The art of networking- making connections within your industry- is a learned craft, much like the craft of screenwriting itself. There are many ways to “skin” that proverbial cat, but some ways are just better, more effective and less time-consuming than others.
Here are my quick-ten tips:
1. Accept the fact that it WILL take time and dedication: You HAVE to put aside a certain amount of time and do it consistently. If I’m scheduling a four-hour write day, I will factor in half of that time for networking: 4 hrs. writing, 2 hours networking.
2. Join groups: Perhaps ninety percent of all LinkedIn groups are total time-sucks. They are filled with self-promotion and re-postings of published articles. Join them, check them out, and after a few weeks if that’s what they are, then dump them.
3. Decide what you want from the group: If you are looking for helpful information, guidance, etc., find a group that is operated by a person in your industry. If you are going to treat it more as a social network, looking for friends, I suppose it doesn’t matter much.
4. Choose the group carefully: Check the profile of the owner and/or moderators of the group. If the owner is a legal secretary, for example, and they operate a group for screenwriters, chances are they’re not managing the group closely enough. With these sites, anyone posting a question is pushed off the front page- with no responses- in a matter of minutes. A closely moderated group will often prevent that type of thing from happening.
5. Reach out and “touch” someone: LinkedIn allows you to “endorse” someone. Do it! This begins a connection.
6. Welcome newcomers: Don’t post a welcome; send a personal message. Share your experiences. Make the note personal.
7. Do not hesitate to link in: If you are in the same group, that’s the opening you need. Don’t send the “standard” pre-written invite. Personalize it. Let them know you saw something in their profile that compelled you to want to meet them.
8. Review profiles thoroughly: I spend several minutes reviewing every profile before I send an invite. I look at where they live, their website, their employer, their other groups, their influences, and their other connections. I rarely invite someone with no previous connections.
9. Learn what and where the bogus profiles come from: If the person requesting a link in or group entry has no writing or entertainment background whatsoever, no information of their profile is available, and their photo appears to be less than legit, I avoid them altogether. Usually they’re from another country, and I don’t need to spam or the hacking worries.
10. If they could benefit by knowing someone else in your network, introduce them: LinkedIn has a way to do this through the site. Do it- it’s a nice thing to do.
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