Is networking now the best marketing option for small businesses?
You’ve probably noticed - marketing and getting any attention for your small business is now incredibly difficult. James West, co-founder of ONLE, explains why you might want to battle your instinct to do more! Louder! In different places! And instead think about what you want your marketing to do, and look to the quieter places where it’s proven to be more successful.
There are two reasons I believe networking is now the most valuable marketing option for small businesses. One I suspect you’ll recognise and understand immediately. The other might surprise you - but this second factor is just as important if you want your marketing to effectively attract potential buyers.
Before I share the two reasons, I’ll briefly explain why I’m qualified to answer this. This isn’t theory. This understanding of marketing is based on my own experiences building my businesses almost exclusively through networking. Marketing (and selling) through networking happened before I really understood what marketing was. Those early successes led me to want to help others experience the same benefits, and ultimately drove my decision to build a networking business. And looking at the elements that made me successful, not only are they still relevant, but I think they are more relevant than ever.
So, here are the two reasons why:
1) The noise ceiling is broken. So stop shouting!
“Nothing tests a message better than someone either immediately glazing over or nodding in recognition.”
James West, ONLE Networking
We’re tired of content. Our attention is shot to pieces. We scroll. We clear messages and notifications. Sometimes it feels like we can hardly think for the noise. No one needs more content!
In other words, brand awareness and content marketing are now harder than ever. Not futile, but a case of rapidly diminishing returns. Even good, targeted messaging is in danger of being swept away by the tide of AI content and the sheer weight of content noise. And we instinctively know it isn’t going to get any better.
That raises an important question: if content is being ignored, how do you get people to pay attention?
It’s simple. Give THEM attention! And the best way to do that is with a conversation. Listen. Ask questions. Show you care about what they say. And once you’ve got their attention by giving it first, they will be open to listening to what you have to say.
Networking has always been the best place to get past the job title and connect on a human level. This is especially important when selling business-to-business services, which always involve a conversation. But now we’re living through an attention crisis, I believe the ability to build a relationship and have a conversation is actually the fastest way to get heard. And this means less broadcasting and more talking and therefore networking.
2) Most marketing is based on guesswork and misses a crucial component
This is the left field one. And it’s based on the simple (incorrect) assumption that marketing is an exercise in broadcasting messages until the right wording lands. While it’s true there’s a huge iterative, test-and-measure aspect to marketing, true marketing is actually much smarter than that.
Here’s the Chartered Institute of Marketing definition (see if you can spot the part that people miss about marketing):
“Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.”
Did you spot the keyword? 50 points if you jumped to the word ‘identifying’. This is the key.
Marketing is not about sending out messaging based on what you think people want or will respond to. Marketing is about finding out what they think and will respond to. And you won’t do that by broadcasting more messaging. You’ll do that by talking to people.
Networking is now the most powerful form of marketing for small businesses because, firstly, no one is listening, and everyone is talking. Networking allows you to break that dynamic by first fulfilling people’s desire to be heard, and then effectively gaining the right to speak. THEN you can be heard in a way that no other marketing can offer.
And secondly, networking gives you real-time feedback on your messaging and positioning. Yes, you can pore over engagement data, click rates, and even send surveys. But nothing tests a message better than someone either immediately glazing over or nodding in recognition.
What this really means is that networking isn’t just another marketing channel. It’s the place where marketing actually happens. In real time and in line with the true definition of marketing. That’s because networking is where you identify what people care about, understand how they describe their problems, and refine how you talk about what you do. The more conversations you have, the clearer your positioning becomes, and the easier it is for people to recognise your value.
So when you combine both realities, a world overwhelmed by noise, and a definition of marketing that starts with listening, the conclusion is simple. Networking isn’t an alternative to marketing. It’s the most direct, effective way to do it properly.
Want to get more from business networking? Download our free toolkit: How To Network Online.