How can you stay top-of-mind with your professional contacts?

1 Update your online presence

One of the easiest ways to stay top-of-mind with your contacts is to update your online presence regularly. This includes your social media profiles, your personal website or blog, and your portfolio or resume. By sharing relevant content, achievements, insights, or feedback, you can showcase your expertise, interests, and personality. You can also use hashtags, keywords, and tags to optimize your visibility and reach. Make sure your online presence is consistent, professional, and authentic.

2 Engage with your contacts' content

Another way to stay top-of-mind with your contacts is to engage with their content. This means liking, commenting, sharing, or replying to their posts, articles, podcasts, videos, or newsletters. By doing so, you can show your appreciation, support, curiosity, or opinion. You can also spark a conversation, ask a question, or offer a suggestion. Engaging with your contacts' content can help you build rapport, trust, and credibility.

3 Reach out with a purpose

While engaging with your contacts' content is a good way to stay in touch, it is not enough to sustain a meaningful relationship. You should also reach out to your contacts directly and with a purpose. This means sending them a personalized message, email, or phone call that has a clear and relevant reason. For example, you can congratulate them on a milestone, thank them for a referral, invite them to an event, ask for advice, or share a resource. Avoid sending generic or spammy messages that have no value or intention.

4 Offer your help or expertise

One of the best ways to stay top-of-mind with your contacts is to offer your help or expertise. This means providing them with something that can benefit them, solve their problem, or improve their situation. For example, you can introduce them to someone who can help them, recommend them for a job or project, give them feedback or suggestions, or teach them something new. Offering your help or expertise can demonstrate your generosity, competence, and value.

5 Follow up and follow through

Finally, staying top-of-mind with your contacts requires follow up and follow through. This means keeping your promises, delivering on your commitments, and updating them on your progress. For example, if you say you will send them a link, a document, or a contact, do it as soon as possible. If you agree to meet them for coffee, lunch, or a call, confirm the date and time and show up on time. If you collaborate on a project or task, report the results and outcomes. Following up and following through can show your professionalism, reliability, and respect.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?