A myth portrayed by the internet is that, by following each other, we’re somehow all connected. This is true to a point, but connection can only truly come from interaction. Likes, shares, and follows will only get you so far when you’re trying to build a digital network. They especially don’t outright showcase a desire for communication. In academic and corporate circles, discussion is necessary for connection. So, even with the perceived closeness social media has given us, how do we reach out to those we want to work with? How do we know when we’re crossing boundaries or being unprofessional? And how do we use online communication to share our research and create new relationships?
Let’s break down the art of talking online so that you can confidently approach anyone in any format.
Choose your medium
There are a few ways to start the conversation: comments, direct messages, and emailing. Comments are great for showing your expertise and personality. Additionally, algorithms prefer profiles that leave comments. It shows that you’re an active user and helps establish your interests and desired community. Find posts that appeal to your research. Maybe you’re the one who’s crafted a post about your interests and ended it with a question, sparking a conversation. Posting comments helps you and your work get seen in overcrowded online spaces. Besides, digital networking isn’t always about one-on-one connections—the smaller discussions matter, too.
As for direct messaging and emailing, these have a similar purpose: you have something to pitch and would like to offer your services or request help from someone you think is a good match. You could also be looking to expand your digital network and view them as a potential employer or collaborator. Regardless, the intention behind your communication is more personal and direct.
While each of these methods requires a slightly different mode of communication, the underlying theme is the same: use a professional, friendly tone.
Be aware of these digital networking conflicts
Tone is easily the most difficult part of digital networking. Comment sections can feel casual, so it’s not hard to get caught up in their quick nature and be less thoughtful with your replies. Maybe you’re not proofreading as deeply. Maybe you’re not paying attention to everyone’s contributions to the conversation. Either way, there’s more opportunity to slip into a dialogue that is less professional.
When it comes to direct messaging and emailing, what starts as genuine can slowly become pestering. Remember to allow people time to respond to your messages—there is and isn’t an appropriate time to follow up. Direct messaging is useful for contacts you’ve made through social media, such as SciProfiles, and can be the bridge that helps you ask for their email. However, that does mean there is less familiarity between you and the person you’re contacting, so keep that in mind in your opening messages. Introduce yourself, keep your pitch brief, and make sure to mention something from their profile so they know you’ve done your research. Email is a whole other story, which we’ll tackle in the next section.
In general, though, keep your communication topical, well-researched, and overall polite. Don’t let the informalities of social media make you too comfortable in conversation. You want to be confident, but there’s a balance.
Email etiquette for first messages and beyond
Nobody wants to receive an email that is clearly a template. People are busy, messages pile up, and when they finally get to the stack, they want to know that their time isn’t being wasted. The best and earliest way to set the tone for your sincerity is to be direct and factual. Mention who you are, if you’ve met (and if not, mention something about their work that you have in common), and make your request.
Introductions are necessary online, even if you follow each other’s profiles. If you haven’t met previously, letting the other person know this isn’t a random email goes a long way. Look at their past work, who they know, and what they’re interested in. Use this information as a means of establishing that you’re not a bot or sending off impersonal messages. And, importantly, this information should align with your reason for reaching out to them in the first place. If you first met at an event, such as a conference, a follow-up email to re-establish your connection is important to solidifying your budding working relationship.
The cold approach
Cold approaches are intimidating. You aren’t guaranteed a response, and even with the perfect pitch, your message may go unread. However, there are a lot of benefits to taking the leap. You never know when you may add another connection to your digital network this way, and hopefully, transform your online relationship into a real-world one.
While we’ve discussed why templated emails are a no-go, other important etiquette includes:
- A professional subject line (no spelling mistakes, incorrect punctuation, or inconsistent capitalization) that is short and sweet while also interesting enough to rope the reader in;
- Body text that is perfectly proofread and free of errors;
- Triple-checking that you’re writing to the right email address;
- An email signature.
Overall, you want to present your reason for emailing them concisely, and emphasize the value behind a potential collaboration. What do you bring to the table? Where can you improve a research area, a digital network, or a work environment? Grab their attention, and prove yourself in order to keep it.
Persistence is key to growing your digital network
It can be nerve-wracking send off the first message or comment. It can be even more so if you don’t get a response. There is a polite way to follow up, though. In fact, following up is a necessary skill in academia and the workforce at large. The reason why someone didn’t respond is not worth worrying about. We don’t know if they were busy (they likely were), didn’t see the message, or, unfortunately, didn’t want to. Trying to fill in that blanks leads to making unnecessary and potentially harmful assumptions. And regardless, you still have a second chance, even if they didn’t offer it up to you verbally. Because you’re taking a shot in the dark, though, tactfulness is very important.
Do wait a while before sending a secondary message. Give people a week or two to get back to you. Once that time has lapsed, send a brief message. Keep it light, reiterate your intentions, and perhaps throw in a bit of news. Maybe the person you’re reaching out to just had an achievement, or the company you’d like to work with hit a milestone. Don’t ask why they haven’t responded. You don’t want to create a conflict.
Circling back to the topic of tone, it’s hard to perfectly communicate it online. So be wary that you aren’t accusing the person you’re messaging or coming across impolitely. If your second attempt is also ignored, it’s safe to leave it at that. Knowing when to walk away is crucial to digital communication.
The first message is the hardest
Whether you’re responding to a comment thread, sending a direct message to someone you saw on SciProfiles, or cold emailing a fellow academic, sending a message easier said than done. Remember that the person on the other side of the screen is just like you: they had to start at the bottom, search for connections, and potentially face rejection along the way. But the more you put yourself out there, the more natural it becomes. Practice is just another form of persistence, and persistence is how you develop your digital network.