I know many of us spend a lot of time networking online via social media and blogging, and of course, this includes me. Here are some tips to help you out when networking on social networking sites and blogs (From Pink Magazine):
Social Networking (or You Are Who You Link To)
Think of LinkedIn and other social networks as an address that updates itself. Sometimes email addresses are the most reliable way to contact someone. And with social networks, it’s up to the members to keep their info up to date.
Carefully consider whom you invite into your network. Remember, you’ll be revealing your other contacts to that individual. Not sure? Use the “dinner with friends” test. If you don’t know certain individuals well enough to invite them to dinner with friends and close co-workers, you may not want to invite them to your online network either (of course, there are exceptions to this, in my opinion).
Schedule social networking into your day. Just like you would leave the office for a coffee date, get a cup of coffee and take 20 minutes to look at different online networks. If you’ve already found one you want to join, spend at least 20 minutes a week checking out the different functions or sending out invitations to connect. As with face-to-face networking, you only get something out of it if you show up.
Blogging for contacts (or How to Appropriately Lurk Online)
Meet the experts…online. Did you hear a great speaker at an event? Check to see if she has a blog. People who run their own blogs (regardless of how popular or famous) are often very open with their answers and responses when someone comments.
If you blog, befriend the competition. Don’t think of other blogs as competition. Instead, bookmark them as additional resources to link to and network with.
Choose an appropriate online alias. If you want to stay anonymous, make sure you choose a username that’s not easily identifiable to you. If, on the other hand, a blog or message board is related to your business, and you want the people reading to be able to find you, it’s okay to use your full name. Here’s a a suggestion: If you’d feel comfortable putting your comments in the letters to the editor section of your local newspaper or business journal, use your real identity. When you’re in doubt, leave your real name out.
Always peruse before posting. This is the most important online networking tip to remember. Each platform– message boards, blogs, social networking sites– has its own unwritten rules (and on message boards, they’re often written down). Take some time to see how others work (i.e., “lurk”), and you’ll be able to blend right in.
For more tips, check out my source: Online Networking
Photo Credit: M2wessentials.wordpress.com
