Tips to Expand your B2B Connections

After remaining static for 2 years due to the pandemic, the travel and tourism industry has made a stellar comeback in 2022. Travellers are flocking to get the best tour deals from trustworthy travel agencies. However, if you want to make sure that your travel business remains afloat in the industry, you will be needing much more than just random tour enthusiasts or fixed clientele to purchase your products and services. One thing that will come in very handy in the long run is the connections and partnerships you will build along the way. These connections play a paramount role in establishing and maintaining your position in the travel industry. Here, we will provide you with some tips that are proven to be very helpful in expanding your B2B connections.

Social Media and LinkedIn

One thing the pandemic has taught the world is the power of social media. People used it constantly to stay in touch, stay up to date with current affairs and communicate with their colleagues for different work-related reasons. But another useful side of social media comes in the form of providing us with various platforms to connect with potential business partners and expand our network further.

Thomas Ma, Co-Founder of Sapphire Apps Media, said, “Find Facebook groups that have a lot of people in your niche. Introduce yourself to the community & add people who you vibe with, and make sure to connect with the new people that you add.”

Twitter chats can also be helpful as a B2B networking resource. There is at least one chat dedicated to a particular industry, where the brightest and most skilled minds pitch in their opinions and view with the hope to build connections. One can make fast connections through these chats as they tend to be recurring. And soon enough, by constantly communicating you can set up in-person meetings at your next industry event.

“Find industry forums, communities on Reddit, LinkedIn groups, Facebook groups, or any other place your audience talks shop, then join the conversation. Add valuable information and insights. The networking will happen naturally!” - Kerry O’Shea Gorgone, MarketingProfs.

LinkedIn is by far the most popular platform when it comes to growing one’s B2B network. It is predominantly a platform specifically designed for communities to build valuable relationships through gathering and sharing knowledge and information. “It's been estimated that of all the B2B leads generated across social media in general, 80% of them originate on LinkedIn.”

Interactions with other participants are very crucial in this case. To trusted bodies within these groups, you should volunteer information and relevant insights, put forward suggestions and offer advice when it is appropriate. However, keep your mind open and explore new platforms where there is a scope to come across another industry comrade.

Participate in Industry Events

Even after all the technological advancements and fast internet connections, nothing beats the quality and stability of the relations built through face-to-face encounters. These encounters are only possible through event marketing, which is why it is considered the most effective strategy to form and grow your network by 67% of B2B content marketers.

Being part of any particular industry, you will always come across industry-specific events from time to time. The more you can successfully attend, the more beneficiary it will be to your business. These events include workshops, seminars or award functions. However, just interacting with people during these events is not enough, following up afterwards via call, email, or social media is also very important.

Another alternative way to get some positive exposure to build on your company’s reputation is to sponsor these types of events or give an impactful presentation during one. You should always keep in mind that in a saturated market space like the travel industry, ‘experts speak’. Even if your online presence is in a steady state, you have to make sure your physical reputation exudes the aura of a competent and trustworthy leader.

Collaborate Beyond Workplace

If you want to establish a long-lasting and reliable relationship with your peers in the travel industry, it should be genuine and without any further agenda. When you can build a friendship out of mutual respect or common interest, it can go beyond just business.

On the other hand, collaborating with like-minded peers or brands with similar objectives can help spread your name among a broader audience with a similar network. This can also be achieved through sponsoring and attending industrial events and interacting with people.

Collaborating on projects or workshops is also a great way to build a stable connection with your peers. When they get first-hand proof of how authoritative and responsible you can be, they will also recommend collaborating with you to their connections without you having to ask for it. The referral marketing strategies can come as an advantage in this regard. Studies have shown that 81.5% of businesses have been referred by someone who wasn’t a client. These studies show that you can make a sale without trying to sell.

Crowdsourcing content with people you want to network with is a great way to create mutual benefit. The investment in co-creation builds pride and will inspire efforts to make the content successful - a win for everyone involved.” - Lee Odden, CEO and co-founder, TopRank Marketing.

Establishing an unswerving B2B network can only be achieved through sincere efforts over time and cannot be accomplished overnight. However, demonstrating an authoritative reputation within your space will ultimately bring prospects and help your network to grow by itself.