In my last post we talked about the need for a Social Networking plan. Having a strategic goal and a plan will help you simplify your social networking life and help you get what you want from it.
At any time you will know whether or not to spend time in a network – or even whether a network is right for you in the first place. And it will make invites easier to accept (if they meet your goals) or decline (if they don’t).
Social Media Networking – 3 questions to ask yourself
1. Why do you want to participate in social networking?
Hint: “because it’s cool” or because everyone’s doing it” are common answers, however they won’t help very much. What you want to do is articulate your goal. When you do this it becomes easier to develop your strategic social network.
2. What sites are you using to develop your network?
Social networking sites are all different so you will find the techniques you use to develop contacts on them will vary. Developing contacts and relationships is one of your main goals of social networking. If you’ve articulated your goals you can choose the techniques that work for you.
3. Who are your ideal contacts?
You can have hundreds of contacts, but who is it you really want to make contact with? You need to decide. Are you looking for corporate executives, authors, writers, recruiters? Are you looking for a potential market for your service or product? Like minded professionals? Your ideal contacts will determine how you connect with them.
People you know
For example, if you were looking to land a job in a specific industry you might start with people you already know, including people you’ve met at associations and industry events. If they already participate in social networks you could check their friends profiles and connect with those whose background matches your job search. Networks such as LinkedIn allow you to do this. Then you could check out professional association members you don’t know, find something in common with them and contact them.
People you don’t know
This requires a different approach, the purpose being getting yourself known more widely. It involves:
- Focusing your time on the site with original, interesting content
- Finding likeminded people who share your goals and match your target audience
- Checking out who’s made friends with your competitors – they might be interested in what you have to offer
Be selective
Quality over quantity. Instead of accepting every invitation to connect from those you don’t know do some weeding to ensure you actually want to associate with the person and build potential relationships. (Aside from the fact you may not feel comfortable accepting every invite that comes your way, it IS ok to decline, or, in the case of Twitter, un-follow). Whether we like it or not we are judged by the company we keep – whether this is online or offline. The same goes for sending invitations to people you don’t know. Revisit your goals and plan and ask yourself how your connections help move you towards your goals.
Be patient
Connecting with thousands in a day may look impressive but you’re likely to develop a poor network.
Auto-adds, such as those on Twitter and other applications are more likely to harm your network more than help it. If you have social networking goals and a plan you will find that they guide you and help make the most of your time and network.
To reap long lasting rewards be strategic and patient about connecting on social media sites.
Here’s a quick summary for your social networking plan.
- Articulate your social networking goals. Write them down.
- Decide on what social sites you might use. You may need to try a few out, however in the main they should be the ones that are in line with your goals. Remember, sites are all different and you will have to devote time to establishing and building your presence. So choose carefully.
- Decide on your ideal contacts.
- Decide how you’ll contact them.
- Focus your presence on your chosen sites with plenty of original interesting content and by participating in conversations, groups, questions and answers.
- Find likeminded people – those who share your interests.
- Check out who’s befriended the competition.
- Be selective in who you connect with.
- Invest time in building relationships, but make sure these are relationships that move you towards your goals.
- Be patient – develop a strong focused network by choosing who you connect with.
- Be strategic in your participation in - and setting up of – your social networks.
- Review your plan at intervals and refer it whenever you’re invited to join a new network.
I am doing an interesting exercise…as I review my business goals I am looking at how my social networking activities support these goals. And how the time spent on them supports my goals – or not.
If you are in business, or looking to build your business, this is something you should track. You may be startled at the results… however it will also help you use your time in the social networks which support your goals. You may find yourself leaving some and joining others, or even setting up your own network tailored to your needs.
Though I’ve mentioned only a couple of social networks here there are hundreds of them. More are added every day. This makes it crucial to have clear goals.
And since as a business (particularly a smaller business) time and cash are your most precious resources. Many businesses are using Social Networking as part of their overall marketing therefore anything you can do to measure and maximize time and money is important.
Share your thoughts – how does this help in your social networking efforts? Is there anything else you would add that would be helpful to readers? I am considering re-producing this in a simple checklist template…. if you feel this is something you’d find helpful, say so below.
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Nicky, this is VERY acurate and I’m afraid most small businesses and local governments are going to be jumping into Gov 2.o with no clear plan or objectives, not metrics to measure success and more importantly, won’t be able to keep up with updates. I confess I’m very guilty of the latter on a personal level. Great articles!!! Thank you so much!