How To Build Influencer Connections in 2019

Over the past year or so, I have been networking alot. Some of it was for job prospects and career advice, but not all. I have met a lot of influencers, bloggers and social media peeps in my area. When I meet people my intention is to at least be considered an acquaintance of theirs. I’m not one to be friends with someone just to gain clout and on the flip side I’m not trying to be bffls with everyone either. The first instance is corny and the latter is unrealistic. After meeting so so so soooo many people, I have come to live by these three tips.

Find Your People

In order to network, you need to be where the people are, which is easy said than done. As a content creator, you don’t necessarily have to seek out networking events. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out — you can network anywhere. Seminars, summits, parties, unions, grand openings, the list goes on. Finding events can be hard, but once you find your first one, they start appearing out of thin air. It also helps to know what you’re looking for. If you are interested in fashion then look into your city’s fashion week, if you’re into coding then look for groups on MeetUp.com and so on.

Here are some of my favorite places to meet people:

• Creative Mornings
• Instagram meet-up groups such as Girl Creative
• Facebook and Eventbrite events

And for my introverted friends out there, you can try out apps such as Bumble Bizz or BFF.

Aim to Build Real Connections

Nothing is worse than a collaboration that feels inauthentic. If you’re not really friends, then at least to try to make it believable (or get to know each other better first). People ultimately don’t like feeling they are being lied to. Plus, if you build a real connection with people you want to work with you will literally be working with your friends. Who doesn’t want that? At the end of the day, just don’t do this:

Help Others The Way You Want Them To Help You

Wow, that was kind of a mouthful but I mean it. Over my various encounters with several people, I’ve sometimes noticed this “what can you do for me?” attitude. Which is completely valid, but it’s almost selfish to not think about how you can also help that person out. If you want someone to contribute to what you’re working on, give them a reason to want to help you. No one likes feeling used and easily disposable. Whether this is through a trade of services (my blogger buddy/friend Doreen touched on this), monetary compensation or something else, just make sure to be considerate. It’s even better when you do something without expecting something in return. “You get what you give” as the saying goes.