Think you are too busy to fit some networking into your day? What if I told you that you could do some of your most important networking in a matter of seconds in the course of a normal Social Media session.  Your favorite social sites have made it insanely easy to reach out to your network and let them know that you are there for them, for example:

Congratulate Someone on a Work Anniversary, Or a New Job Via LinkedIn

One of the quickest ways to show someone in your network that you are thinking of them is to congratulate them on a professional milestone.  When you click on your LinkedIn notifications page, you’ll find a list not just of your network’s recent activities, but also of people who are celebrating a work Anniversary or the start of a new job. When you click the notification, LinkedIn will auto-populate a message, such as “Congrats on your work anniversary,” which you can either personalize or send as is. One click and you’re done. This ten second investment will help keep the lines of communications open, and it doubles as a wonderful conversation starter.

Wish Them a Happy Birthday on Facebook or LinkedIn

Facebook has made it easy for you to wish someone a Happy Birthday, even if you aren’t good at remembering dates. Not only will a reminder appear in your Notifications, but there will also be a reminder in your feed where you can write a birthday wish WITHOUT having to click into their personal page. It’s the easiest birthday message you’ll ever send! LinkedIn has also recently added birthday reminders to their notifications, and they can be handled in the same way as work anniversary greetings.

Tag Them in the Comments of a Post Matching Their Interests

As the old adage goes “Sharing Is Caring,” and in the age of social media, sharing is easier than ever before. As you scroll through your feed on your favorite social media channel, tag your friends in the comment sections of posts they would find helpful or interesting. Whether it’s a job search/industry related, or it’s a cat video you know they’ll love, all you need to do is to mention their name or handle in the comments section of the post and they will see it in their feed, along with who tagged them. This will help foster communication and sharing in your network, and you may even find your friends will start tagging you in items you would find interesting.