Online Networking Tools
The Internet offers many networking possibilities. Below I have listed a few of them.
LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/
LinkedIn is an online network of more than 7.5 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 130 industries.
When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.
Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to thousands of qualified professionals.
Through your network you can:
- Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended
- Be found for business opportunities
- Search for great jobs
- Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
- Post and distribute job listings
- Find high-quality passive candidates
- Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know
LinkedIn is free to join.
The Company of Friends
http://www.fastcompany.com/cof/
The Company of Friends is Fast Company magazine’s readers’ network. It is a global online and offline community of self-organizing groups of forward-thinking business leaders and innovators. Members help each other improve their careers, companies, and communities.
benefits to being a member of the CoF
- connect with like-minded business leaders
- participate in “intelligent networking” activities and events
- engage in stimulating discussion about leading-edge business ideas and practices
- search for other members network-wide based on geography, industry, and interest
- belong to CoF-related mailing lists with notification of upcoming events and activities
- create an online business card — your CoF profile
Company of Friends is free to join
Delphi Forums
http://www.delphiforums.com/
With more than 10 million registered members and over a million new messages posted per week, Dephi is one of the leading networks of member-managed online communities. Delphi’s services enable individuals to build, manage and grow their own online communities.
Those who register with Delphi Forums enjoy personalized features like their own “My Forums” page, which keeps track of the communities they participate in. Users who participate in message board discussions get email notification when somebody replies to their messages, and when there are new messages in the Forums they’re interested in.
Delphi Forums is free to join
Jigsaw
http://www.jigsaw.com/
Jigsaw provides business contact and company information for public and private companies. With over 3 million business contact records within 300,000 companies, Jigsaw allows you to target key decision makers by rank, industry, department and geography. Search Jigsaw’s company directory of business contact information and get executive’s name, title, e-mail and phone. Get business contact information at all companies, at C-level, VP, Director and Manager level in any department at any company.
Jigsaw’s mission is to map every business organization on the planet, contact by contact and keep them current through a collaborative effort. The resulting database will help business people perform their jobs more efficiently and strategically.
Jigsaw costs $25 per month or 25 contacts per month (Pay or Play).
Meetup
http://www.meetup.com/
helps people get together with a group of neighbors that share a common interest. The site helps users self-organize global, monthly “Meetup Days” — local group gatherings on the same day everywhere — for almost any interest group. Meetups take place in up to 604 cities in 45 countries at local cafés, restaurants, bookstores, and other local establishments.
XING
https://www.xing.com/
Europe’s leading business network, which allows you to establish new business contacts, systematically grow your network of relationships, easily manage existing contact information no matter where you’re located, market yourself and your company in a professional business context, identify experts and receive advice on any topic, efficiently organize your meetings, events and phone conferences.
Netparty
http://www.netparty.com/
Netparty functions as the entry point for a network of parties held in 17 U.S. Cities, aimed at professionals in their 20s and 30s. The events are held at stylish clubs, are designed to combine business networking and social fun.
The young professionals who attend Netparty events work in a wide variety of fields. Member attendees include doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, attorneys, fashion insiders, advertising executives, actors, sales professionals, writers, investment bankers and other professionals.
Most of the events are geared to all young professionals.
The cost of each event varies with the city and venue but is generally $10-$20.
Ryze
http://ryze.com/
Ryze helps people make connections and grow their networks. You can network to grow your business, build your career and life, find a job and make sales. Or just keep in touch with friends.
Members get a free networking-oriented home page and can send messages to other members. They can also join special Networks related to their industry, interests or location. More than 1,000 organizations host Networks on Ryze to help their members interact with each other and grow their organizations.
It is free to join
Please create a comment below, If you know of other good online networking tools or have a suggestion.