In these days of mounting fears about the recession, and people holding on to their money, a lot of companies and small businesses are pulling back into themselves; They are afraid to reach out to their customers, to network and bring in new business. Money is an issue, they say to themselves we can’t afford new projects, or try new things.

This is absolutely the wrong sort of thinking, in my opinion. Now is the time to build your network, not run away from it! Humans have the need to connect to each other, especially in times of crisis, and this definitely counts as a crisis. It is time to bring new people into your circle, seek new ideas, get the word out about what you are doing, and help others.

But, how do I do this? How can I expand my network without spending a lot of money on advertising?

There are a number of ways to expand your network of connections that 1) do not cost a lot in money; and 2) are very productive.

Networking on the Web is very effective these days, as more and more people are turning to their computers for answers. By building a network on your ConnectionCenter website, and letting people know about it, you can expand your reach and thus your brand / product/ service.

Ok, so I have a network on my ConnectionCenter site. Now what? Now you need to reach out by using social media websites. A new study by Forrester shows that 75% of the US population is now using social media in some form (including just reading blogs).

Wait, what is social media? Think of social media as word of mouth. People getting together online to discuss their recommendations of what movies to see, what products to buy, and who to buy them from. A good metaphor for social media is two neighbors talking over a backyard fence. Only, with social media, you are talking with 30,000 neighbors.

You need to become active on social media websites in order to attract people to your network. Now, I am not saying that you need to run right out and sign up with every social network out there. No, you need to carefully evaluate each website to see if it fits your needs.

By this, I mean, whom are you trying to reach? If you want to reach business people, then you need to be on LinkedIn.com, or Facebook.com. Yes, I said, Facebook. The average age of people on Facebook is 37, and there are a lot of business networks on there.

If you want to reach people interested in health matters, or food, you need to look for these types of websites. And they are out there, believe me.

Once you are on such a network, the best way to start talking to people is by offering information and advice. Be helpful. Answer questions and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Once you have done this, you can then suggest that people might be interested in your network, and invite them over.

Within your network on your ConnectionCenter website, you can encourage people to talk to each other, help each other out, and invite their friends in as well. Keep in mind that you will need to monitor your network and answer your people’s questions as the network moderator. Networks do not grow themselves; they need a little watering and helpful dabs of advice to keep them alive. But once they take off, you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Anita Cohen-Williams

Social Media Expert