The old techniques of networking from pre-internet eras proved very efficient and even more effective. If not for those techniques, technology would not have evolved to the extent it has now, and the world might not even have a web to surf. What if we combined those techniques with today's online networking?

There was a time, well before the establishment of the Internet, that networking was not done by cross-site linking and back-links, and middle men hired to do your linking for you. It was done by pure and simply making contacts via whatever manner possible, usually through a friend or an associate. Alas, the day of the meeting over lunch and the call forwarding is done. Now is the time of the technological guru. However, before we put the old-school tactics in marketing behind us, let's inspect them closely to see if they may still have some small bit of usefulness in today's world of cyber-networking.

Webster's Dictionary defines a "Network" as "an interconnected or interrelated chain, group, or system."

What most fail to realize is that originally, pre-web, the network was already there. For example, Jim knew Tom. Tom knew Sam. Sam knew Martha. In this case, Martha was in Jim's network, regardless if Martha or Jim knew it or not. The network is already in place. Corporately speaking, it only became an active and effective network once Jim had Tom introduce him to Sam who introduced him to Martha. How was this long range down line connected at the end? A few phone calls, a lunch or two, perhaps a golf game, and then another lunch or two. Each individual between Jim and Martha became a part of Jim's network. There was a time when it was a tedious task to build an active network.

Today, all you need is a website, an email address, and a text-ad broker. Networking now requires very little time, hardly any effort, and no one on one contact. Do you suppose this is progress? Yes, it is, but still, what if we combined the two?

Let us say, for example, that you are the head of an online venture called BizBiz. Now, BizBiz has a network that travels throughout five hundred websites. Somewhere else, a half-continent away, is another online venture called Radlimited. Radlimited also has a network covering five hundred websites. Both of these companies are doing really good and are confident that, eventually, they will cover another two hundred sites.

How would it be if the owner of BizBiz were to locate an error at the Radlimited website? Nothing serious, just a grammatical mistake? What if he were to email the owner of Radlimited with the following message:

"Mr. Rad: My name is John Biz. I am the director of BizBiz Internet Marketing. I spend a considerable amount of time reading the articles on your site and have always held it in high regards. It is very informational and helpful to me. Regardless, I noticed a spelling error on your site today. It does not bother me, but I would hate for it to do any harm to the professional status of your site. This is a little note to let you know about it. Drop me an email or a call sometime. I would be honored to speak with you. Sincerely John Biz BizBiz Marketing.

Unheard of!, an actual communication between two major online presences, over something so trivial? What in the world would be the good of it? It was just a spelling error and it doesn't matter!

Of course, it does not matter and no one would have really ever noticed. However, Mr. Rad would notice the email. He would be thankful that Mr. Biz actually reads his articles and frequents his site. He would email or call Mr. Biz and thank him.

Now, during this conversation, eventually, one or the other of the two will possibly mention trading a couple of links. Once this goes well, it will likely lead to more. In the end, both of these men will end up with 1000 websites linked instead of 500, all from a simple spelling error and an email.

Bear in mind that the initial strategies, thought they may be old, are not really outdated. We can learn from the successful corporates that have been here and gone before us. Their tactics are the ones that eventually evolved into the techniques that work so well today.

Those old networking techniques have gradually changed for so long that they are all but forgotten and hardly ever used. It is the same for most of the old marketing and business growth processes and plans from pre-web times. If we go back and take a close look at them, and then, using creativity, find a way to apply them to building a more effective internet business today, we might find that our methods may soon be referred to as, "cutting edge."