The Cold DM Era Is Over
You sent the message. Short. Polite. Maybe thoughtful.
And… nothing.
You’re not the only one. Recent research from NovoResume says that 85% of jobs are filled through networking, and only 1 in 4 people have ever been hired through an application. What’s the verdict on cold DMs then?
Buried.
Professionals are constantly hit with templated DMs, mass messages, and desperate requests that don’t give them a reason to care. It’s not that they don’t want to help; it’s just hard to engage with someone who feels like a stranger, offers no real context, and jumps straight to the ask.
The reality? Cold outreach barely works these days. What is working is smarter, quieter, and much more deliberate.
What Tactical Networking Means
Tactical networking is not about messaging more people. It is about connecting with the right people in the right way. Therefore, we have preferred:
- Relevance over randomness
- Value over volume
- Collaborative spaces over cold entries
As Andy Narracott identified in his tactical guide to networking, “What is important is not emailing every inbox, but building credibility in the spaces that matter.” Tactical networking is strategic, patient, and outcome-oriented. It is, or at least it feels, personal because it is.
Where Tactical Networking Happens Now
Cold DMs feel cold because they usually come from nowhere.
Tactical networking, on the other hand, lives where professional trust is already being built.
Here’s where that’s happening in 2025:
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the best platform to build professional visibility, but only if you are deliberate about it. Most people just connect and ghost, as Coursera said in their networking guide, and that is not tactical.
What works:
- Engaging in niche industry posts consistently gets visibility to the right people.
- Participating in industry-focused LinkedIn Groups enables you to enter conversations (e.g., growth marketing, fintech hiring).
- The same goes for connecting with personalized connection notes referencing something in common; a post, a mutual contact, or a group will increase response rate massively.
- The act of engaging in content consistently (like, share, or take 30 seconds to voice your opinion) places your name in people’s feeds before you connect with them.
When we say tactical networking here, it is about becoming familiar before sending a message request.
2. Xing
Commonly referred to as the “LinkedIn of Europe,” Xing is an effective platform in Germany, Asia & Switzerland for B2B connections and professional development.
What’s effective:
- Xing Groups operate similarly to early Facebook Groups: small, informal circles focused on a specific industry where using that language can catalyze natural conversations.
- Utilize the Events tab to RSVP and connect with other attendees before/after to form warm entry points.
- Profile SEO is important; tactical networkers optimize their profile for the position, skillset, or founder role they want to be discovered for.
Consider Xing as your EU-based visibility builder and opportunity for international networking.
3. Gust
Gust is a startup platform that enables startups to connect with investors, accelerators, and advisors. It is typically used in early-stage fundraising, but it is also a great visibility platform in the startup ecosystem.
What works:
- Founders with informed and up-to-date Gust profiles, who are in the right category, are often passively approached by accelerators or investors.
- On Gust, tactical networking is done through warm intros and mutual references. Gust is a referenced network, and your references will carry weight.
- You can use Gust to pre-vet people before speaking with them on other non-Gust platforms (hopefully LinkedIn or email), so your outreach has context.
This is not a blast pitch platform; it is to show alignment pre-pitch.
3. Slack Communities & Forums
Slack is not just for internal teams anymore. Tactical networkers are hopping into curated Slack channels, especially industry-specific or founder/operator channels. Here are a few channels to keep an eye on:
- Indie Hackers
- Elpha (for women in technology)
- Online Geniuses (digital marketing)
- Designership (for designers)
What works:
- Start by answering other people’s questions instead of promoting yourself.
- Communications in DMs should be less of a focus because you have to publicly engage first.
- Channels #feedback, #opportunities, and #intros are ideal for organic discovery.
On Slack, your value is known publicly, so let your contributions do the speaking before your pitch.
4. Professional Community Forums are (via Search Engine Journal)
As reported by Search Engine Journal, forums like Google Ads Community, Bing Ads Forum, and Google Webmaster Central are underutilized network platforms.
What Works:
- Consistent Q & A, as you’re establishing your name as the authority.
- Once you engage people in a forum, connect with them on LinkedIn.
- Taking a tactical approach to networking here has credibility first, connections later.
If you are in a marketing, SEO, or product role, these forums are loaded with future collaborators, clients, or mentors.
5. Community Forums Like Google Ads and Bing Ads
According to a recent article from Search Engine Journal, some of the least used tactical networking opportunities are located in the active community forums operated by technology behemoths like Google and Microsoft.
- The Google Ads Forum and Bing Ads Forum are two very active places where marketers, advertisers, and PPC professionals can ask questions, share stories, and help each other troubleshoot issues.
- For SEOs or web dorks, the Google Webmaster Central Forum is a place that people in the industry frequently participate in as well.
- While these forums are not direct networking platforms, they are undeniably credibility engines. The more value you give to individuals in the forums, the more likely you are to get seen for being amazing!
These forums are incredible places to conduct tactical networking activity because they are platforms of contextual conversations with high-intent users who are actively looking for value. If you consistently show up and provide value to these groups, people will remember you long before you ever reach out to them directly!
If you’re exploring tools that support smarter connections, check out our Boardy Al review, a networking platform designed to make your outreach more intentional.
The Moves That Make Tactical Networking Work
Tactical networking may not be exciting, but it’s intentional and effective.
As Forbes once said in The Art of Networking, real outcomes come from giving value, being specific, and making it easy to respond to your request. So, this might mean:
- Making a meaningful comment on someone’s post before a DM
- Offering a useful link or introduction before asking for time
- Sending a short, follow-up, quick note, with an update, not a pest
- The aim? To make your presence feel helpful, not opportunistic.
Why Networking Still Outperforms Cold Outreach by a Mile
Cold outreach might get attention, but it rarely leads to meaningful results. Only 7% of job applicants get hired through online applications, compared to a staggering 85% who land roles through networking, as mentioned before. Even more striking, 70% of people are hired at companies where they already had a connection. These numbers, reported by NovoResume, make one thing clear: if you’re not networking strategically, you’re playing the wrong game.
My Take on Tactical Networking
In the past, I believed networking was about having as many people as possible in your network. More DMs, more replies, more possibilities, or so I believed.
What I received was mostly silence.
Everything changed when I started tactical networking. The moment I stopped chasing and started showing up in places, commenting on posts, sharing something useful, and helping in forums, people started remembering me. Not because I asked for anything, but because I offered value without expecting value in return.
One conversation became an intro. The intro turned into a project. And now the project has built real trust.
What I know now is that tactical networking is not about reaching out and messaging everybody. It’s about being someone worth remembering when the time is right.
How to Turn Tactical Networking Into a Weekly Habit
Here’s what works:
- Pick two platforms where your audience is hanging out (e.g., LinkedIn and a Slack group)
- Engage 3x a week before you send any messages
- Make one warm intro each week, no strings attached
- Track your conversations (a simple Notion doc works)
At the end of the month, reflect on what worked, what felt fake, and what moved the needle.
As Coursera’s article mentions, networking is a long game. And tactical networking is how you play it well.
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