We don’t need to tell you that the popularity of remote work has increased significantly over the last handful of years. What began as a necessary shift during the pandemic has now become commonplace. According to a Pew Research survey, around 22 million employed U.S. adults work from home all the time.
While working from home has its perks (Working in sweatpants? Yes, please!), it also makes networking and building relationships with colleagues and industry experts more difficult. The same Pew Research survey found that half (53%) of people working from home at least part-time say it hurts their ability to feel connected with co-workers.
It makes sense: No watercooler conversations about the latest show, office birthday celebrations, or opportunities to simply walk over to someone’s desk to ask a question.
This disconnect can have a profound impact, particularly on Account-Based Marketing (ABM) writers. ABM thrives on close collaboration between marketing, sales, and other departments to ensure a comprehensive understanding of business needs and customer challenges. In an office setting, these insights flow naturally through casual conversations with colleagues.
But the silos created through remote work make it essential to purposefully seek out and foster these interdepartmental relationships. This means actively engaging with subject matter experts, or SMEs, to gather the information you need to create effective content.
Better Together: Why Internal Networking Matters
In the context of ABM, collaboration between departments is key to understanding and addressing the challenges and needs of your audience. Building these internal networks pays off in droves, granting you access to:
- Valuable insights from experienced professionals: The insights from sales, product, and customer support teams provide the nuanced understanding needed to write targeted and effective content.
- Outside perspectives that add dimension to your writing projects: Diverse viewpoints help you craft content that resonates with various stakeholders — a core aspect of successful ABM strategies.
- Opportunities that contribute to your personal and professional growth: Engaging with colleagues from different departments enriches your knowledge and enhances your ability to deliver content that aligns with the broader goals of your organization.
Internal networking also has personal benefits. According to an article from Time, having work relationships is “linked to a lower risk of burnout, better mental health, fewer traumatic experiences, and maybe even a longer lifespan.”
By fostering these connections, you’ll be more productive, create compelling content, and even make friends along the way. Now, let’s get into how to network effectively.
Best Practices for Virtual Networking
Identifying Relevant SMEs
One of the most challenging aspects of building relationships with SMEs is simply finding them, especially in organizations with headcounts in the hundreds or thousands. Since you aren’t sharing physical space with colleagues, you’ll have to put in some effort and get creative to pin them down.
Chances are that your company has regular all-hands meetings or town halls. While these are mostly virtual these days, actively listening can surface some beneficial information.
Leaders may shout out salespeople or customer success employees who are excelling or leading specific projects. These folks are likely knowledgeable about certain features or hot topics among customers and prospects — and the public acknowledgement provides the perfect opportunity to contact them.
To fill the gaps between these organizational meetings, or if you’re not a full-time employee with the company, it helps to ask the people you know. Consult with managers and other employees on your team for SME recommendations; you’re likely to find that someone has already made a connection with someone who has the information you need, or who can point you to one of their contacts. All it takes is one connection to start the ripple effect.
If your organization offers Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) — employee-led groups that aim to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace by bringing together employees with commonalities — these are another way to get to know colleagues on a personal level. Fostering genuine friendships and building a strong foundation of trust and collaboration makes it easier to reach out for work-related requests.
Reaching Out
The target is located. Now you’ve got to make contact.
It may feel awkward or unnatural to reach out to someone out of the blue, but you’ve got nothing to lose! First, this is part of your job. And most of the time, people are more than willing to help.
There are a few ways you can kick off the conversation.
Email is an easy way to reach someone and give them context for what you’re working on. Introduce yourself and be specific about what you need and how they can help you.
Another route for breaking the ice is through virtual meetings. If you can speak during a team call, introduce yourself and your work and tell others you are open and interested in learning from them. Then you can follow up more naturally.
Depending on the SME’s role and your comfort level, you can also use a less formal approach, sending a friendly introduction via Slack, Microsoft Teams, or other internal communication platforms.
Building and Maintaining Relationships
Ideally, you and the SME maintain some sort of working relationship — it’s likely you’ll need their expertise again, and they have someone to go to when an idea for content comes up.
Keep your connections strong with:
- Regular check-ins: Don’t wait until you need something to reach out — stay in touch by sending regular updates on your work or asking for their advice on a project.
- Standing meetings: Schedule a bi-weekly or monthly “coffee chat” to get to know each other on a personal level and build trust.
- Giving kudos: When an SME contributes to your work, take every opportunity to thank and acknowledge them publicly to show appreciation and make them more likely to help you again in the future.
- Updates: Let SMEs know how their insights and information have helped you succeed, demonstrating that you value their input.
Using Relationships for Mutual Benefit
Sure, you’re a very fun and interesting person to talk to (of course you are — you’re a writer!), but there are other ways in which you should return the favor to the SMEs giving you their time.
Offer to assist in areas of your expertise. If you have skills or knowledge that an SME could benefit from, help them out by:
- Writing or editing for their projects
- Tagging them in posts promoting content
- Facilitating introductions to other departments or individuals
Let them know you’re happy to help when the time comes.
Overcoming Common Challenges
Aside from the obstacle of operating in a digital world, you may encounter some roadblocks as you engage SMEs.
Lack of Response
Speaking to an SME may be your number one priority, but it’s important to remember that it is very likely not at the top of their to-do list. Be patient and follow up respectfully if you don’t hear back soon. Follow up once or twice, and then move on. Don’t take it personally. There are usually plenty of other SMEs who are available to help you.
Navigating Hierarchical Challenges
Reaching out to individuals who hold higher positions in the organization can be challenging. To effectively navigate this hierarchy, try to find a middle person who can facilitate the introduction. Take advantage of company or team-wide meetings to familiarize yourself with these leaders and their areas of expertise. Demonstrating knowledge of their work and expressing genuine interest in their insights can also make your outreach more compelling and successful.
Building Rapport
When you don’t see people in person daily, it’s difficult to develop meaningful connections. This challenge is more pronounced for freelancers, who often feel like outsiders when trying to identify and communicate with SMEs. Try to find opportunities to connect and focus on establishing trust. Be honest about your intentions and be willing to go the extra mile to help them succeed.
Instead of getting straight to the ask in an email or message, share a bit about yourself, and perhaps even include links to other content you’ve written. This personal touch is more engaging and can help foster stronger camaraderie.
Managing Expectations
When working with an SME and getting to know them, it’s important to communicate effectively and manage expectations to avoid overstepping boundaries. Be clear about what you’re looking for and be respectful of their time and expertise by:
- Setting realistic deadlines
- Providing necessary context upfront
- Ensuring they understand the scope and purpose of your collaboration
- Checking in frequently to maintain alignment and show your appreciation
Ultimately, staying transparent and communicative throughout your working relationship is what will foster a productive and positive collaboration.
Reaping the Rewards of Remote Relationships
Effective networking with colleagues and SMEs is valuable to your writing, bringing a new perspective and level of expertise that makes it that much stronger. And if you’re lucky, you may even make new buddies to commiserate and celebrate with along the way.
Be bold. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You and your writing will be better for it.
