Like many of you, we find ourselves shaking hands with strangers at networking meetings.

That’s good – it’s part of business.

But what about the PR that supports your networking?

Here’s what we mean:

1.  Don’t be a stranger to Google. Let’s face it – the obvious thing for that possible source of funding or a new sales target to do is run a Google search on your name and your company’s. That’s where you should have lots of good stuff that demonstrates your firm’s momentum, its market positioning and its products.

2.  Don’t be afraid to look like an industry expert. PR, particularly media coverage, is great for this. Find ways to demonstrate your own expertise about the issues that really matter in your industry or to your clients or targets.

3.  Don’t ignore social media. It’s easy to say you don’t have time – and who does. But increasingly what’s on your LinkedIn or accessible through Twitter or even Facebook is what comes up in a Google search.

We know it takes time – but so does good salesmanship.