5 Best Networking Tools

By Chase Pattison on July 14, 2011

Networking makes the world go ‘round.  The best way to secure a new job is by using your network to search for open positions and get referrals.  If you’re looking for ways to improve the quality and increase the breadth of your business network you might want to check out these five networking tools that will improve the way you connect to people and businesses alike.  Networking shouldn’t just take place when you’re in need of a job, it should be an ongoing practice.

by Jenn Pedde
University of Southern California

1. Wisestamp

When you send an email to a business contact or a friend, your signature is often overlooked. Back in the old days, a John Hancock was a well-guarded possession, a practiced art and a way to distinguish yourself from the first generation of identity thieves. Today it seems the weight of what follows “Sincerely,” “Cheers” or “All the Best” has lost its importance. Wisestamp allows you to bring flair to your email signatures while highlighting the social networks, communication tools and networking apps you use to stay connected. Beneath your name, you have the opportunity to list visually pleasing links to your Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and even eBay accounts (to name just a few). Whoever you send a Wisestamp email will automatically be given a shortcut to “the online you” and your various networks are bound to expand.

2. Xobni

The days of the rolodex and the address book are behind us, but the idea behind these once-essential networking tools still lives. Keeping your contact information organized and accessible is extremely important to successful networking. Email is the most powerful mode of communication in the networking world today, and with Xobni that power is magnified. Once synced to your email, Xobni provides astonishing analytical data about all your contacts, grabbing information from all across the web and organizing it into an easy-to-use and visually appealing platform. For users of Microsoft Outlook, Xobni has been deemed an essential plug-in due its nearly seamless integration with the program.

3. Meebo

Successful networking depends almost exclusively on effective communication. The advent of instant messaging platforms like ICQ , MSN Messenger, AIM and even Facebook chat have allowed communication to function at astonishing speeds. A networking myth that often leads entrepreneurs astray is “more is better.” In fact, what’s probably more correct is the old adage “quality over quantity.” It is not about how many contacts you have, rather it is about how well you are able to communicate with the ones that are substantive and meaningful. Meebo is an essential app for networkers who chat with their contacts online, on their phones or other app-supporting gadgets. Meebo consolidates all your contact lists from AIM to Gchat, and even obscure network sites that offer a chat option (like Chess.com). By creating a buddy list that features all your contacts from across all your networking sites, Meebo makes communicating with your contacts simple, no matter how you are connected to them. There’s no need to jump back and forth between Facebook, AIM and Gchat — it’s all there in one place. The only instant messaging platform that is notably missing from Meebo’s list, however, is Skype.

4. Skype

Skype may be absent from Meebo’s list of chatting programs because it’s much, much more than just another instant messaging software. As a networking tool, Skype covers all the bases in terms of effective and affordable communication. With group video chat, instant messaging, file sharing and telephoning capabilities, Skype offers a comprehensive networking toolkit. The ability to make phone calls online to landlines and cell phones opens a pathway for communication that few other networking tools can. At the vanguard of “internet telephony,” Skype can be an indispensible networking tool for those who want to stay ahead in business and social contexts. It is a truly international tool that allows any person or business to improve how they network and with whom.

5. Ryze
Listed as a Forbes Favorite in its “Best of the Web for Job Networking,” Ryze offers a cost-free, networking-oriented homepage that helps you increase your business and personal contacts, re-connect with former colleagues and peers, make deals with other businesses and Ryze members, and build a strong business network. Ryze’s bulletin boards allow you to start or join group discussions that are categorized by geography, industry or any other distinguishing factor you can think of. In this way, you gain contacts with interests and expertise in the same areas as you. Also, you can track the activity of your contacts in order to follow trends and find new contacts through old ones. Ryze members are knowledgeable of their industries, constantly offer insight, and are always searching for new answers and new contacts. Many businesses and individuals have expressed great appreciation for the edge given to them by Ryze.

 

 


This post is written by Jenn Pedde who is the community manager for the Master in Social Work program at the University of Southern California, which has one of the nation’s leading military social work concentrations.  She’s an avid traveler and loves photography.

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