A few weeks my family and I were out on a walk when we ran into some friends. We were all heading in the same direction, so the husbands talked shop. It started off “I read your blog the other day.” I was happy and excited to say the least.
The topic of the conversation was linkedIn and how to get information from a network to answer questions or problems. In the early days of the web, 10 or so years ago, it was pretty easy. Experts in various technical disciplines were eager to volunteer their time to help someone figure things out. Over the course of a few short years, I was able to write effective SQL and know the benefits of the 3S-GTE engine (one of my car enthusiast periods, lol). As someone with a mixed educational background, this was great.
As the Web has matured, it’s become more difficult to find information effectively. With resources available via email, forums, blogs, social networks and Google, it sometimes is just plain luck.
Social networks offer a new resource for questions and problems. Instead of emailing or calling individual contacts, you can broadcast your question to an entire group. This is where the quality of your network is important. Build your network over the next twelve months, seeking out individuals that represent common interests or strategic value. I have contacts that range from Web developers to top executives.
As you build this resource, if the opportunity presents itself, start a conversation. Long-term: expect this information to extend beyond a single domain.
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