Forward Podcast #18 :: A Beginner’s Guide to Online Networking Tools
As the Forward Podcast hits the legal drinking age in Australia, Paull still manages to have a lucid conversation with Andrea Weckerle about her approach to networking online.
Andrea uses a number of online tools to build and maintain relationships and she explains how she uses them and how easy it is for young PR folk to take advantage of the opportunities they present.
Tools mentioned in the podcast:
- prblogs.org - free blogs for PR students, practitioners and educators
- LinkedIn - a social networking site for business
- Flickr - an online photo sharing site
- Meetup, confabb, upcoming.org - websites for finding real world events
- Second Life - Virtual World that hosts business networking events (eg Business Communicators of Second Life)
Show notes:
00:13: Podcast introduction.
01:24: Paull introduces Andrea.
03:08: Andrea explains why having a blog is an essential foundational step for online networking.
04:39: Andrea says that reading blogs and commenting is the important first step in engaging with the blogosphere.
06:10: Andrea outlines how Google can be used as a networking tool.
07:30: Paull asks Andrea to talk about the use of social network and she highlights LinkedIn.
09:50: Andrea discusses the friendliness and accessibility of the blogosphere and PR bloggers.
12:00: Paull suggests that it is useful for young PR pros to join MySpace and Facebook and points to the ‘Friends of Forward’ Facebook group.
12:44: Andrea cautions PR newbies to be aware of their online profile and to understand that prospective employers will check your MySpace and Facebook profiles.
13:47: Andrea highlights the use of photo sharing sites as part of your online profile.
15:06: Paull and Andrea discuss how online profiles help people make connections with each other.
16:10: Andrea points to some online tools she uses to find ‘real world’ networking opportunities.
18:16: Andrea describes how she uses Second Life for virtual meetups and networking and recommends it for geographically isolated communicators.
20:35: Paull and Andrea sum up the online tools and how they can be used by young PR’s to great benefit.
Technorati Tags: Forward Podcast, Andrea Weckerle, Marketing, Public Relations, pr, Social Networking, Networking, online relationships, linkedin, facebook, myspace, Second Life, virtual networking, young pr professionals, pr students
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Pingback by » Forward Podcast #18 : A Beginner’s Guide to O… - myspacerip.com — February 16, 2007 @ 10:07 am
I didn’t hear MyBlogLog mentioned - which I find to be a great networking tool. Any reason behind that?
Comment by Drew Meyers — February 18, 2007 @ 8:06 pm
Drew, we tried to cover some of the main online networking tools, but weren’t able to list them all, so I’m glad you mentioned MyBlogLog.
Would you mind sharing how specifically you’ve found it beneficial?
Comment by Andrea Weckerle — February 18, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
Chances are those people that read the same blogs have similar interests — MyBlogLog puts a face on those people and allows readers to learn more about them via clicking through to their profile (& blog).
As a blog author, it allows me learn more about my readers (rather than just seeing an anonymous IP address in some tracking program).
Comment by Drew Meyers — February 18, 2007 @ 11:54 pm
I keep getting told that blogging is an essential foundational step for online networking, but I’m still not quite convinced. I see how it forces interaction and how it gives any and everyone the chance to state their opposition to some posted blog advice or opinion, but I haven’t seen or read of any concrete networking. As a soon to be college graduate trying to join the public relations work force, all I need to be doing right now is networking. And if blogging is supposed to be helping me do that, then I am not blogging correctly, if there is a such thing.
My question is, and it might just be out of ignorance, how are we supposed to network through blogging? Just post a comment on a blog and hope someone in a management position for the company I want to work for will read it, be highly impressed, then offer me a job, a contact name, or advice on how to find the job I want and be successful?
So, I need help, what are those online tools Andrea uses to find ‘real world’ networking opportunities?
Comment by Ashley — February 19, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
Well, Ashley, commenting elsewhere is a good starting point. Usually, when people leave a comment, they enter the URL for their blog. If you don’t have a blog, that’s OK. Does Robert still have you guys create an online portfolio? If you have your own domain for that, you could link to that instead of your blog. If you don’t have that … just use your full name, and then make sure you have a LinkedIn profile where someone could look you up.
Also, I’m not sure what you consider “concrete networking,” because there are lots of examples of that out there. For example, Andrea — who I become familiar with via the blogosphere — helped connect me with a Realtor near DC and that lead to me finding my current apartment. But no, you didn’t see all the little things that lead up to that plastered on a blog somewhere. The blogosphere is a starting point for networking. It gets the ball rolling and initiates relationships. Then you build on those via email and/or offline.
I think you might be focusing on the end result too much. I’ve never approached blogging with the objective of networking-to-find-a-job, and I personally don’t recommend doing so. That’s not very … er … genuine. (You probably already realize this as well, and have possibly shied away from it for that very reason.) So just focus less on the networking angle and more on the conversation and learning opportunities it presents. Asking questions is always fine and good — like you’ve done here. Folks understand that you’re a student and you’re going to ask questions, and many times, a thoughtful question can actually speak well of the person asking it.
But this: “Just post a comment on a blog and hope someone in a management position for the company I want to work for will read it, be highly impressed, then offer me a job, a contact name, or advice on how to find the job I want and be successful?” Surely, you realize it’s not that simple or formulaic.
Looking for examples of networking? Look at the many posts Paull Young has written about his travels. Or this one from Luke Armour. Frankly, you’re not really going to find folks blogging about “my connection with so and so got me a job at wherever” or “thanks to so-and-so, I scored an interview with this firm.” If you have a close enough relationship with someone for them to help tee up something like that, chances are, you’ve been emailing or talking with them for a while (perhaps via a relationship sparked by the blogosphere) and neither of you consider the fruits of your relationship to be blog-worthy.
But, just for kicks, here is one career-related example from my own experience. I became familiar with Jeremy Pepper via Marcom Blog, his own blog, and his comments to my blog. The fairly frequent blogosphere-level interaction eventually lead to trading a few emails, and then a series of IM conversations. I later met Jeremy face-to-face at an event, which adds another dimension to the formerly online-only relationship. And ultimately, Jeremy was instrumental in prodding me to email his friend Mike Krempasky — who was already familiar with me through Jeremy — about a job opening Edelman had open in DC. (Tah-dah!)
So if you’re out there in the conversation, it will happen. You’ll start to build relationships, and you’ll benefit from them — whether it’s through new knowledge, a job lead, or just the sheer joy of interacting with another human being!
Maybe have another listen to the podcast, explore the tools that Andrea mentions and Paull links to above, and let us know if you still have questions. (Feel free to email: erin at forward-moving.com)
Comment by Erin Caldwell — February 19, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Erin. Ashley, I have also used my contacts via blogging for various things, including networking for jobs - for me and for others, places to live, new opportunities, new friendships and possibly more.
Comment by Jeremy Pepper — February 19, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
[…] I 18. episode av Forward Podcast er det en fin oppsummering av nettverksverktøy - Web 2.0-verktøy - du kan ha nytte av. Podcasten og bloggen Forward PR generelt retter seg først og fremst mot nyutdannede og unge kommunikatører, men denne podcastepisoden er nyttig for andre med interesse for kommunikasjon og nettverksbygging også. […]
Pingback by fosseng.info » Nyttige nettverksverktøy — March 10, 2007 @ 9:54 am
I’m always wondering if blogging is really going to lead to great connections with people that matter. I have faith that it will, but I realize I may need to become a more seasoned blogger before it happens. There is no doubt that blogging is helping my writing skills, and that truly is reason enough for me to continue posting. I keep hearing from PR professionals that students entering into this world don’t have the writing skills that they need, so I’m determined to not fit into that mold.
I do, however, want my blog to become something more than a place to practice writing. I don’t want to put it out there until I feel like I have a complete grasp on what I’m doing, though. The last thing I want is for potential employers to see my blog and not hire me because of it. Do you think it’s a good idea to hold off linking people to my blog until I feel like I’ve got the hang of it?
Comment by Katherine L. — March 12, 2007 @ 12:31 am
Katherine,
By all means ease your way into it. I think that is the smartest approach, and it’s also how I started out.
Just don’t be afraid to join the conversation! The PR bloggers are a very welcoming bunch.
Comment by Paull Young — March 12, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
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