Build Your Network

One of the biggest questions when someone new comes online trying to earn money online is where do I find people to build my network. Usually after the quick and sometimes crushing realization that their marketing campaign relies on the help of other people they want to begin participating within the world of Web 2.0. Now Web 2.0 is no specific type of website marketing, but the conglomeration of any web platform which provides user side feedback. This means any website out there that accepts visitors to interact in a way that gives them the ability to speak is considered Web 2.0. Good examples of websites within the Web 2.0 world are blogs, Twitter, Myspace, Digg, Forums, and other ways that people may transmit info while increasing their network of friends or business partners. Personally I thrive in the social web and use it constantly to not only build friendships that will potentially lead to cross promotion such as three way linking and guest posting, but also learn what is new throughout the online marketing world.

When you begin building your network it will seem like a very daunting task. There will be millions of potential contacts and you are to decide which will be the most productive and useful to your goals. The biggest tip that I can give anyone trying to build a network is start slow and remember etiquette is everything. Never think that anyone owes you or should have your link on their website or blog. It sounds quite simple, but after spending some of your valuable time helping someone out on a social medium to find that they did nothing for you in return may seem irritating to say the least, but in fact is quite common in the webmaster world. Example I personally gave a shout out to a few of the “top dogs” in my niche giving them free backlinks and while reading of course I saw nothing. Should I have taken the links down or placed the rel=”nofollow” tag on them stopping the flow of link juice from my blog to theirs? The simple answer is no, but there are many reasons for this. The biggest one is when you give a link to someone deserving and Google notices who you are linking to they will not consider your site linking to crap and place you in the category of online crap.

Building a network consists of not only personal relationships, but also technical ones. The example above when sharing links is a relationship of technicality rather than personal. These are the relationships that drive the web and should be a consideration when you decide to build a network in the Web 2.0 world. If you run into someone that runs crap (link farm, ffa page, or other “bad neighborhood”) even though they may be the nicest person online do not place them in your network it will only lead to poor placement within the SERPs and this can damage the income of a website dramatically. It is ok to stray from your niche somewhat, but usually when building a network the best relationships will be within your niche. Remember start slow and build your network brick by brick don’t give up.