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Networking is Not as Scary as It Seems
Just talk to people already
The idea of networking makes me cringe. I have an introverted nature which makes the concept of mingling rather…unpleasant. So whenever I’ve thought about networking I have not thought about it for long.
However, recently I realised that networking isn’t a monolith. It seems obvious now, but it wasn’t to me initially, so I’m writing this in case it wasn’t obvious to you either.
It started when I left an Instagram comment on the profile of a model I’ve admired for years. And she replied! I left a YouTube comment on a video by a creator I really admire, and they hearted it. These people were noticing me?
Then somewhere in my brain I started putting two and two together.
Networking is just a catch-all term for building connections with people, specifically people who are active in your industry (or desired industry). These connections can start as simply as leaving a comment on social media.
I reflected on my own experience as a creator on social media. I have one die hard fan (that is, who isn’t actually a friend in real life) who likes pretty much everything I post on my Facebook page and comments occasionally. If this guy were to ever reach out with a request or a suggestion, I would definitely listen because there’s an established, if one-sided, relationship already in play.
In this digital world it is so easy to start these relationships, to start networking. You don’t have to stand around at a bar, drinking and making small talk and wishing you weren’t there. You can network from your phone on the train, on your couch, in bed. You can start interacting with people you admire simply and openly.
Who knows, maybe they’ll even reply.
