social networking 101
TRANSCRIPT
SOCIAL NETWORKING 101
The Basics of Marketing on the Internet
What We WON’T Cover
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Pay-per-click advertising Blogging strategies Back linking, link following, etc. The social side of social networking
What We WILL Cover
What is a Social Networking site? What’s the difference between Social
Networking sites and a “regular” Web site?
Do I need to have a Web site, a blog and a Social Networking site?
How do I create an effective yet safe profile?
How many sites should I join? How do I make the time to keep up with
all of this?
Old vs. New Web
Old Web (Web 1.0) predominantly one-way communication
Forums and later Blogs allowed limited two-way communication
Web 2.0, or Social Networking, allows users to interact with each other
Social Networking Sites
What IS Social Networking?
Traditional Web Content The Ability to Find People Access to Information Online “Community” Multi-directional Communication A virtual Chamber of Commerce
What These Sites Have In Common Membership Personal Profile “Friends” Discussions and Groups News Feeds
Why Should I Care?
You can make your business more visible You can connect with like-minded people You can connect with customers and
prospects Allows you to demonstrate your
expertise
What Are the Pitfalls?
Potentially overwhelming amounts of information
Possibility of making undesirable contacts
Can make enormous demands on your time
Anything you post may never disappear
What About Blogs and Web 1.0? Blogs still have an important role in
connecting you with your customers and your prospects
Regular Web sites allow you to maintain a virtual storefront or office
Social networking sites can drive traffic to your blogs and your “traditional” Web sites.
DIVING INTO SOCIAL NETWORKING
Creating Your Place in Cyber Space
What you need to know to create a profile the will help the right people find you.
Creating Your Profile
Your Profile Photograph
Bad Photos Good Photos
Profile Data
Be discreet with personal information Focus on business information In general, keep it professional Avoid controversial statements Be descriptive when writing about your
business If possible, insert links to your Web site(s)
and blog(s) Create one profile per site Use key words
How to build a network that will help you build your business
Making Friends
Invite People You Know
Co-workers Vendors Customers Networking buddies Prospects Quality over quantity – be discriminating
Meet New People
Join Groups Post articles Write blog posts Participate in forums Attend events Seek out other experts
About Friend Requests…
You don’t have to accept all friend requests
If you don’t know the person, investigate You can always “un-friend” someone
later Look at your friends’ friends Quality vs. quantity
How to attract attention and avoid trouble
Posting Content
Respect Terms Of Service
Be sure you understand the Terms Of Service (TOS)
Violating TOS can alienate you from community members
Violating TOS can get you banned for life
Report TOS violations
What Happens on the ‘Net STAYS on the ‘Net
Your “friends” can share your content Your friends’ friends can usually see your
posts Deleting your profile doesn’t mean your
posted information is deleted “Flaming” someone can come back to
haunt you
Use Your Common Sense
Think before you post Avoid negative posts If you feel the need to criticize, make it
constructive Understand the definition of “libel” and
“slander”
Make It Informative
Post “how to” articles and videos Look for opportunities to comment on
other people’s postings Add value if you comments on someone
else’s posting It’s OK to make references to other
postings (preferably yours) or even seminars or products as long as it makes sense
Too much selling will backfire on you
How to decide what Social Networking sites to join and how much time to spend on each
Understanding the Differences
The “must be on” site Outstanding search features Ideal for job seekers Excellent resource for sales people Embodies the Six Degrees of Separation Lets members ask questions in open
forums Has a variety of groups to join
Arguably one of the most popular and effective sites for business networking
Lets you group your friends by category Allows you to send messages to multiple
friends or groups of friends Lets you create multiple groups and fan
pages for your business
Biznik
Localized communities Allows members to set up events,
promote them on the site, and even collects the admission for you
Encourages members to post articles and host events
Encourages members to rate articles and events
Encourages members to refer other members
Free and paid membership levels
Plaxo
Helps you remember birthdays Offers a decent job search engine You can join a variety of groups or create
your own
One of many ways to bring your business to the world of Social Networking
Create Your Own Site!
Pick your niche Public or private? Gather a group of connected people Invite trusted members Publicize it on your other social
networking sites Be prepared to post content frequently