Is Networking a Waste of Time?
Is networking actually worth your time? In this podcast episode Daniel Latto shares an honest take on the traditional networking event format and why it stopped working for him.
Having attended plenty of networking events and worked the rooms well, Daniel noticed a recurring pattern: most people gravitate towards the same familiar faces every single time. The room stays comfortable. The conversations stay safe. And for anyone who has genuinely more experience than most people in the room, the return on time becomes questionable.
Add to that the practical reality of running a business from Spain, where attending a UK networking event means booking a flight, and the case for finding a smarter alternative becomes obvious.
The Problem With Most Networking Events
The biggest mistake people make at networking events is spending the entire evening talking to the same three people they spoke to last time. It feels productive because it feels social. But it rarely moves the needle.
Effective networking is about building relationships with people who can genuinely help you grow. That might mean seeking out people with more experience, more connections, or more insight than you currently have. Going to the same event, talking to the same people, and expecting different results is a pattern worth breaking.
Why the Room Rarely Delivers What You Need
At most events, everyone is treated as an equal by default. That sounds fair. In practice it means you are as likely to spend an hour talking to someone who needs your help as you are to find someone who can offer something new. When your time is limited, that is a real cost.
For Daniel, with 17 years of property investing experience, he was almost always the most experienced person in the room. The traditional networking event format simply did not serve him.
What Daniel Does Instead
Rather than flying back to the UK for a networking breakfast, Daniel shifted his approach entirely. He focused on building relationships through content, direct outreach, and online communities where he could connect with the right people regardless of geography.
This approach feeds directly into a broader marketing strategy. If you are producing consistent content, showing up in the right places online, and building a reputation in your niche, the people who need to find you will find you. You do not need to be in a room to make that happen.
If you want to understand how content and digital marketing can work instead of traditional networking for your business, take a look at our content marketing service and our Growth Engine full marketing package.
Is Networking Ever Worth It?
Yes, in the right context. Speaking events, industry conferences, and smaller curated groups can be genuinely valuable. The key is being selective rather than attending by default.
If you are going to invest time in face-to-face networking, go with a clear intention. Know who you want to meet, what you want to learn, and what you can offer. Otherwise that time is almost always better spent on activities with a more measurable return.
Grow Your Business Without Relying on Networking
Our Facebook Ads management service, SEO service, Google Ads management and content marketing are all designed to bring the right people to you rather than the other way around. If you are spending time at events and not seeing results, it might be time to look at a more consistent, measurable approach.
Book a free 15-minute strategy call and we can talk through what would work best for your business.
Listen to More Podcasts
Explore more episodes covering marketing, mindset and business growth on the Daniel Latto podcast page.