Social networking is the process of making connections and building a network, one person at a time. You make a connection with one person and then you are exposed to all their connections and so on. Social networking has been practiced for centuries, but the development of the Internet has allowed social networking to explode with possibilities. With sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and many more, we can connect with people from all over the world!
Along with the benefits of social media come responsibilities. There are accepted rules and necessary actions for an effective social network. These rules and actions will define your conduct. Your conduct will be the deciding factor as to whether or not your social media skills will succeed.
1. You MUST build relationships: Building relationships is the foundation of a successful business. Get to know your customers and let them get to know you. Form a bond based on trust and respect. Be sincere and show genuine interest in helping your customers find the solution they are looking for. Gone are the days of pushy salespeople and scare tactics.
2. DO participate and get involved: setting up your social pages and sitting around waiting for connections will not be enough. Answer questions, ask questions, comment on people’s posts, retweet and really engage. You need to take the time to engage in conversations, take an interest in people’s opinions, get involved in events, and commit to spending the time necessary to bond with your connections.
3. SHARE useful resources: Always look for useful information and resources to share with your friends and followers. Be as helpful as you can. Let people know they can trust you for help and information and they will come to trust you AND your business for more.
4. DO be honest: Always be honest with people and don’t offer them solutions you can’t provide. If you can’t provide them with what they need, direct them to someone who can. This will strengthen their trust in you and widen their circle of contacts.
5. Update Frequently – Visit your social sites daily and keep your posts fresh and up to date. But don’t post so much that people start ignoring or deleting you. There is no set rule on how often to post. All cases and sites are different, but try to post at least 1-3 times a day.
6. COMPLETE your profile: If your profile is left undone or incomplete, it will cause some damage to your social networks. An incomplete profile looks unprofessional. People will think that you are trying to hide something. Confidence will be significantly diminished. People are more likely to connect with you if you provide complete profile information.
7. DO NOT lose control – You must, at all times, maintain your composure and not let your emotions rule your behavior. If someone loses control, stay calm and respond with respect and courtesy, but don’t let them intimidate you. Be strong but with good manners. In most cases, you will be able to “tear the person down” and have a stronger opinion of you. Of course, there are some people who just don’t adhere to common courtesy and you just have to remove them from your network.
8. DON’T be too personal: If you’re networking for your business, people won’t want to know how you cleaned the bathroom or what movie you’re watching, etc. Be professional and post only useful and interesting articles. Adding a little humor is also effective, but be very careful not to post anything inappropriate or offensive. People have different levels of humor and sensitivity, so keep the humor light and acceptable.
9. DON’T connect with everyone: Every time you get a friend request or follow each other, make sure you see the person. Don’t just connect with the whole world so you can have a bigger network. Learn how to be cautious and decrypt legitimate requests from hackers and spammers. This brings us back to the full profile. I never connect with anyone who doesn’t have any information on their profile. If they don’t want to share who they are, that’s a big red flag. Also be sure to check all links, downloads, photos, attachments, etc.
10. DON’T share too much information: People don’t need to know when you’re going on vacation or when you’re home alone, etc. Be cautious and use common sense. Building your business does not require you to share your privacy and vulnerabilities.
Bonus tip: DO NOT post uncorrected – be sure to check your spelling, grammar, etc. Even posts that you think have nothing to do with business need to be written correctly because everything you do in the world of social media will affect your business. Maintain professionalism, courtesy, and respect no matter how trivial your post or reply feels!
Without social media, your business will most likely not survive. Harness the power and possibilities that the Internet brings. But always be mindful, cautious, and courteous when going online, posting, and building those ever-important relationships!
