Growing Your Marketing Network

Networking involves building and maintaining relationships with people, which can lead to a beneficial exchange in the future. It’s an important part of professional development and career growth, accounting for around 80 percent of the jobs found.

The sooner you start building your network, the better. It can open a lot of doors and possibilities and help you get to where you want to go. And in the marketing communications industry, networking is critical, especially in today’s social media-driven age.

The Basics of Networking

As with anything, the first step is defining your networking goals. Determine what you want to achieve through networking. Are you seeking a new job, mentorship, industry insights or something else?

Next, identify your target audience. Who do you need to connect with to reach your networking goals? This could include professionals in your industry, potential mentors or even peers.

Finally, you’ll want to build a strong online presence. Create a professional online profile that showcases your skills, experience and interests. This will make it easier for others to find and connect with you. When building your online presence, it’s important to curate your personal brand. This involves developing a consistent image and message that you want to convey to others.

Strategies to Networking

• Online Strategies
• Use social media platforms (i.e. LinkedIn)
• Engage in online communities and forums where you can share your knowledge
• Create and share valuable content in your industry of interest
• Offline Strategies
• Attend industry-related events and conferences
• Join professional organizations
• Reach out to professionals in your desired field for informational interviews
• Volunteer for causes you’re passionate about
• Find a mentor who can provide guidance and support
• Utilize your school’s alumni network to connect with professions
• Attend workshops or webinars
• Participate in professional development programs

Nurturing Your Network

Once you’ve grown your network, it won’t help you if you don’t continue to engage. Make a point to maintain regular communication, staying in touch with your contacts through email, social media and even meetups. You can also be helpful and supportive to your connections by sharing relevant articles, offering advice and providing introductions where appropriate. You want to make sure the relationship is mutually beneficial.

Meet the Marcom Network

The WVU Marketing Communications programs are a great place to build a strong network. Here are two examples of students who made lasting connections:

Alexis Rogers and Leah Schoolcraft, both IMC ‘22 graduates, met in the program which kicked off a quick and close friendship between the two. The friendship started over Twitter through the WVU IMC page and quickly surpassed a professional connection to a true friendship complete with daily text messages and video calls.

“It was really incredible to have the support like Leah said. We started asking questions and if we were confused about something or needed to sort of bounce ideas off of each other, it was really helpful to have that and has still been helpful to support each other throughout the program, especially when you're having those days where you're just really struggling to get through,” Alexis said. “Having that motivation that's one call away, there will have been times where we've literally just sat on FaceTime doing our assignments where we're not talking just for that moral support.”

Julia Lienhard and Serafina Maerten, both graduates of the M.S. Data Marketing Communications program shared the Introduction to Data Marketing Communications course together, and after the very first assignment, Serafina messaged Julia on Instagram to introduce herself with the hope of gaining a friend in the program.

“I did one project on my own and thought there was no one to talk to about this. I was kind of lonely, and I thrive better with a team, so I found her on Instagram and we became friends,” said Serafina. “What really helped me get through this program was having a friend. It’s why I messaged her in the first place.”

After a few months, Serafina and Julia began sharing more than just tips and insights into their readings and assignments. They began reading books together and calling one another to talk about the material, sharing documentary and podcast recommendations, and eventually ran a 10k in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, together. Their friendship has evolved beyond the program and made its way into their professional and personal lives, too.

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