Networking is a topic everyone loves to chat about, and there’s no limit to how people claim they do it well. In an unsponsored post I wrote here about the importance of networking for young PR peeps, I commiserate with everyone about the no-fun feelings for the rubber-chicken circuit.

In this sponsored post (everyone get that?), we’re going to look at a new app called CityHour that takes networking to a new dimension. I’m jazzed about this one, too, and I’ll tell you why in a moment.

First, do you read the Wall Street Journal? I’m still a print junkie and read it daily. I was so surprised to see a story about networking featuring Gary Vaynerchuk, the social media guru and angel investor, touting the demise of the business card! Yes, another obituary!

Gary was making huge fun of the people who toss their business cards out and believe it’s networking. You know the types, right? When you’re at a tradeshow or luncheon with strangers and someone pops out a business card and deals them around to everyone whether you asked for one or not.

The CityHour App

Now we get to the juice. How often are you in a city on business and have time to kill? How about that always-customary two-hour layover in the airport? If you’re anything like me, you would prefer to use that time more wisely and meet up with someone to cultivate a bit of business.

I have never known the best way to manage that until now.

The CityHour business networking app culls contacts from your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. It searches for people within a geographic range of you as well as in similar fields.

Upon my first review of the contacts it suggested for me, everyone was brand new and there was a huge variety of people I could schedule for a networking meeting on my calendar.

It’s one of the easiest apps to work with…if you follow this blog, you would’ve seen my post called, I Am App Challenged! (LOL).

What you need to do is download the app from the iTunes app store. It’s free and installs in about one minute. You’re ready to go with a log in to either Facebook or LinkedIn, and then the fun begins!

I’m pretty excited about using my time more wisely when I’m traveling. What I’m going to check out though is whether I can also set up a business networking meeting with someone from the CityHour suggested stream and meet with them for the purpose of my second blog post in the series.

That will be my experiment, because why wouldn’t I also want to incorporate this into my weekly business development planning? Instead of a cold call or tossing a business card around the table, I can have CityHour make me a few suggestions and make a connection that way!

Stay tuned for how that works out; I’m eager to see that, too!