Online networking groups expanding fast
Originally Published in Tampa Electric's Powerezine - July 2003
By GREG HOFFMAN
Ezine columnist
Business professionals are turning to the Internet more often as another tool to help them and their companies find ideas, mentors and ultimately, new sales. Online networking groups are gaining speed from the local level all the way to global business connection sites.
Members strive to develop relationships with a diverse group of individuals that have experience in a variety of industries. It may sound like a chamber of commerce event or a power breakfast for local leaders, but the difference is that it's from the comfort of the office.
Business development executives and small business owners can find a plethora of networking events in their market, but if the online resources exist, they owe it to themselves to at least find the right combination of both.
These online groups aren't for everyone. It's generally for those who don't mind receiving multiple email messages every day and may not have the opportunity, financially or geographically, to attend regular networking meetings.
This new trend goes beyond traditional newsgroups and forums where members share common interests. Online networking uses a combination of face-to-face networking skills and standard online etiquette. The basic principles of image and public perception apply.
Each group has its own set of guidelines to stay professional and keep high standards for all members. Anonymity does not work if you are trying to succeed in business. Each message needs to have a full signature including, name, title, website and a motto if one exists.
Creativity in a signature line is the best way to promote. Beyond the signature and an initial introduction, the worst thing members could do is constantly promote themselves. The point is to drive discussion and to help one another achieve business goals.
Success comes if members participate regularly, offer great advice and generally prove their worth to the network through their actions.
Globally, one of the largest business connection sites is Ryze, (www.ryze.com). Ryze was created in 2001 and now has an international audience of thousands of business people. In its first year it quickly spread from San Francisco to New York. Within the last six months, membership and has grown exponentially throughout the Southeast, primarily from the Tampa Bay area to metro Atlanta.
Ryze offers a home page for each member to post headshots and company logos as well as business and personal contact information. Ryze is very well maintained by moderators and remains extremely professional. Members join specialty networks and add other members as friends. It takes about an hour or two to set up a homepage properly. Then another hour or two a month updating and monitoring the networks.
Members who upgrade from their free Ryze membership have access to more statistics and functions, such as creating custom networks.
A U.K.-based site, called Ecademy, www.ecademy.com, offers relatively the same networking opportunities but with an entirely new audience.
Ecademy has a wide variety of members from Britain, Scotland, Italy and Eastern Europe. Members receive a free 30-day trial as a full member to learn and understand the benefits of a paid subscription. After the trial, those members that choose to keep the free homepage can still benefit from key networking opportunities.
Locally, an online networking group was started for business professionals in the Tampa Bay area. The Yahoo! Group, TampaBayBusiness, is an email-based community with five moderators and more than 170 members. In its first six months, the group sent more than 500 messages to each other discussing local business trends, trading useful links to business articles and basically getting to know each others' business needs.
TampaBayBusiness is a true online community in the sense that core members have met personally and the relationships are beginning to translate into positive returns on time invested in the group.
Other basic online networking groups include Friendster (www.friendster.com) and Classmates (classmates.com). These sites are more for social interaction, but in the new world of online networking, you never know when you might make that next business connection.
Greg Hoffman is President of The Tarpon Agency, a public relations firm based in Seminole, Fla. Hoffman is also founder of the TampaBayBusiness online networking group. For more information, go to: www.tarponagency.com
By GREG HOFFMAN
Ezine columnist
Business professionals are turning to the Internet more often as another tool to help them and their companies find ideas, mentors and ultimately, new sales. Online networking groups are gaining speed from the local level all the way to global business connection sites.
Members strive to develop relationships with a diverse group of individuals that have experience in a variety of industries. It may sound like a chamber of commerce event or a power breakfast for local leaders, but the difference is that it's from the comfort of the office.
Business development executives and small business owners can find a plethora of networking events in their market, but if the online resources exist, they owe it to themselves to at least find the right combination of both.
These online groups aren't for everyone. It's generally for those who don't mind receiving multiple email messages every day and may not have the opportunity, financially or geographically, to attend regular networking meetings.
This new trend goes beyond traditional newsgroups and forums where members share common interests. Online networking uses a combination of face-to-face networking skills and standard online etiquette. The basic principles of image and public perception apply.
Each group has its own set of guidelines to stay professional and keep high standards for all members. Anonymity does not work if you are trying to succeed in business. Each message needs to have a full signature including, name, title, website and a motto if one exists.
Creativity in a signature line is the best way to promote. Beyond the signature and an initial introduction, the worst thing members could do is constantly promote themselves. The point is to drive discussion and to help one another achieve business goals.
Success comes if members participate regularly, offer great advice and generally prove their worth to the network through their actions.
Globally, one of the largest business connection sites is Ryze, (www.ryze.com). Ryze was created in 2001 and now has an international audience of thousands of business people. In its first year it quickly spread from San Francisco to New York. Within the last six months, membership and has grown exponentially throughout the Southeast, primarily from the Tampa Bay area to metro Atlanta.
Ryze offers a home page for each member to post headshots and company logos as well as business and personal contact information. Ryze is very well maintained by moderators and remains extremely professional. Members join specialty networks and add other members as friends. It takes about an hour or two to set up a homepage properly. Then another hour or two a month updating and monitoring the networks.
Members who upgrade from their free Ryze membership have access to more statistics and functions, such as creating custom networks.
A U.K.-based site, called Ecademy, www.ecademy.com, offers relatively the same networking opportunities but with an entirely new audience.
Ecademy has a wide variety of members from Britain, Scotland, Italy and Eastern Europe. Members receive a free 30-day trial as a full member to learn and understand the benefits of a paid subscription. After the trial, those members that choose to keep the free homepage can still benefit from key networking opportunities.
Locally, an online networking group was started for business professionals in the Tampa Bay area. The Yahoo! Group, TampaBayBusiness, is an email-based community with five moderators and more than 170 members. In its first six months, the group sent more than 500 messages to each other discussing local business trends, trading useful links to business articles and basically getting to know each others' business needs.
TampaBayBusiness is a true online community in the sense that core members have met personally and the relationships are beginning to translate into positive returns on time invested in the group.
Other basic online networking groups include Friendster (www.friendster.com) and Classmates (classmates.com). These sites are more for social interaction, but in the new world of online networking, you never know when you might make that next business connection.
Greg Hoffman is President of The Tarpon Agency, a public relations firm based in Seminole, Fla. Hoffman is also founder of the TampaBayBusiness online networking group. For more information, go to: www.tarponagency.com
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