6 steps to build a robust online network from scratch

When I joined my company’s marketing team a little more than a year ago, I was told to start reading blogs, commenting on them, and seeking out guest posts.

My reaction: Comment who? Network where? Guest post what?

I was new to the marketing/blogging community and had absolutely no idea where to start.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the secret: Regardless of your niche, you have to start with good, old-fashioned networking and relationship building. What you know is undeniably important, but so is who you know.

I want to share how I started networking so you can have a place to start your relationship building. Keep in mind there isn’t an exact formula to make friends. A year later, I’m still working at networking.

1. Grab a little guidance.

Your first option is to try a simple Google search with “[your niche] + blog.”

For example, if you write for a knitting blog, your results will look something like this:

This doesn’t list every knitting blog out there, but it’s a good place to start. Google deemed these blogs the cream of the crop, so other knitting enthusiasts will flock to these sites.