Remember when we used to meet people in person? We used to meet for coffee or lunch. I miss those days.

It’s hard to make contacts and build business relationships when everyone’s working from home and we’re afraid to be in public places for fear of the virus.

So, what are we supposed to do?

Consider LinkedIn. 

During the pandemic people have turned to social media in record numbers. That includes LinkedIn. There are now over 690 million users, representing over 50 million companies worldwide. In 3rd quarter of 2020, LinkedIn engagement was up 31%. These users are well distributed across every industry.

Here’s the opportunity…

I’ve had tremendous success using LinkedIn. I was recently in two different meetings (Zoom of course!) and I was being introduced to owners of successful businesses. In both cases, they said, “I’m glad you’re on the call. I’m connected to you on LinkedIn and have been following you for a while.”

Many people still think of LinkedIn as a place to find a job, and that is certainly one reason to use it, but over the years it’s grown into a place where business people can connect, learn and build relationships. If you consistently post and engage in conversations, you’ll build your personal brand and establish your expertise. Ultimately, this will lead people to trust you so that the next time they’re  looking for the services you offer, they will contact you.

So, if you haven’t done it yet, jump into the LinkedIn world and give it a try. You might be surprised to see that strong business connections can be made in the virtual world.

About the Author: Meg Huwar is a small business marketing expert and Principal of Brand Accelerator. She and her team work with companies who want to market their business but don’t have the time, experience or staff to do it themselves. Meg can be reached at mhuwar@thebrandaccelerator.com or 412-848-8822.