Kathleen Gage, CEO and founder of Turning Point, Inc. and Maxwell Publishing is a bestselling author; an internationally recognized Internet marketing and publicity expert; and an award-winning keynote speaker.
Kathleen is a highly results oriented business advisor who works with speakers, trainers, consultants, entrepreneurs and authors. Her unique Street Smarts Marketing Series programs are designed to help you achieve the business results you desire in the most efficient, cost-effective way With the onslaught of
Social Networking opportunities some people seem to think common sense and
manners don’t apply.
The reality is, Social
Networks are like any other type of network. Most sane people wouldn’t walk up
to someone at a business meeting, ask for their card and say, “Okay, now you
are my friend and I am going to slam you with stupid phone calls, junk mail and
other useless garbage.”
More likely, they would
introduce themselves, find a point of commonality and take it from there.
So why is it that in
virtually any social network available a lot of people send others invitations
to join their network with nothing beyond the invitation? The more well known
someone is, the more useless invitations they likely get.
In addition to the more
well known social networks such as MySpace, Ryze, Facebook, Twitter, etc.,
there are those specific to industries and interests such as religious,
medical, pets and just about anything else you might have an interest in. The
list is endless.
Avoid the time
suckers
As more social networks crop up there is more of a chance that they will become
a huge time sucker and waster rather than the incredible networking tool they
have the potential to be.
To get the most out of
your SN time and efforts, here are some simple guidelines.
1. Quality is far
better than quantity.
Avoid sending blanket messages out to people. It is not a race to see
how many in an hour you can add to your network. Again, at least not for most
sane people.
The more of a connection
people feel, the more likely they are to read your messages, be willing to pass
on valuable information they receive from you to their colleagues and see the
value of your information.
2. Determine who
you want in your network.
Who do you want to connect with and why? If you are clear
on the who and why you will likely find it much easier to build your network.
On the flipside, before
simply accepting someone’s invitation to join their network, take a moment to
check out their profile to determine if they are someone you wouldn’t mind your
colleagues seeing in your network.
Although that may sound
snobbish, it’s not. It is common sense. Why would you want someone in your
network who might have profanity on their profile, pictures that would make
just about anyone blush and/or useless information that has no redeeming social
value?
It’s not necessary to make friends with people you don’t know.
Simple as that.
3. Process of
inviting.
The fact is, there are some people who consider building their network only a
numbers game. Chances are many people don’t remember from one day to the next
who they invited to join their network. So ignoring their request is likely to
go unnoticed on their end.
If you are doing the
inviting, it is imperative that you give the other person a point of reference.
Do you know each other from another online group? Do you have colleagues in
common? Do you have common interests?
Don’t assume people will
remember you if you corresponded days, weeks or months ago via an email or
forum group. Make it easy for them to accept your invitation.
4. Develop your
profile.
Another aspect of social network etiquette is developing a useful profile.
There’s a good chance your invitation will be ignored if there is nothing of
value on your profile. You will be well served to have at least one
picture and some background information.
For those who are using
Social Networks for professional reasons, put your resume/CV/bio on your
profile. Give people something to go on. You can also list professional
associations you are involved with, books you have authored, awards you have
received, etc.
However, avoid making it
look like you have having one big “brag fest.” Also, don’t give too much
information away in order to protect aspects of your personal identity. Things
like your children or grandchildren’s pictures, names and birth dates. Again,
use common sense in what you will or will not post.
The bottom line is,
social networks are merely another tool that can be used to increase our
effectiveness. Use them wisely.
The Street Smarts
To learn
more about effectively using the Internet in your marketing and build a
responsive list (often for free) go to http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/free-ebook.htm to access the FREE ebook The Truth About
Making Money on the Internet.