plus, it’s a fun way to learn from industry experts!

You can join the official IDLance Slack community by clicking the link at the bottom of this page!

Be Active on Social Media

Chances are you’re already doing this one, but make sure all your social media accounts are up to date and active! That means Facebook, Instagram, Twitter— ya know, the socials! Sometimes you can get so lost in puppy pics on there that you forget to update your job history, interests, brand identity etc.

If everything’s good to go, then start finding your eLearning peeps. A simple search will yield all kinds of other accounts, businesses, and people you’ll definitely want to connect with. As usual, be yourself but keep it professional. Kinda professional, at least! Oh, and be sure to find IDLance on there! You know we’re all about that content creating!

Show Love to LinkedIn

We all know her. We all love her. It’s LinkedIn. This is probably the number one spot to do most of your virtual networking! You may even say, that’s exactly what its made for…interesting.

If your profile on LinkedIn is not yet complete, get on that! We know it’s a lot of information to fill out, but it’s important that you do, so anyone viewing your profile will know exactly who you are and what you’re all about. It’s basically your online resume and first impression all mixed into one!

The best way to make connections on LinkedIn is to stay active! Comment, like, and share posts by your connections and do it often. Accept and send connection requests regularly. Check out who’s viewing your profile and shoot them a connection request! The more connections you make, the more you’ll show up in searches. So, summon the inner child in you who used to go up to strangers and say, “Wanna be friends!?”

You should also follow hashtags, like #elearning and #instructionaldesign, to stay in the loop and build up your industry reputation.

Check Your Tech

Lastly, make sure all your technology is up to the task of virtual networking. For example, if you have a video call scheduled or are planning on attending a webinar or meeting, make sure your system can handle it without any embarrassing lagging or buffering. Test your tech before your virtual hangs! Trust us on this one!

Conclusion

Building your virtual network organically is a process that takes time. This is not something that’s going to happen overnight! The key is to be patient, be consistent, and to keep putting your best self out there!

If you’re feeling nervous about “putting yourself out there,” remember, we all feel kinda nervous about it! It’s not as weird as you think to send someone a friend request or an e-mail. They will most likely be enchanted by you and it could become a vital connection. And it they’re not, well they must be a big dummy and who needs ‘em anyway! On to the next one!

You never know who you’re going to meet on the internet, so go get ‘em, kid! You’ve got nothing to lose.

But, also don’t get catfished. More on that another time…