Home featured Expert Featured Let's Talk Expert Let’s Talk: Social Networking James Harkness October 4, 2017 “Can social media generate fruitful business partnerships?” That’s the question Dynamic Business put to 17 entrepreneurs and industry experts, this week, for our exclusive “Let’s Talk…”, investigating the value of social networking for SMEs. Although the consensus was “YES”, some commentators qualified their response, pointing out that a business partnership formed on a social media platform, such as LinkedIn or Facebook, will only be fruitful if it develops organically, the benefits flow both ways, it can transcend the platform that gave birth to it, and both parties have patience and are willing to invest in the partnership’s success. One commentator noted a multiplier effect, with the potential for businesses to mine their partners’ networks for further partnership opportunities, while another described social media as a terrific channel for businesses to promote their new business partnerships and, in this way, increase brand currency amongst their target audience. Read on for hot tips and actionable insights from this week’s line-up… Can social media generate fruitful business partnerships? Sarah Moran, Co-founder & CEO, Girl Geek Academy: “Social media can generate fruitful business partnerships… but like fruit, you have to grow it first. You CAN’T start an account today and sign a contract tomorrow. Social media is a long-term, sustainable way of generating value for your business. The value comes from exposing your audience to your business incrementally over time so when an opportunity comes up you are