Community involvement is vital to building your network and making connections. No one has ever made it to the top by sitting back and missing opportunities for growth. As a part of your marketing efforts this year, make a point to make connections, or you could end up disconnected from potential business ventures.

Get involved. The best way to get your name out there is by getting out there yourself. Find an industry association or community group with similar interests and goals. If you're already involved, take it a step further and look for leadership opportunities. It takes more than subscribing to a newsletter or going to a meeting every few months. Consider applying for committee member positions.

Give back. Don't forget about the importance of the community around you. Donate resources, space or time. Sponsor a local athletic league. Host youth education days. Help others excel and reach their full potential.

Mentor. This is another way to give back. Was there someone who helped you get to where you are today? Be that person for someone else. Young professionals should be taking advantage of mentor/mentee programs to learn from someone who has been in the business they want to break into.

Old dog, new tricks. Things have changed since you were a rookie. Learning works both ways, so take some time out to listen and learn something from someone younger. There are new methods, technologies, industry developments and ways to market yourself that weren't around before. Have an open mind and consider adopting some of the things younger associates bring to the office from the classroom.

Seek partnerships. I always say you never know where your next business lead will come from. Anyone you interact with personally or professionally can become a referral source in the future. Keep in touch with them on social media, discuss business over coffee or lunch, or send them relevant articles and event invites you think they would be interested in attending. Reaching out every once in a while will show you value their relationship and keep you top of mind.

Not all networking needs to be done in person. Your online community is just as important as your physical one. With social media and other digital marketing efforts, you can successfully network from the comfort of your desktop, tablet or mobile device, but there are a few important things to remember.

Keep in touch. Once you meet someone in person, take your networking talents to social media. Connect with them. Follow up and send over any materials you might have discussed. Start off your new relationship strong.

Engage. Building a relationship takes more than just accepting a friend request. You need to show that there is a human behind the account. Like, share and comment on posts. Send a congratulations on personal and professional milestones. The more effort you put out the more reward you'll get back.

The big picture. Think outside of your local connections. Use social media to meet people from across the country and even the world. Find out what issues are impacting other regions. They might be facing similar challenges. Don't be afraid to join in on the conversation. Use already established hashtags to stay consistent and help people easily find your posts.

Follow the rules. Be smart about your content. Make sure what you post is appropriate for your chosen platform. Your posts can be seen by anyone at any time, so take some time to craft quality content, maximize potential, and make sure you're using each platform efficiently and effectively.

Think about who you are trying to reach. Is it consumers? Other businesses? The platform you use will make or break the impact your post has. Facebook is ideal for longer updates, live videos and engaging in various community interest groups. This is where you can engage on a personal level, whereas LinkedIn should be kept more professional. Consider using Instagram for visual posts. This is good for construction projects, real estate developments, non-profits and event-centric companies. Twitter's 280 character limit should be used for quick previews and summaries, witty captions and quotes. Be sure to edit your posts to share the same content across all of your selected channels.

Image matters. No matter what platform you use, make sure to include an image, whether a graphic, photo or video. These posts will stand out as people scroll through, and always perform better when it comes to analytics. Depending on your industry, it might even be beneficial to establish a video hosting channel such as YouTube or Vimeo. This will serve as a one stop shop where people can go to see all of your videos without having to scroll through other content.

Give yourself a boost. Boosting your posts gives you a competitive edge. You can hand select your target audience based on age, gender, geographic location and interests using this feature. A $20 campaign will increase your exposure and just might land your post on the right person's news feed.

Lead a group. Start an online community with like-minded individuals. With a few simple clicks, you can invite people from similar industries to join your group, post content, schedule meet-ups, share thought leadership, experiences, knowledge and opinions.

Recap. You can also develop a consistent e-blast to recap your top news. It's a creative way to pop in on your connections and remind them of all of the things you have done lately. It's also great for filling them in on anything they might have missed while they were logged off.

With the technology we have today, networking and staying connected is easier than ever. You will need to commit to being consistent and putting in the effort to get the results you want. It might take some time to get used to when, where and what to post, but following analytics or consulting with a social media expert will get you where you want to be.

Julie Talenfeld is the president of BoardroomPR, an integrated marketing and PR firm based in South Florida. She can be reached at [email protected]