Gone are the days of looking up a business in the phone book, picking out the best looking or most prominent ad, and calling the business to book a service. Developing relationships with people both online and offline will help your business thrive.

Now that business reviews are readily available on everything from Yelp to Citysearch to Google Places, it is crucial to maintain a solid online reputation and engage potential customers. Online reviews and social media sites are the new ‘word of mouth.’ They can also work toward your benefit in terms of business referrals and online networking.

Think about the last time you utilized a business or made a large purchase. Did you look up the category in the yellow pages and use the first business you called? Probably not. More likely you searched for the product or service online. You then looked to see what other people had to say about it. Were the reviews positive or negative? Did they actively engage in social media and display a personality you wanted to associate with? Did they have a loyal customer base who engaged back? We now consider all of these components when making a buying decision.

This is where networking is key. Professional networking groups like PNG can go a long way in terms of business connections, but it’s still important to have a good online reputation for your business. Make the most of your social media sites to promote your brand. Engage with customers on Facebook and Twitter, give them a reason to visit you! Cultivate a positive relationship with people and a positive response to your business in networking events. Maintaining a positive reputation online will only make each networking event more positive and powerful. Whether you like it or not, you represent your business. Maintaining a positive reputation online is just as important as a positive reputation with the people you meet face to face.

For more information on networking groups in Lincoln, Nebraska, visit PNG’s website: https://pnglincoln.com/. You can also Like our Facebook page for more networking tips and tricks here: https://www.facebook.com/PNGLincoln.