Cocktail parties are a great way to network with new business associates. When you go to a cocktail party you don't talk about business very much and your goal is to just loosen up. Your business associates get to know you better as a person and find new ways to form a connection with you. You may find that you have more in common with these people than you had previously imagined. In turn, they will find you more interesting than they did before.Social media platforms function the same way that cocktail parties do in that they create an informal environment for your customers to get to know you and visa versa. By interacting with customers through social media not only can they find out more about you personally, but you will also have access to valuable information. It is important to understand your customers better so that you can better cater to their needs and wants. You can also find common interests through social media.Social media etiquette can sometimes be confusing. When networking through social media remember that you should act in a manner similar to appropriate cocktail party behavior. Avoid starting off with an introduction that is strictly business related. Once you have established a rapport with the individual you may then engage in conversation that is more business related. Make sure that if you begin to discuss business that you only discuss the other person's business. If they want to talk about your business they will bring it up. People can smell ulterior motives a mile away so make sure that you express genuine interest in the other person. Keep in mind that you are networking to create relationships not cash flow.Don't be obnoxious. You can tell when someone really doesn't want to talk to you so don't keep pressing the issue if you can tell it isn't going anywhere. Luckily, with all of the various means of communication in this day and age it isn't too hard to get a hold of someone who you really want to be in contact with. It is perfectly appropriate to attempt to network with someone but you don't need to continue the attempts if they are not responding to you.With these quick tips in mind, go start your social media networking and remember to play nice. Share your success stories and other tips with us in the comments below.