While there’s no replacement for in-person interactions, social media creates a place for us to stay relevant in people’s lives even from a distance. This constant communication builds strong relationships – personal and professional. The key is to be strategic with the way you use social media to get the most out of online networking.

1. Focus on your target audience:
Social media isn’t about appealing to everyone. Position yourself online to appeal to those who will be consumers for your business. Whether it’s B2B or B2C, know who your customers are and share content that will gain their respect and trust for your company.

2. Be consistent:
Once you’ve started aligning yourself as an expert in your field- keep it up! Make social media part of your everyday routine. Even if you’re not posting, engage with followers, friends and connections so they see your name or your brand on their newsfeed and keep you in mind. There may not be an immediate, measurable ROI, but building relationships online will translate offline as well.

3. Spread the likes:
We all have our favorite social media friends who are loyal ‘likers.’ Be a loyal liker to your friends and they’ll return the favor. Commenting on posts and starting dialogues with groups of people on pages other than your own will lead to making new connections.

4. Take it offline:
This is the most important tip. Social media may open doors to forming new relationships, but without taking it offline, how strong can the relationship really be? When connections, friends, or followers share something important such as a professional or personal milestone, use that opportunity to congratulate them and invite them to grab lunch and catch up. If you see someone posting about a topic that interests you, invite them to discuss it further over a cup of coffee.

Social media allows us to stay in-touch with anyone we’ve ever met- or even haven’t met. Take advantage of this and use it to bring in new business!