{"id":60902,"date":"2018-12-27T20:12:09","date_gmt":"2018-12-28T04:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=60902"},"modified":"2018-12-27T20:12:09","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T04:12:09","slug":"how-to-network-without-face-to-face-interactions-if-youre-an-introvert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-to-network-without-face-to-face-interactions-if-youre-an-introvert\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Network without Face-to-Face Interactions If You\u2019re an Introvert"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Networking opens many doors for entrepreneurs. This is a sure-fire way to get people interested in your services, find loyal partners, and most importantly, attract new customers. But things are not that optimistic if you\u2019re an introvert like me. A lump in the throat, racing heart, shivers up and down the spine, – that\u2019s how it feels to speak to the crowd of strangers at another local event. And how to network under such conditions?<\/p>\n

A hesitant speech isn\u2019t something your target audience will fall for. You must present yourself as a confident, knowledgeable, and somewhat witty speaker, otherwise you\u2019ll fail. The chances to fake confidence under pressure are close to zero unless you are a gifted actor. To stay calm and think straight, every introvert needs isolation from the public<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The good news is networking can go online today, without you having to go through the stress of face-to-face interactions. Not only will you feel emotionally comfortable, but will also be able to reach a broader audience than any conference hall can accommodate. Check out ten tips on how to network from your comfort zone.<\/p>\n

1. Get the ball rolling as a blog commenter<\/h2>\n

Comment fields are great alternatives to live events for gaining recognition. But you must play it right to make things work there. First off, focus on self-presentation rather than self-promotion. Try to add some unexpected yet well-reasoned facts to the story. It will show you as someone who knows the ins and outs of your niche. Or, better yet, try to disagree with the post author or other commenters if you can defend your viewpoint, of course. Sounding provocative will help you strike up more conversations.<\/p>\n

Blogs usually enable commenting under social and Disqus profiles, so readers will always see the person behind those witty remarks. As you appear more and more often in front of your target audience, they will start recognizing your headshot. Later, you\u2019ll find it easier to contact them by email. People are more responsive to someone they know rather than complete strangers.<\/p>\n

2. Learn how to network on forums and Q&A sites<\/h2>\n

While blog comments are better suited for presenting yourself as an industry brainiac, forums and Q&A sites like Quora<\/em> are great for product promotion. Your target audience hangs out there to discuss their pain points. That\u2019s a perfect excuse for you to show up and share a few lifehacks based on your product use cases. Such a stunt will bring you many leads.<\/p>\n

As a rule, people join forums only when Google doesn\u2019t suggest any relevant info for their queries. If you stumble upon the same question here and there, most likely no one has posted expert guidance yet. That\u2019s your chance to be the first one who does. I don\u2019t have to explain how cool it is to be a groundbreaker in some field, do I?<\/p>\n

3. Expand your business presence into new territories, aka guest blogs<\/h2>\n

Writing in solitude is a better fit for introverts<\/a> than speaking in public. There are many sites that would be happy to accept your guest contribution, but there\u2019s hardly any editor who\u2019ll let you promote your biz directly. Through guest posting, you should share the lessons you learned on your way. It can be a how-to guide, case study, research of market trends, or a roundup of expert opinions, anything that\u2019s not a direct product review.<\/p>\n

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Note that not every guest post gets approved. Editors receive tons of submissions monthly, so yours must outshine others in some way. Make sure your content has a catchy headline, engaging intro, easy-to-scan structure, etc. These tips<\/a> will help you write articles that people will actually want to read.<\/p>\n

4. Send submissions to business directories<\/h2>\n

Be careful at this stage. Don\u2019t submit your biz to every directory that gives you a warm welcome. Some directories you\u2019ll stumble upon are nothing but spam hubs that will make your website\u2019s backlink profile look spammy to Google. A downgrade in search rankings is all you\u2019ll get that way.<\/p>\n

Here are a few signals that will tell you a directory is worth your submission:<\/span><\/p>\n