Working from home can be awesome: you have more freedom and flexibility, you don’t have to commute, and let’s be real, the occasional conference call in your PJ’s certainly isn’t terrible. But one downside is that your day-to-day routine isn’t exactly ripe with opportunities for meeting new people—and that’s crucial for your career (and your sanity!). So you have to create those opportunities for yourself, and start networking from home.
In certain industries, networking matters more than in others, yet its power is undeniable. Building a strong network of connections can help you advance in your professional journey and bounce back after setbacks like a layoff or career change. But how, exactly, can you do networking from home? Let's find out.
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How to network remotely: 11 ways to meet new people
If you're wondering—or maybe even doubting—how networking can be done remotely, we're here to help you get there. While you can absolutely meet new people and make connections when working from home, you'll need to put in some effort, creativity, and intention. After all, relying on work events or company coffee breaks for bonding isn't really an option.
Read this next: How to Bond With Your Team as a Remote Worker
Here are 11 ways to manage remote networking—from leveraging Slack communities to hosting your own networking events. Pick the ones that suit your lifestyle best and start building your connections now.
1. Look for opportunities to offer value
People like people who help them. So if you establish yourself as a person who adds real value, you automatically endear yourself to others. The best part? You can do all that value-adding from the comfort of your own home.
Look for ways to help, to support, or to make valuable connections for those in your network. Did you notice someone on your LinkedIn or industry Facebook group struggling to get design work done for their business? Shoot over a list of your favorite DIY design tools. Know someone who’s having trouble hiring a new assistant? Send them a helpful article on how to hire a virtual team. Have two clients you think would work well together? Put them in touch.
Just make sure to be genuine. Don’t just look to help in the hopes you'll receive something in return. If you come from a self-serving place, others will pick up on that—and might not want to connect with you. Instead, think of people you'd like to support and, if the opportunity presents itself, jump on it.
2. Host your own lunch-and-learn
If you want to take the whole “adding value” thing to the next level (and reap the rewards!), try hosting a lunch-and-learn at a local coworking spot (which—bonus—is probably full of other people who work remotely).
Whether you’re a virtual assistant who helps organize people’s businesses, a marketing manager who works remotely for a larger company, or a freelance writer, you have a unique set of skills, talents, and experience that others can benefit from. Lunch-and-learns give you a chance to help while also showcasing your expertise—which can help turn some of those new connections into new business opportunities.
3. Use the media to establish yourself as an expert
Getting your name, company, or project mentioned in the media is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your space and drive relevant connections that can not only increase your social network but also give your career a healthy boost. These days, you can usually contribute your expertise from wherever you are (like your home office)—and use it to develop contacts around the world.
Sign up as a source on Help Every Reporter Out (HERO) and be on the lookout for opportunities that might be a fit. The more you get your name out there, the more people will see it—and the more your network will grow.
Just make sure to only reach out when you can speak from a place of authority. For example, if a writer is putting together a piece on digital nomads building sustainable businesses while traveling the world but you do the bulk of your work from your home office, then it’s probably not a great match.
4. Get your Slack on
Sure, you can leverage traditional networking groups to connect with people. But if you work remotely, one of the best networking tools in your arsenal is one you’re probably already using—Slack.
Slack is one of the best ways for teams—whether that’s an in-house team, remote teams, or a freelancer and client—to communicate and collaborate. It’s also a great way for people who work remotely to build their networks, find new and exciting projects, and connect with potential new colleagues, clients, and friends.
“It has been a great tool for me to meet people in my field and network with them,” says Sireesha Narumanchi, blogger and founder of Crowdworknews.com. “Having a dedicated channel like #mycity in Slack and having meetups with people in the same field can create many future career growth opportunities and collaborations.”
Search for Slack communities that cater to the kind of people you want to add to your network, such as industry- and location-specific groups (for example, the Portland chapter of AIGA, a professional association for design, has a Slack channel for Portland-based designers where they can chat and share local design-related events). Want to build your network with other people who understand the blessing/curse that is being a freelancer? Request to join popular freelance Slack communities, like Workfrom or #freelance.
The point is, there’s a Slack community for everything and everyone (seriously, just do a Google search!)—and for those who work remotely, it’s the perfect way to build a network of like-minded people. And who knows? Those Slack conversations could turn into IRL connections or lead to your next big break.
5. Start a podcast
Podcasts are having a serious moment. And they’re good for more than entertaining you during a long drive or a workout—hosting one can be a great way to connect with people in your industry. “I’ve built an incredible network through my Sales Success Stories Podcast where I interview active, quota carrying, individual contributor sales professionals who are either #1 or in the top 1% of performers at their companies,” says Scott Ingram, who, in addition to hosting his podcast, works from home in an outside sales role.
Hosting someone on a podcast also sets the stage for a deeper, more personal connection than you’d find at, say, a networking event. “Some of these people I might have been able to connect with at an industry event, but in that scenario, I’d be lucky to get more than a few minutes with them,” Ingram says. “The podcast allows me to be proactive and have deep conversations that are often over an hour that just wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”
Granted, starting a podcast is a lot more labor intensive than sending someone a helpful article or joining a Slack community. But if podcasting is something you’re genuinely interested in—and if you’re willing to put in the work to develop and market your show (because let’s be real, who wants to be on a podcast no one listens to?)—it can be an incredibly valuable networking tool.
A podcast can give you the opportunity to interview interesting people and get your name out there in your industry, which can lead to more opportunities down the road. Because you don’t have to be in the same place (or even the same time zone) as your guest, you can manage the entire process from your home office.
Interested in exploring podcasting? Read this article about starting a podcast on top of a full-time job and check out this list of podcasting resources and tools to get an idea of what you’ll need to get started.
6. Pursue the hobbies you love
The best networks are built organically—so if you spend time pursuing your hobbies (whether they’re work-related or not), they can help you build the strongest (and most authentic) connections.
“I play intramural sports throughout the season which allows me to meet new friends not only personally but professionally as well,” says India Lott, founder of the web development company Gray Sole Media. “It is a great, non-structured way of getting to know people that also happen to have professional careers.”
Making your passions and hobbies a priority can really change the game when you're working from home. It makes the experience less lonely and opens up opportunities to connect with new people. Let's say your hobby is to meditate; while you don't necessarily plan to use it as a way to network, you may end up meeting someone at a meditation group who works in the same industry as you.
The point is, when you spend time doing what you love, it puts you in touch with others who love what you love, too—and building a network of like-minded people is not only essential from a social perspective, it can also boost your career. It’s a win-win!
7. Frequent remote coworking spaces
Working from home can feel isolating at times, especially if you're living alone. However, you can minimize this feeling, and grow your network in the process, by joining remote coworking spaces. These spaces are ideal for remote workers who enjoy the comfort of home but miss the camaraderie of a traditional office setting.
For instance, there's Focusmate, a platform where you can schedule sessions lasting 25, 50, or 75 minutes. It pairs you with another remote worker from anywhere in the world. If you hit it off with your work buddy, you can mark each other as favorites to maintain the connection.
8. Grab a virtual coffee with your existing contacts
Sometimes, connecting with people virtually is easier than you'd expect. A super easy way to do remote networking is by inviting your existing contacts to grab a virtual coffee with you. Just find a date and time that works for everyone and schedule a meet on Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or any platform you like.
Not sure who to invite? Think about other remote workers you haven't seen in a while. It could be a team member, especially if you're in a big company, or that person from your industry you met some time ago and promised to keep in touch with.
9. Leverage LinkedIn chat and comment section
When it comes to remote networking, it's impossible not to mention LinkedIn, the social media platform practically designed for this purpose. Professionals across all industries use the platform to exchange new ideas and opinions about their specific fields and the working world in general—and you can leverage it to your advantage.
Join discussions started by other LinkedIn users and share your thoughts on what was said. From this interaction, you can send a connection request and a private message to keep the conversation going or simply to introduce yourself. Unlike other social media platforms, on LinkedIn, people are open to connecting with strangers to expand their professional network, so there's no need to be shy.
Neglected your LinkedIn? Here’s the fix: The Secret to Building a LinkedIn Profile That Gets Results
10. Enlist in online courses
Though online courses aren't traditional networking events, they're still a great way to network from home. Why? Because you'll meet professionals from your industry who are also looking to develop the same skills as you.
For this to work, try enrolling in live classes instead of self-paced courses that are pre-recorded and don't offer chances to interact with the teacher and classmates. Live classes and webinars usually have a live chat where you can ask and answer questions, exchange ideas…and share your LinkedIn profile.
11. Join a virtual group of professionals
Even if you swore off Facebook, you might want to take a second look: You can actually use it as a networking tool by joining Facebook groups related to your profession. For instance, if you're a freelance photographer, seek out groups dedicated to freelance photography or freelancing in general. These types of communities are built by professionals who want to exchange industry insights, share new tools, discuss job opportunities, and offer helpful tips.
If Facebook just isn't your thing, give LinkedIn a try. Just type a keyword related to your profession, industry, or role (i.e. “communications”, “marketing”, “design”) on the search bar. Then, select “groups” to see a list of all the groups related to that specific term, filled with professionals eager to network.
Time to network
Networking from home isn't as tough as it seems. It's all about being willing to reach out to people in their inbox and trying new means of connecting, like virtual groups and remote work communities. Just pick the options that suit you best and enjoy the benefits. Your career will thank you!