March 2023 marks the five-year anniversary of Virtual Networkers, and I have to brag: I have grown Virtual Networkers by 500% in five years!
Once I did the math (yes, it took me a hot minute! #englishmajor), I grabbed my journal and wrote down all I implemented since 2018 to grow “my baby.”
I love to share how I accomplish things in my business, so I wrote this blog post about how I grew my virtual networking organization for women entrepreneurs.
Ready to get started?
BLOG POST
I started Virtual Networkers in March 2018 on a hunch.
I believed I could network from home using Zoom technology. I ran my entire business through Zoom; why couldn’t I network that way too?
So, I put out a Facebook Event Page and emailed my list, inviting women entrepreneurs to go on an journey with me.
I was not sure if I could convince entrepreneurs that they could network from home (in their slippers), but I wanted to give it a try. And I am so glad I did!
Virtual Networkers by the numbers
So, let’s take a look at how I’ve grown Virtual Networkers over the past five years:
- 500% growth in membership
- 500% growth in chapters
- 3,317% growth in revenue
In addition, we have women entrepreneurs living all across the globe—in 13 countries!
How I grew Virtual Networkers
So, how did I accomplish this? It came down to two things:
- Having a marketing plan
- Consistent marketing implementation
I am sure you want more specifics, and I will give them to you, but I must pause here because I don’t want this message to get lost.
If you want to grow your business, you need a marketing plan and you need to consistently implement marketing activities.
If you don’t have these two things, you won’t experience the growth you’re looking for. Period.
Okay, so let’s drill down a bit on the specific marketing and operational activities I implemented (consistently) over the past five years:
- Staying true to our mission: A sisterhood of women entrepreneurs who lift and support each other
- Finding dynamic Chapter Presidents who align with our mission
- Focusing on finding “energy-specific” women entrepreneurs who are a true fit for Virtual Networkers
- Having a structured organization with clear policies
- Overdelivering on the value our members receive
- Sharing members’ success stories (and not always about how many referrals or clients they’ve received)
- Hosting events to attract new members
- Motivating members to find new members to join us
- Opening new chapters to accommodate our members’ different schedules
- Incremental price increases
- Periodic sales and promotions
- Talking about Virtual Networkers in my content marketing, including books, blog posts, 30-second introductions, and presentations
- A clear call to action
- Ensuring Virtual Networkers is everywhere my prospective members are, especially on social media
Consistency is key
None of this is rocket science, and there isn’t an overnight success formula for growing a networking organization. I hope this blog post proves that, and most importantly, shows you the benefits of (let me say it again…)
- Having a marketing plan
- Consistent marketing implementation
You can have the best, most innovative marketing ideas in the world, but if you don’t have a plan and the drive to be consistent in your marketing, you won’t experience the results you’re hoping for.
An invitation for you
Now, here’s an example of a clear call to action—an invitation for you to check out Virtual Networkers and witness this growth first hand!
You can visit any Virtual Networkers chapter up to three times before deciding on membership, and we have six chapters ready to meet you. To see our chapter schedule and to learn more about Virtual Networkers, please visit https://virtualnetworkers.biz.
And, if you are reading this blog post before Wednesday, March 15, 2023, join us at our upcoming Love and Learn Party, where you’ll learn about Virtual Networkers and fall in love with us! (Plus, take advantage of signing bonuses and a discount code should you decide to join Virtual Networkers). Here’s the LinkedIn Event Page for more information and to RSVP.
I am so proud of Virtual Networkers; I pour my heart and soul into this organization every day. I am grateful to my members—both past and present—who have been on this journey with me, and I am forever indebted to my Chapter Presidents for their love, energy, and support.
Finally, I hope this blog post helps you in growing “your baby,” too. I am rooting for you!
