Business Networking Tips in January 2010

The Networking Culture in Austin, Texas

posted on January 31, 2010

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Boston, MA as a write this. On the flight out here I was reflecting on how different Austin is from so many other places in this country. There's something really special about Austin that probably brought us all here, since so very few of us are actually from here.This unique culture also impacts the networking culture in Austin, and in my experience it's quite a bit different than networking in other cities. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Beyond Personal Branding: Selling Yourself

posted on January 26, 2010

Just so we're crystal clear I'm not talking about prostitution here!What I'm talking about is what you do personally to sell yourself. Whether you're a consultant, a speaker, looking to advance your career or land your next job you're going to have to sell yourself. Even if you've got an incredible network who made the perfect referral and got you in the door as the best and only solution it's still going to be up to YOU to close the deal. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Reputation Management

posted on January 18, 2010

If you've been actively networking for a while you know that it is indeed a small world. Here in Austin this is especially true as everyone seems to know everyone else, at least within a degree or two. This has its positives and its negatives.At the end of the day your reputation is gold, and you've got to protect it. Good or bad people WILL talk about you.So what do you do? How does one protect their reputation? Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Find a Mentor

posted on January 11, 2010

One of the greatest networking relationships you can build is with a mentor. Getting to know someone who's been there done that down the road you'd like to travel can be incredibly helpful. So how does one go about finding a mentor?In my experience these types of relationships just sort of happen, and there's not been a ton of formality around them. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

New Year, New Network

posted on January 3, 2010

Ok, so my title really has very little to do with this blog post. It just sounded good and topical. What I really want to write about today is the importance of your core network, your inner circle. The people who are always there for you, and who try to help whenever they have the opportunity. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

What Does it Mean to be Networked in Austin?

posted on January 1, 2010

A subscription to NetworkInAustin.com costs $10 a month or less.  Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. cost nothing to start and attract millions of users. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

It's not an Either/Or Thing

posted on January 1, 2010

We love Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. They’re free and spilling over with traffic. But they’re not built for networking in Austin. You can try to make them so, but you’ll be swimming against the tide. Facebook is for staying in touch across distances. Linkedin is your resume file. Twitter is for microblogging. They’re not really built for turning the wheel of your network. They are more like spokes. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Teach Yourself to Fish!

posted on January 1, 2010

There’s no better place to learn how to network effectively in Austin than right here, right now. We’re not saying we invented Austin networking. We just perfected it. No, we’re not saying that either, of course. Networking is an ongoing process of improving communication skills and building valuable relationships. Like anything worth doing, it takes hard work and dedication to become good at it. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Be Your Own Press Agent

posted on January 1, 2010

You don’t have to hire and manage a PR company to advertise your organization or beat the bushes for event attendees or spend a lot of valuable time posting fliers or press releases or emailing everyone you know.  With your subscription to NIA, the easy way to get the word out about your organization’s next Austin event is to leverage Network in Austin’s event management tools. In 2 to 3 minutes, you can add an event through your profile tools (My Events) that clearly shows potential Austin attendees: Your event title Your event description < Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Spend a Buck, Save a Buck: Discounts that Outpace Fees

posted on January 1, 2010

“You get what you pay for.” Why not get more? With your $10 a month (or less) subscription to NetworkInAustin, you’re immediately eligible to enjoy exclusive member-to-member discounts on participating networking events or professional services.  To reduce your membership costs to zero or less than zero, all you’d likely need to do is Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

What's a Referral Worth?

posted on January 1, 2010

Network in Austin membership is an incredible value, but it’s not free. While it costs nothing to read much of the site, to enjoy full member benefits you will need your credit card. A subscription costs $10 a month. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Localize and Conquer

posted on January 1, 2010

There’s only one of you and a city full of connections waiting to happen. Focus your efforts. Keep in mind: It’s not called Network in Boston It’s not called Network in Branson It’s not called Network in Aspen It’s not called Network in Charleston It’s not called Network in Trenton It’s not called Network in Spokane It’s not called Network in Scotland Are you noticing a pattern here?   NIA is like the Go Local movement. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Traffic Matters: How Less Means More

posted on January 1, 2010

Ok, so we’re not as big as Facebook or Linkedin. And we're not trying to be. We’re the biggest thing going in Central Texas, and we’re growing and ambitious, but we’re not living in a dream world. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

On Visibility: Go Forth and Multiply

posted on January 1, 2010

One feature unique to NetworkInAustin.com that can’t be emphasized enough is this: the more you contribute to the site, the more the site contributes back to you.   We’re talking about our points program. When you interact with the site to make our online community a better place, you earn points as you go. Let’s say you blog twice a month and add events to the calendar. You’ll be earning points left and right. These points tally up and rank you among the other members. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Take $35 off Your First Year

posted on January 1, 2010

Here's the deal for new members only. A membership to NetworkInAustin costs $10 a month.  New members subscribing for an annual membership pay only $85 for their first year.  Join Today! Congratulations!  You just saved yourself $35 dollars AND joined the best networking community (online or offline) in Central Texas. 

Author: Scott Ingram

Intro: What is Network In Austin?

posted on January 1, 2010

Networking Visibility, Event Management Tools, Blogging Platform, Prequalified Traffic, Discounts, and a whole lot more.   Network in Austin is without question the networking hub of Central Texas.  We enable the dynamic local online networking community to connect with the offline personal relationships that drive Austin’s networking events and organizational meetings. We’ve been doing this as a service to you for years on a basis of mutual respect, a true spirit of collaboration, and our deep commitme Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Value

posted on January 1, 2010

"I created my Network In Austin profile in October and have changed nothing else about the way in which I market my website so I attribute the dramatic increase in traffic to my visibility on the NIA website.   Because I used the point to drive visibility this has increased the amount of traffic driven to my website.   It has also driven my name to the top page of Google for many searches." Jeremy L. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram