How to make friends virtually during a pandemic
The subject line of this blog post is a phrase I hope I never have to write again in my lifetime. During the last year of the global pandemic, we’ve been forced to Zoom through our days whether we like it or not. As someone who actually enjoys meeting strangers for coffee, it’s been tough synching virtual calendars and virtual conversations.
But in so many ways, I’m so grateful for my digital friendships with people I’ve never met in real life. Do you talk about your “Instagram friends” too?
Connecting with people and networking is a HUGE part of my job - I am constantly meeting people in a variety of industries, not only because I’m a curious person who loves learning other people, but also because it’s critical for my clients. A major piece of PR is making mutually beneficial connections and pandemic or not, there are always new people to meet.
Are you a small business owner who wants to make a new friend (business or personal) but isn’t sure how? Maybe it’s a media person, a social media influencer, or a like-minded business person who could help your business (and you could help theirs, too?)
Here are three easy ways to connect with a stranger who you’d like to make a friend or fan of your business:
Direct Message (DM) them on Instagram - if a person has a public profile, send them a message saying hello and (briefly) why you’re contacting them. If they have a lot of followers, keep in mind that they might get tons of messages and it may take time for them to respond. Be clear about why you’re getting in touch, so the person is motivated to respond and knows what you’re looking for.
Pro tip: Early into your exchange, ask the person if you can email them. DMs get hard when you’re trying to type a lot of words or send attachments - and DMs can get lost in Instagram inboxes. Email is more professional in my opinion (there, I said it!) and easier to keep track of the whole conversation in one place.Message them on LinkedIn - LinkedIn used to be kind of snoozy but lately, it’s really upped its game. It’s the business social media platform, so it’s naturally suited for business conversations and networking. If you’re connecting with a person for the first time, write a personalized, brief message that explains why you want to connect with them. And once connected, I always like taking these conversations to email, too (same reason as the pro tip in #1 above!)
Ask a friend for an introduction - does your friend know someone who you want to know? Ask for a friendly introduction! In so many cases, people love to pay it forward and help their friends grow their businesses when they can. And introduce their friends to each other! If it’s happening via email (or even text), ask your friend to include a sentence or two about why you’re getting in touch so you’re setting expectations about the conversation topic in advance.
For all three of these, think of the initial message as the “hi, it’s nice to meet you!” and continue the bigger part of the conversation from there via email, phone, Zoom, or eventually… coffee or a drink. I cannot wait for those days, but in the meantime, holler at me via DM, email, LinkedIn, or the comments below :)
What am I forgetting - what are your favorite ways to connect with someone new?