Getting out there and networking can be one of the most valuable ways to get new clients. People are more likely to buy from people they know and trust, right? If I offered to sell you a sack of kitten heads right now, even at a reasonable price, you probably wouldn’t bite, right? it’s just weird buying stuff from people you don’t know. Even if you meet someone at a networking event, it can be hard to stay in touch*. You can send a follow up e-mail. You can invite them out for lunch or to chat over a cup of joe, but how many times can you do that before you start to seem like a stalker? Or worse yet, like you’re trying to sell them something?

Actually, there’s a way to do it without seeming weird. Where people give you permission to interact with them on an ongoing basis. It’s social media. Tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter aren’t just a waste of time, like your face, they’re a mechanism to get to know potential clients and partners.

There are a hundred different ways you could use each of these tools to help stay connected in real time, but here are a few tips to get you started.

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)
LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals. Here, you can use your profile as an advertisement for your own personal brand. It lets you tell contacts what you can offer, cross promote your personal website or blog, and show other people who you’re connected to. On the flip side, it gives you a great place to research potential clients and see who you might know in common. And since everyone maintains their own profile, it’s a perfect way to keep track of where people are working and their current contact information. Not to mention, if you actually do decide to take up stalking, LinkedIn makes it super easy to turn clients into victims.

To use LinkedIn for networking, I like to connect with people that I meet at when I’m out at events. When I meet people who live up to my standards, I spend some time chatting with them and exchange business cards. Then, later, when I’m on the computer, in my underwear (sometimes naked), I invite them to connect on LinkedIn and send a personal message. Now I have a record of their information, and I don’t have to keep a stack of business cards. Plus, most people have a picture on their profile, so it makes it easier to remember which name went with which face. The best part is that now I have access to their network of contacts, and they can see mine. It’s a little game of you show me yours, I’ll show you mine, except I don’t laugh and you don’t cry.

Bottom line value? Expanding my LinkedIn network has allowed me to get many referrals and warm introductions I wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s also given me a lot of great opportunities to make introductions for other people.