Online Social Networking
Online social networking is a fairly new game. Its rules aren’t 100% clear yet. But if you are like me, you spend a significant chunk of your day surfing the web, reading blogs and visiting social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Instead of looking at time spent on those websites as wasted, you might want to view it as time well spent networking.
If you own a business, the connections that you are creating and maintaining through online social networking will help you generate traffic, sales if you are selling products, and links back to your website.
If you are in the market for a new job, or could be at some future point, these contacts could help you land your dream job.
The following are five tips for making the most out of time spent on online social networking:
1. Personalize. Post a picture and use your profile page to tell others about you and your interests. When you are a person, and not just a link or a generic thumbnail, it is easier for people to relate to you and make contact.
2. Join groups. Groups are a great way to meet new people. Once you have joined a group, be active on that group: post and answer questions, upload photos where appropriate, and in general make yourself a visible part of the group.
3. Visit daily. It is a good idea to maintain a regular presence at the social networking websites you choose to join. You don’t need to spend more than a few minutes each day on each website in order to maintain visibility.
4. Be an extrovert. Regardless of your real-life personality, online social networks are not the places to be shy. Actively look for friends and contacts; extend contact invitations to as many quality people as possible. The larger your network is, the more opportunities it will generate, especially if you don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.
5. Be helpful. If you want others to help you, you should make yourself useful to others. When someone is being helpful, by linking to your site for example, find a way to reciprocate by linking back, by making a comment on their blog or by bookmarking their website in a social bookmarking site such as Stumbleupon.
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Image credit: frankdasilva
This post, Online Social Networking, was inspired by Rayven Perkins of Stay a Stay At Home Mom, where you can find a list of social networking sites that you may want to check out.
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Rayven responds:
Posted: April 3rd, 2008 at 5:19 am →
Great post
I couldn’t have said it better myself 
Thanks for the mention!
Shilpan responds:
Posted: April 3rd, 2008 at 9:58 am →
Vered,
This is excellent for the wanna be “bloggers” and internet marketing newbies alike. I like # 5. It is essential to helo others if you wanted to be helped and rewarded. Helping others creates bond with others who feel sense to reward you back with whatever favor they can to return your favor. It is just simple tenet of good karma. I am inspired to join a network with your suggestions.
Keep up the good work !
Shilpan
Mrs. Micah responds:
Posted: April 3rd, 2008 at 12:42 pm →
I need to focus more. I think I should stick with twitter, entrecard, and a couple forums. The key for me is to a) check in there daily and b) not let myself be distracted by other social media.
alik responds:
Posted: April 3rd, 2008 at 1:18 pm →
I like #5 too.
Offering value is the way to go.
“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value” - Albert Einstein.
Jen responds:
Posted: April 3rd, 2008 at 1:22 pm →
I don’t know about online social networks. I am deeply suspicious of them. Seems like too much exposure plus I see people wasting so much time on them.
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