The influence of the internet is only increasing in the world of business these days. If you are part of an organization, you can build your network and start relying on the best digital networking strategies to promote your brand. However, things completely changed in the online world once the COVID-19 pandemic came into existence. As companies were forced to convert their operational procedures into work-from-home routines, digital marketing became even more important.
If a business cannot create an online presence on the internet or doesn’t fancy any marketing techniques, it can be considered a waste of time. Business networking is a massive asset in spreading your message about your brand, products, and services. Previously, business referrals used to be limited to a few personal contacts or previous professional references. However, people can create a strong business network without even knowing who the person is as part of their network. By implementing the relevant digital marketing tactics and having the right branding approach, you can attract a large audience.
What is Digital Networking?
If you want to expand your customer base, you must understand what is digital networking. It is defined as the process of creating an online community around your specified brand. The aim is to attract large audiences in your niche so they remain engaged and committed to your business. Digital marketing enables you to create an ideal networking atmosphere and increase your online sales. When you create a business network on the internet, you don’t put any limitations on the number of people that can join in. Whether you know a person personally or he has purchased products from you before, they will join your network if you promote your brand.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
However, it is essential to note that the people in your network will not convert into paying customers instantly. You have to attract a large audience and identify the people most interested in your products and services. Strikingly is a massive advocate of relevant marketing strategies. We believe that you must implement the right marketing strategies on your website to get the desired results and increase your conversion rate.
Importance of Digital Networking
1. Brand Awareness
All of your digital networking events revolve around your brand awareness campaigns. If you have a strong customer base as part of your network, your brand will have more chances to get online recognition. If you find many people talking about your brand, you have likely attracted a large audience. More people will be in line looking forward to seeing your products and services. They will check out your advertisements and make their buying decisions based on them. Your content will be displayed to a large number of customers.
Once you have created a brand identity and people recognize your hard work, it will be easier for you to promote your products and services. If the customers are satisfied with your services, there is no reason why they won’t tell their relatives and friends about it. This automatically makes your life easy as all of the crucial promotional work is done by your customers instead. By putting all the effort into developing your network, you can minimize the long-term costs of your marketing and advertising strategies.
2. Trust in Customers
It is almost a mathematical equation that your customers’ engagement is directly proportional to your brand identity. If your customers are satisfied and want to stay committed to your brand, you are expected to receive a high customer satisfaction score. Moreover, they will continue to shop from your online store. In your digital networking events, include discount offers and product launches for your customers.
If the customers feel that the business owner is doing everything to keep them happy, they will collaborate the same way and promote your products on their social media accounts. Moreover, they can also leave positive feedback on your website, which can be beneficial in attracting new audiences. When you create a website on Strikingly, you can create a review section and include such positive feedback as part of your website. This will help you gain the trust of your new customers instantly and convert your visitors into paying customers.
3. Less Marketing Expenses
As we have discussed before, if you build your network appropriately, you will minimize your marketing costs and reach out to many customers. Nowadays, numerous digital networking methods don’t have a high cost. Some of the events can even be conducted free of cost. For example, if you use webinars to get your point across, you don’t require paid tools to repeat your broadcasts.
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Apart from that, there are polls on Facebook and Instagram stories that can be conducted without spending a single penny. If these tactics prove successful, they will help you create a large online community. Strikingly provides its customers with a feature called idea forum, enabling them to engage among themselves about any topic related to Strikingly. If you feel that some of our services aren’t up to your standards, you shouldn’t hesitate and let us know right away.
4. Competitor Updates
When you expect a response from your audience during digital networking events, their feedback will likely be constructive. Usually, people participate in these events just for your online community. They are not under pressure or put under the spotlight by the brand or the business owner. Therefore, they have the authority to give honest feedback about your products and services.
Customer feedback is extremely important because, at times, it even tells you about the situation with your competitors. You will get an idea about the strategies implemented by your fellow competitors and the results they are generating from them. For example, if a customer tells you that they would like to buy a Wilson tennis racket instead of a Babolat tennis racket, you can ask them why. If you sell tennis rackets, but customers don’t feel like purchasing from your online store, you can ask them about their honest opinions.
Relevant Digital Networking Strategies
1. Create Professional Website
Nowadays, one of the most common digital networking tips is to create a professional website. You can display all the relevant products and services on your website and make them accessible to the public. If you have an established website with well-known social media platforms, the job is straightforward for you.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
To create a professional website, you must rely on a quality website builder like Strikingly. You don’t need any top programming degrees or a strong CV to be eligible for website development on our platform. You can create quality website designs on Strikingly without writing a single line of code. Once you are done with the customization, Strikingly won’t take more than two days to make your website active and accessible to the audience.
2. Content Marketing
Content marketing is one of the most necessary digital networking tips for a successful website. The more quality content you produce, the more you will have a chance to impress the people in your field. Content marketing is an important part of your overall marketing strategy. Your customers will fully trust you on your information and build their knowledge based on it.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
If the customers find your content attractive, they will give you preference compared to the rest of your competitor websites. This approach can create a strong brand image, which ultimately favors your online business. If you have created a website on Strikingly, make sure that you include a blog section as part of your website. In the blog section, you can talk about your niche's relevant and trending topics and spread information about it.
3. Online Presence
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
When you build your network, you don’t just have the objective of creating strong website visuals. You also have the ambitions to have an ideal customer base to recognize the effort you have just put in. There is no point in investing so much time on your website when no one is on your website to look at your work. You must implement relevant search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to change these fortunes. By implementing SEO strategies, you can improve your website’s Google ranking and increase your online sales.
Conclusion
If you are a beginner, you must understand the importance of creating online business networks. You cannot have a mindset that only you know everything related to your niche and assumes everyone should follow you. You must rely on a quality business network to improve your website’s conversion rate and create an ideal online presence. If you have trouble with your digital networks, you can hire people around you and increase your online sales.
To make the most out of your digital networking events, you must create a fully functional website on Strikingly. We provide you with a collection of mobile-friendly website templates, which you can customize as per your niche idea. After the customization, you can add all the eCommerce products and related content to your website. Once you start implementing the relevant digital marketing strategies, the ball will be fully in your customers’ court.
