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Working from home has exploded since the start of the pandemic. While it might seem temporary, it could become the new normal. Here's why. USA TODAY

Peter Pham has been calling his contacts lately.

He misses whats the best part of attending conferences for him working the room.So in the middle of a pandemic, hes keeping touch the old-fashioned way. By reaching outon the phone.

I randomly dial people, says Pham, the co-founder of tech incubator ScienceInc., who looks to networking to find the next great company to invest inand to attract investors for the companies he works with. Im taking more of an effort to say, 'Hi'and catch up. Without conferences, he cant randomly run into people and do just that.

This year alone, major tech conferences like the Mobile World Congress, Facebook and Google developer meetings, the Code conference and the National Association of Broadcasters meetings were either postponed or canceled. Apples Worldwide Developer Conference, which normally meets in the first week of June, shifted to a digital-only format and will be seen online on June 22.

Peter Pham, the co-founder of tech incubator Science, Inc., works his home to network in a pandemic(Photo: Jefferson Graham)

With employees working at home and the need to find a new job, get ahead in the old one and just stay in touch and top of mind with contacts still there, what are people to do?

We have some ideas for you.

Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst with Kaleido Insights, believes it is actually easier to network digitallythan in-person because you get wider access to so many more people.

At a conference, "you'll shake hands, ask for a business card, and hope to connect later online," he says. "Online, you establish the connection immediately."

To network, he recommends finding out when the next public business meeting or happy hour is presented onlineand request attendance. That will get you in closer to raise your handand get heard. It will also put you into contact with other like-minded individuals who can become potential contacts.

How do you find them? Follow the people you're interested and odds are, they'll mention the meeting in their posts. Additionally, many are listed on Facebook and other social platforms.

Rebecca Leder, a manager at Salesforce and author of an upcoming book on networking called "The Knock Method," says networkers should scour LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter profiles and Google the subject as well before reaching out.

"You have a lot of tools at your fingertips to know about someone," she says. "You can also find out about mutual contacts and interests, which is an ice breaker."

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Its simple logic. Who isnt on Twitter? Who doesnt want to hear back from people after they post? Engage with them, suggests Raj Nijjer, a vice-president with e-commerce platform Yotpo.

Twitter is the best-kept secret in networking, he says. Most people think of LinkedIn first, he says, but on Twitter, beyond the political fighting, people are more themselves and its a great place to meet them, provided its in areas of mutual interest, which for Nijjer is marketing.

How to reach people who seem out of reach? Youre not going to get to Tesla chief Elon Musk or Apple CEO Tim Cook, but down the line, others who work at the company, if theyre posting regularly, are probably willing to engage, says Nijjer. Otherwise theyre speaking in a vacuum.

Rebecca Leder, a manager at Salesforce, is writing a book about networking(Photo: Rebecca Leder)

Leder prefers LinkedIn.But it depends on the industry, she says. Marketing is more vocal on Twitter, but finance might be better for LinkedIn.

For mastering LinkedIn, she suggests having an updated profile with a current description, a photo that looks inviting, and putting out posts often. Like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn also lets you throw out your thoughts, offer links to articles, show your latest YouTube video or photograph.

The beauty of LinkedIn, says Owyang, is not just the connection, but it shows the world who you're connected to as well, which can boost your profile.

Jay Grammond, a Princeton, Minnesota-based photographer, suggests going even furtherand gettinginvolved in specialty groups on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. "Find groups that focus on your area of interest/expertise and engage in positive conversations with the people in those groups," he says. "Share your knowledge, and learn from others. Over time, you will likely see that networks will develop.

Both Leder and Owyang are big believers in blogging as a sales tool.

"I post content that attracts people," says Owyang. "I don't want to chase them. A unique video, thoughtful analysis, something that we can discuss."

He has multiple websites, but he always posts to Mediumbecause the website, which is popular with tech insiders, will let you republish your blog post directly there. And because the site is popular, the Medium link carries more weight with Google or SEO, he says, surfacing it for more people online.

Follow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter and LinkedIn

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How to network while working from home: Start with reaching out and contacting folks - USA TODAY