Getting Savvy with Social Networking
In this day and age, “personal connection” is as valuable as gold. Whether you’re starting a business, changing career paths, or trying to make sure your current business stays in-tact during this crazy and “social” new world, Social Networking is something you will likely depend on to propel you to the next level of success. As we all know, creating success is not an easy task, so here are a few ideas that can help you build that network of like-minded professionals, whom you can learn from and engage during this quest.
1. Seek out the type of person you admire and consistently engage people that you would want to add to your network. You can follow these people on Twitter, friend them on Facebook or join their network on LinkedIn, all for free.
2. Don’t overdo it, in other words, don’t pester people. “There’s a fine line between communication and harassment, and once you cross that line, there’s no going back.”
3. Join other communities in your area and in your industry. There’s a lot to learn from other people who are living in the same field as you are, but there are also a lot of things to learn from people in parallel industries within your physical community.
4. Build your network diversely. If you stay within one network of people, you may not experience the full gamut of engagement and potential contacts. “Keep an open mind, try new tools and be open to new networks.”
The results of Social Networking are very individual. As my mom always said, “you’ll get out of it, what you put into it” which is completely true in this case. Put yourself out there, be open to feedback and learning from others, and make the most of any communication that comes your way, while actively pursuing new relationships simultaneously.