101 Guide To Networking In Web3
The "IDOLO" Connect Guide
I am introverted at heart.
I’ve always been.
Speaking in front of the morning assembly or class was probably one of the biggest fears I nurtured then.
I seriously shied away from going to events to meet up with other people.
All I wanted to do at every point was sit (or lie) in my comfy semi-dark room reading a good book [my fav then was Chimamanda Adichie] or playing chess or just Netflix.
Then I started getting serious about making money and building a business.
I realized being introverted does not mean “being anti-people‘’.
Being social is a skill, I realized.
Handling people is a skill and not a personality trait.
It’s a skill everyone looking to build anything meaningful, especially in a space like web3, must understand.
That’s why I’ll be sharing the secret to this skill, the skill of connecting with people on social media no matter who they are.
In the past, you wouldn’t just connect to anyone.
You couldn’t just DM any celebrity with a skillful message and get them to pay you for a service or connect with you.
The old way was;
Go to a prestigious school where you could maybe find a celebrity you could mingle with (that’s if you can afford it).
Do things, not-so-nice things you won`t be proud of, just to connect with the “elite”.
But you see, times have changed.
The internet now gives you access to 4+ Billion people that have access to it.
And to be clear again, networking is important.
I should boldly write that out - NETWORKING IS IMPORTANT.
The power of the right people has helped me:
Get clients’ recommendations without needing to show a resume or POW first.
Land gigs without sending 100 proposals daily
Kick off my audience building on social media
If you don’t think networking is important and an integral part of your growth, you’ve already lost.
You don`t want to be that bitter dude that grinds and grinds, with no evidence to show.
NETWORKING is the secret that contributes to the growth of every IDOLO and influencer you’ve seen around.
MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WITH DM
DM (Direct messaging) is a powerful social tool.
It’s how you can:
Land client gigs
Have your post go viral even with small followers
Then gain a good number of followers/fans who love your work.
Two problems though:
- 99% of people don’t understand the power and effect of DMing people.
- 99% don’t know they can cut a very long, tiring, and draining process short by getting large accounts to share your work (blowing things up for you).
Although powerful, people are terrible at using it.
You could check an influencer’s message inbox now to see 1000+ messages.
And people send DMs like this (if you send messages like this, It’s exactly why you never get a response):
- Please I want to connect with you
- Hi, how are you?
- I just followed you, can you follow back?
- Please, mentor me.
- Help me get a job, I need a job.
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and think about it for a second.
If you received at least 20+ dm per hour, would you have time and energy to reply a “hello”?
No, I don’t think so.
What influencers do is, skim through messages to check for important ones to respond to, and trust me “hello” isn’t an ideal message to start with.
“But do I do it well?”
That’s the essence of this letter.
To give you a practical step-by-step guide to networking not just for connection but also to land paid gigs as well.
I will show you six steps.
6 Steps that Have Helped connect with Chads I look up to.
“God, when would I ever connect with these guys on a personal level?”
Well, Now I’m close friends with a good number of them.
With these 6 steps strategies, you can;
Connect Idolos without looking or sounding desperate.
Get 30,000 -70,000k followers account to retweet (or quote) your content.
6 ways to network with confidence
Step 1) Find someone you resonate with to DM
You should want to reach out to people that:
- Inspire you
- You would want to work with
- You would want to build and strategize together
When you are just starting, you probably won’t get a lot of responses from larger accounts.
You have to work your way up the ladder.
‘where can I find people to DM?’
Two places:
-The following lists of accounts you resonate with
-The comment section of these accounts
These places are pretty much the simple tool to find people to DM. simple
Step 2) Send a compliment
No matter how big someone gets, they’re first humans, and humans like it when they’re appreciated, genuinely.
The trick here is to find a piece of the content or their current project that truly inspired you
Send it to them and tell them how it helped (or resonated with) you.
It helps to be genuine by actually liking their work.
How do I structure my message?
Make it straightforward, something like:
Hi Phoenixx, Thanks for hopping on the space yesterday! The way you emphasized branding as a journey and a vision you carry people along in struck a chord as well, Thanks.
Step 3) Show genuine interest
Showing interest is Psychology 101.
Showing interest makes you interesting.
Check on:
Common goals
Ask for their current project
Ask for milestones reached
This is how you open yourself up to opportunities to be “valuable”.
A way to find out what they are building currently (If they don’t respond) is to do a quick check.
Check on their page or just ask.
Let’s assume you have sent a compliment and they respond with a generic “thank you” …
You would follow up with something like:
Oh great! See you’re building XYZ, what are your next plans with it? It’s been crazy seeing it grow, I’m curious what you have got in store.
But if you can’t find what they are currently working on, ask:
Do you have anything you are building now? With the kind of content you keep dishing out, you must have something bigger in the works.
Step 4) Move with value
Here’s usually the tripping point for 99% of people.
Don`t get straight into a transaction when you haven’t even given anything first
Your options are to:
See where you can help [with their skill or anything that can be valued].
Send resources, tips, systems, or YouTube videos that might be helpful.
But if you’ve no value to give you can;
Connect them with someone else in your network [that can be of help]
Send resources that would help your goal.
Step 5) Get on a call
Optional but highly recommended.
Calls help make a deeper connection.
It’s harder to forget someone when you have a “voice-to-voice” interaction than just via text.
Take the conversation up a notch by actually getting them on a platform that allows for the flow of calls [ like WhatsApp, Telegram, etc]
Step 6) Lead up with value
“Mehn, this process is setting long”
Your thoughts?
It’s not as long as you think it.
Especially when you start doing It and seeing results.
Now remember their goals or current projects?
Keep an eye out for any resources or network of people you can send their way.
When you do find it, Send it to them:
Hey. I remember you telling me about your plans for XYZ. I found this[link] today and I thought I might be helpful.
Bonus step
Now you can ask.
You are qualified for an ask because you’ve built a solid connection and given value to the point where they are “ripe” to return the favor.
Everything we’ve talked about isn’t only limited to X [twitter].
It can also be transferred to any social media and have the same effect.
So, take advantage and set to work.
That’s it!
What happened this weekend
I started a challenge called Journey from $0 to $100. If you are new to the web3 job space and $100 is a goal you are yet to smash, you can join the challenge [it`s free] CHECK HERE
Step 2 and 3 has helped me in my social life, thanking people and always being interested on what they have to say. I wasn't that much of a talker but when I got to uni..... things changed a lot and a big part of it is how I network and socialize with people.
Now when I ask someone if I'm an introvert I get a big NO as an answer 😅
This is an amazing and helpful piece. Thank you
Apt!
Thank you Phoenixx