Jane Austen would have been a blogger

At least that's the position I take in my new book, The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?). 

From the Introduction:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in search of a fabulous career must be in want of networking opportunities.

Or so Jane Austen would say if she were writing—or, more likely, blogging—today. 

In some ways, modern networking is no different than what took place in Jane Austen’s novels: it’s important to know many different people, attend a myriad of social events, and, above all else, have proper manners at all times.

Yet, today, thanks to the Internet, we now have an entirely new world open to us: online networking, where you can connect with others via a few keystrokes and a click of a mouse.  Whether you’re looking for clients, funding for your company, a new job, or even a date (you’re just as likely to find your Mr. Darcy online as at a formal ball), you can meet or research an infinite number of people through the web.  And professional women are discovering that online networking not only opens doors to new business relationships, but it also helps us manage the relationships we already have in an efficient manner that fits our “always on the go” lifestyles.

Click here to download the complete introduction for free.

Throughout the rest of the book, my co-author, Lindsey Pollak and I provide tips, tactics and etiquette advice for businesswomen who want to build professional relationships through email, online networks, blogs, and message boards. 

We even include some words of wisdom about using websites like Gather (excerpted from Chapter 7):

Blog Networking: Community Blogging  

If running your own blog is not appealing or realistic for you, there are still other ways to get your words out on the web.  You could work with some colleagues and do a “group” blog where everyone posts something weekly or can cover for each other when someone is out of the office.  You can also publish your thoughts on a community blog such as CultureCloud.com or Gather.com, where pretty much anyone can submit short stories, images, or reports on any topic, which are then posted on your own personal page on the site.

When it comes to networking on community blogs, we turned to David Woodrow, vice president of groups at Gather.com.  He gave us the following tips for building a social network on Gather.com (almost all of which can be applied to other similar community sites). 

• Get personal.  When you join Gather.com, it’s important to complete your profile with as much information as you feel comfortable. You don’t need to fill in all the questions, but at a minimum post your favorite books, music, and films. This enables people to get a better sense of you as a person. In this case, familiarity drives engagement.  You also want to upload a small photo as an icon. This icon will appear next to your profile on your article pages and along side any comments you make on the site.  
• Read and post.  As a member, you can participate in the community. Read articles that interest you and when appropriate, share your thoughts by commenting.  Most importantly, participate on Gather by posting articles. By writing on Gather, you are able to build your network and build broader exposure for your content. Your content will further enable you to leverage Gather’s social networking functionality. Your posts can be any length, but generally run between 500–750 words. Remember to check back on your posts and respond to the comments from your readers.  You don’t need to respond to them all, but people really appreciate when you remain part of the conversation on Gather. 
• Create a network.  The power of social networking is through connections and networks. The larger your Gather network grows, you are better enabled to benefit by people telling people about your work and sharing information—all automatically via Gather’s messaging and connections system.  Find people who share your interests and proactively ask them to connect to you.  Send private messages to people you have met on Gather using Gather’s messaging system. 
• Join and/or create groups.  Search for and join groups that deal with the topics you are interested in.  Search for groups created by other people who are looking to network or start a networking group of your own and invite other people to join your group.   

“To sum it up most simply,” says David, “the single most powerful action for a person to gain popularity on Gather is to respond and engage with other members.”

Blogging isn’t for everyone, but, if you’re going to jump in and launch a blog yourself, dabble on a community blog, or even comment on other blogs, remember to focus on the message you want to send to the world.  Blogging is a dialogue with your audience and you want to be just as engaging, entertaining, and generous as you would with any other type of networking.

For more about the book, and some online networking tips, check out our marketing blog at www.savvygalblog.com where our "fictional" character who blogs for us throughout the book, Wendy Darcy, continues to be a thoroughly modern Jane Austen, commenting about society, manners, and of course, the proper way to network online and in person.

Diane K. Danielson is the CEO of the Downtown Women's Club, an online and in-person network for professional women.  She's also reviews books for Entrepreneur magazine (http://topshelf.entrepreneur.com), and blogs for the Boston Globe's Job Blog and www.womensDISH.com.