Firstly it is important to thank People In Connection for being insightful enough to bring the monthly networking meetings that we have into an on-line forum. Some people do not realise just how valuable a tool this can be.

We attend our local PIC meetings is order to gain marketing insights for our business. We put our business in front of other members in a way that makes each of them think "if I ever need X then I will talk to [insert YOUR NAME here]" one of the aspects of local meetings is that we are speaking to a limited audience - someone from Burlington is not likely to travel to Niagara Falls for a one hour meeting (of course they may if they are also traveling to the city on the same day for another purpose). The same is true for a Niagara Falls resident traveling the other way.

Face-to-face networking is always a powerful tool in connecting with others, this will always be true even in the day and age of the social internet. The social Internet however takes you one step beyond your local meeting, it starts connecting you with others that you would not normally meet.

Along comes peopleinconnection.net

The PIC site gives us other opportunities to connect, it gives an opportunity to reach beyond our normal meetings, it gives us an opportunity to network with others even when we cannot leave our own house. It should be a part of your daily routine, even if you only have twenty minutes to spare. Being active on the web is essential for the growth of your business. Take that twenty minutes and make it meaningful; make it count.

One other thought - do not become a member that hides under a veil of mystery. Be here, complete your profile, have a bio picture, and become active and make regular contributions. All are important in getting you noticed, and being involved with any networking group is all about being noticed and leveraging your network to improve your business.

Peopleinconnection.net is your site it keeps you visible both to other members and to the world at large. if you have a twitter account then link it to your profile on this PIC site - publicise the things you do; publicise the insights that you have; link to your own blog - grow its readership. These are all possible by being active on the social web.

The Web is a Growing Community

Each member of PIC has their own trade or profession and one way to grow your business is is also by being active in their on-line community. Each on-line activity will enhance your profile and improve your visibility.

The point is there is no time to be shy about your contribution. This writer was once very shy, he did not like on-line photos and hated the need to publicise what I did. I was one time convinced to produce an article for a professional magazine and since then have been intrigued by writing and wanted to do more. The trouble was that in part this became a stumbling block as being the eternal perfectionist I found I could not let go and publish. That is a challenge that certainly must be circumvented, yet sometimes those 140 characters giving the opportunity to "Share: What are you up to?" can seem so difficult, yet it should not be. Give it a try after you have finished reading this article - say "Hello world!" in your own unique way.

Sometimes it is important to publish and be damned. What is the worst that can happen? You will be criticised! So, take this as a learning opportunity, understand what the other person is saying and bear that in mind next time you contribute something; but continue to add something on a regular basis.

Not Everything Needs to be Your Own

If you are doing some research on the Internet and you come across something that could be of interest to others then tell them about it, put the link onto your PIC site and tell people what you think.

A Special Note: many web sites have a long set of characters to link people to the relevant article, One of the links on this pages goes to the following page "http://peopleinconnection.net/profiles/blogs/being-active-on-the-we..." and as you can see this is quite a long link, therefore it is important to use a tool called a URL shortener. When you share any Internet page on the PIC website you will be given the "Shorten URL" option that overlays your post; when your internet page is long then shorten it, because it will allow you a few characters to tell us why this page is important.

Telling us about other people's work marks you out as a person that cares about your on-line community and that will win you friends.