Social Networking 101

Greetings, my fellow social media gods and goddesses. Today our adventure is taking us into the world of Social Networking. So hop on board the Social Media Express as we dash towards our first destination…. Social Networking 101.

I am sure many of us have been using social networking in some form or fashion for some time now. Even if you are new to this form of marketing you might just want to have a better understanding of what this world is all about and why you are doing it and what it can do for you. Have you read all those articles that say how much money one can make using social networking? I find them rather entertaining in respect to some of the outrageous claims. The truth is this world is new to everyone using it and the waters remain uncharted but there are some principles and practices that are effective for networking purposes. 

Networking is about building relationships. The key words here are building and relationships. So often at networking events I have seen people who approach others just to share their information, take a card and dash off to the next one. I have seen people talking where one or the other is scanning the room for the next one to talk to and not paying attention to the person talking with them. I have seen people try to target market by zeroing in on somebody they think is a good connection and ignore everybody else. I am sure you have your own share of stories of your experiences in networking. The point is, how is this building relationships? How is this helping you get to know a person to build a connection? 

So why is it when using social networking for marketing we expect it to be any different than face to face traditional networking. It is not any different. It is about building relationships. The difference being you may not have even met the person or if you did it was briefly and you are furthering the connection through social networking sites. 

Social networking sites are not just for you to promote your business to others. It is a great way to get to know people that you may not have met yet and see how you can help each other, share resources, give referrals and so much more. Before any of that can happen you have to use these sites for that purpose. Certainly you want to share your content but do not stop there. You want to reach out to others in a personable and relatable manner. 

Adopt the mindset that social networking is about communication, relationship building, interactions and then using methods that reflect that mindset will do more for you than you can imagine. 

Our next stop on the Social Networking express will be about just how to do that using Facebook.