Why Networking Ninja, And What To Expect From Joanne Dewberry Now.

You may have noticed a slight rebrand has happened here. ⤴️
I’ve changed my branding from JoanneDewberry.co.uk to ‘Joanne Dewberry – Networking Ninja‘ and turned this site from a rolling blog to a dedicated homepage.  Ekk it is both exciting and terrifying at the same time! Feels very grown up to have a proper website layout!  But also stressful as after 10 years I got used to how things were! BUT how can we grow and develop if we don’t make changes and do the scary stuff!

Why Networking Ninja? 

I’ve been writing this blog around my small business experiences since 2010 and whilst that won’t change I wanted to focus more on my book Networking A Successful Small Business and networking activities. I’ll be producing more content around networking over the next few months, but peppered amongst all the social media and working from home tips that you love.

Word of the Year 2021 – Visibility.

2021 I really want to look at growing outside of my core network and sharing my love and passion for networking with a wider audience. Being more visible in order to sell more copies of my book. To do that I felt I needed to put on my big girl pants and be seen as a networking expert (which given the content of my book I clearly am 😉 ). However, using the word expert just didn’t sit right with me, and felt all kinds of wrong. So in the end I opted for Networking Ninja.

What is a Networking Ninja?

A Networking Ninja creates a circle of influence around them to help achieve their goals. Through bold networking strategies, they effectively build quality meaningful relationships. A Networking Ninja is always ready to share information, give advice and connect people.

I feel like this definition really encompasses my core values and ethos around networking, building relationships and goal setting without feeling awkward, hope you agree.

I think it is really important to remember that your branding will change over time as you and your business grow and develop. Sometimes it’s an organic experience other times you have to step up and own it.

Ed Prichard, Freelance Copywriter talks about using the right tone of voice within your branding and I think we sometimes underestimate this. Having a consistent tone of voice, not only helps you and potential customers to be clear on your brand, if you run a team this tone keeps you all on the same page. Authenticity is really important to me, which is why I didn’t use Networking Expert. Whilst in the long term it is difficult to actually be someone else when we are the face of our small business we sometimes try to dull it down. Being our authentic self, doing what we love and sharing our passion with others, is our brand.

Three Tweaks You Can Do Now! 

1. Consistency: Are you using the same images/logo/headshots across all the social media platforms? Is your name the same I’m Joanne Dewberry across the board makes me easy to find (although had to add UK to Instagram as someone else is using it, but if you search you’ll instantly see the yellow coat!)? But also does your social media name match your brand name? A mismatch of names, logos, faces, branding is confusing to your audience. Streamlining your brand and being consistent is key to instant recognition.
2. Be Clear Who You Are And What You Do: Don’t get mixed up in fancy technical jargon that nobody understands and leaves the consumer confused. Whether you sell products or services your branding clearly needs to tell your audience who you are and what you do. Check your homepage does this come across? If not take a few minutes to tweak your message.
3. Use Social Media To Build Connections and Start Networking Like A Ninja: Social Media, the key is in the title, it’s social. As much as you talk about yourself you should be building connections, developing relationships and getting to know other small businesses and your core audience around you. If you haven’t already one of the easiest ways to start networking online is to join in with Twitter Hours. Simple but effective social media networking.

I do hope you like the new branding and I look forward to sharing more networking knowledge with you although if you can’t wait, you can always grab a copy of Networking A Successful Small Business!

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