Multifamily Assault & Battery: Coverage Challenges in the Insurance Market
I have seen people take their careers to new heights, establishing a nationwide reputation by taking advantage of the free tools on Multifamily Insiders, and I’ve also seen people flame out after two weeks. If you follow even a good chunk of these ten tips, you will undoubtedly increase your reputation within the multifamily ranks!
- Focus on others first and you will always come out ahead in the end. Those new to networking often jump in too aggressively, using a sledgehammer to try to get their marketing message out there. But instead of focusing on yourself, simply get to know people and focus on helping them do what they do. If you can build relationships, it will be infinitely more powerful than simply throwing out your marketing pitch the first chance you get. (Expert in this: Jonathan Saar)
- Fill out your profile completely. This is FREE marketing about yourself! When someone visits your page, which they will undoubtedly do, make sure they can get all your info. Protip: Make sure to add profile apps! (Expert in this: Tara Furiani)
Tip for bloggers: "Claim" your MFI blog in Google
- Help where help is needed! As we release features and try to grow existing ones, we always appreciate help from the members to get the ball rolling. And when a member takes special initiative to help, such as in the File Bank, we always make sure to do what we can to return the favor. So find an area of the site that needs a little TLC and make it your own! Once it grows in popularity, you will already be set as king/queen of that area! (Expert in this: Gerry Hunt)
- Don’t try to be sneaky and slip in your company name everywhere. It’s never as sneaky as you think it is! People will either look up your profile or ask you directly, so let them actively seek you out, not pushing your information at them.
- Jumpstart your content with your current connections. The more comments a post has, the more people are likely to pay attention. But when you are new to a community, it might be hard to get that ball rolling. But you know who WILL comment? Your existing friends and network! So after posting a blog or discussion post, share the post on Facebook, Twitter, or by email to have your close network chime in and help. (Expert in this: Tara Smiley)
- Make Connections! First find the people you already know – having these connections established on MFI will be more important as new features roll out! Next, research other interesting people! Don’t spam request, but reach out and find others that might like to connect. (Expert in this: Toni Blake)
- Go Local With State Groups! Our state groups are a way to connect on a more local level! Although still a “young” feature here on MFI, we will be making significant upgrades to this system, so find your state and climb aboard! (Expert in this: Terri Euchner)
- Create! Being part of an online community means that you don’t just take all the content others have created, but you also give back by sharing your own experiences. Consider this mentoring on a very, very wide scale. A community like MFI is dependent on others sharing their success stories, their failures, and a little bit about what has gotten them to where they are now. For those executives out there, we know you are busy, but MFI is helping to educate the future of our industry – So we hope you know how much we value hearing your voice in the conversation. (Expert in this: Lori Snider)
- Reply, reply, reply! Creating valuable content to share is fantastic, but just as important is taking the time to reply to other people’s blogs and discussion posts. Replying to someone else’s post shows that you want to be a part of the community even when it isn’t your own content – that speaks volumes about your personality! Plus, it makes the original poster feel like their content is appreciated, which is a great way to establish connections with other leaders on MFI. Don’t be fake in your comments, but this is the best way to show you are part of the community. (Expert in this: Jolene Sopalski)
- Be Consistent! In any group, there are plenty of people who flame out after a few weeks. So people tend to filter new people out until they consistently see them over a certain period of time. So set up a calendar item in Outlook to check in with MFI once a week to remain active! (Expert in this: Mark Juleen. Quick note: Mark was the 2nd person signed up with the site, and even now, he remains active in the community. If there was an MFI Hall of Fame, he would surely be in it.)
(Please know that there are tons of people who through their continued presence have made MFI a truly special place. I could not add everybody, of course, so if you think a certain person should be noted for one of the above items, please include their name in the comments!)
What other networking tips have you found to be useful?
About the author
Brent Williams is Chief Insider of Multifamily Insiders, the largest social network in the world for multifamily professionals. His background includes both property management and supplier, and he writes on all facets of the multifamily industry, although his focus lies in resident retention.