Here are some handy tips to make your online networking effective;

• Profile; Spend time on your profile – make sure members know what you do and the benefits you offer. Update when you have something new to say.
• Business Messages; Consider your business message and make sure that your online output ( blogs and forum postings etc) is consistent to it.
• Call to action; what is it that you want members to do? Visit your website, call you, visit your profile? Define this, and then ask them, giving them the information they need to do so. Otherwise members won’t know what you want them to do.
• Time; Decide how much time you want to spend networking online. Too little can result in low results and too much may stray into mindless surfing territory!
• Objectives; Stick to your objectives and review progress – if something is working do more of it, if not change tactics – one way to improve your online success is to ask the community what works for them by posting questions in the Discussion forums!
• Tools; learn how to use the online tools then decide which to try. If you are not that IT savvy, learn them one at a time!
• Security; review what information you are comfortable in sharing, about yourself, and your business details, and make sure your profile gives only the information you are ok with the world knowing. If you do choose to meet someone offline, make sure you know they are who they say they are.
• Connect; make contact with other members, you can expand your network this way, and on the principle of ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ you never know who you may know who knows someone very useful to you!
• Community; Give as well as receive; communities benefit by all contributing in some way and by playing your part, however small, can ensure the community grows successfully for all.
• Offline; online contacts can become offline customers , suppliers or new business opportunities, so get to know people online, make your decision that you want to progress the contact,  then take the next step and arrange to meet or talk on the phone.