How to Build Connections in Your Community

One of our biggest priorities at Award is building meaningful connections within our community. Not only are we in the staffing industry where relationships are everything, we also value giving back and partnering with local organizations to make a difference within our community through our Award Cares Program.

Whether you are in the staffing industry or not, we highly recommend creating a solid foundation of relationships with other businesses. Doing so well help you build rapport and lead to a good reputation within your community. This will likely get you regular referral and marketing/publicity opportunities, which will make the surrounding businesses want to partner with you, in some capacity in the future.

Here are our recommendations for how to create connections in your local community:

1. Follow and Engage with them on Social Media

It’s no secret that having a social media presence is absolutely crucial in the world we live in. By leveraging social media, you have the chance to showcase your brand’s personality and share your company’s culture. Because all social media platforms are algorithm based, following and regularly liking/commenting their posts will give them more exposure. Also, by leaving positive comments on their page, their prospective customers and clients will automatically trust them more.

2. Send them Holiday and Checking-In Gifts and Notes

Building relationships is the first step to creating meaningful connections, but it is equally important to maintain them. Every so often, send the executives of the company a gift or note, letting them know you are thinking of them. The people who run businesses can be skeptical of partnering with other companies when they feel like the other company is only out to see what’s in it for them. Doing this will create a human-to-human connection. Also, it doesn’t have to cost money. Even an email just to check in every once in a while can go a long way.

3. Provide Recommendations

When creating relationships, the best thing that you can do is come from a place of value. When communicating with other businesses, problems that they are facing will inevitably become a topic of conversation occasionally. Offer your unique perspective and solutions if you deem it fitting for the conversation. If nothing comes to mind right away, reach out later with a few ideas and resources. This shows that you were listening and that you genuinely care.

4. Refer and Connect Them

As networking is such a crucial part of any business, you will inevitably run into individuals and other companies who could use their services. If you know those people or organizations on a personal level, introduce them. If it is someone you are just meeting, give them your business associate’s contact information and ask that person or company to tell them that they were sent by you. People will be happy to return this favor.

5. Share their Needs and Wins with Your Network

Going back to social media, another great thing you can do for a business associate is spread the word about their needs and/or successes. If they post that they are hiring, share it your LinkedIn and Facebook connections. If they post about a recent win they had, help them celebrate by sharing their post. This will communicate genuine appreciation for their partnership and will incentivize them to do the same for you.

If your company is in need of employees, we at Award Staffing are here to help. Contact us with your staffing needs here.