You've taken the beginning steps to creating an online social presence.
You've started "tweeting" a bit on Twitter, you have a page set up on Facebook and your business profile is on LinkedIn.
You've even added your colleagues and friends to some of these sites as contacts.
But there is new information and Web 2.
0 applications for online networking daily, it seems, and you don't know if you should spend the time learning it all.
You also don't know if you are using it like you should.
Here are some suggestions on ways to keep this process easy and enjoyable for you.
It may be hard for you to talk your social network contacts into joining yet another site, but FriendFeed is worth it.
It combines, into one location, your activity across a variety of networks include Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook and more.
It will even list your Amazon.
com wish list.
If you are going to consider one more site, Friend Feed is the one.
Ping.
fm is a must! This Web based app (www.
ping.
fm) allows you to update your status across platforms.
Log in and you can update your status on the "big three": LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, all from one spot.
It supports many other sites as well.
This allows you to be active without being logged into all the sites.
Plus it is an easy and effective way to spread the word when you have a new blog post or business venture.
HootSuite and TweetDeck are two great Twitter dashboard applications that will help you manage your activity on that site.
HootSuite is Web-based and TweetDeck is a download, but both have similar features.
Both of these sites allow you to manage multiple profiles if you have them for different business purposes.
You can also watch your feeds and in TweetDeck you can create groups to watch more closely if you are following a lot of people.
If you are struggling with how to find appropriate and interesting people to follow on Twitter, you can use WeFollow.
com.
WeFollow is a directory where members can list themselves under three keywords.
For instance, if you are an entrepreneur, you would likely use "entrepreneur", "small business", "marketing" or something similar.
Thus you can do a search for members by keyword.
Additionally, if you do a search on the main Twitter dashboard (using a hash mark helps: #smallbusiness), you can find discussions on a topic and find individuals to follow who have the same interests as you.
Remember, across all of these platforms, engaging and supporting fellow members is the only way to build a loyal following, which is the reason for social media.
On Twitter, you can do this by "retweeting"-in essence, sharing what someone said with a larger audience, replying publicly (using the @ symbol and their Twitter ID and involving them in a public discussion) or "DM-ing"-sending a private message to them.
Do the same with blogs, crediting the author.
Tweet a great post you've read and you will have a smiling new contact! On LinkedIn, you have the option of joining and participating in themed groups.
Do a search in the Groups section for subjects or professions you are interested in and join.
There are groups for attorneys, accountants, consultants, HR professionals...
and many more.
Once you have joined, start connecting with other members through group discussions and inviting them to join your network.
Also check out the Answers tab at the top of the main screen.
People post questions that they seek either opinions on or answers to.
Answering questions can define you as an expert.
Social networking is very similar to live networking.
We've offered these advanced user tips to make your online experience more rich, but always remember the goal is to connect with and contribute to the success of other people.
Once you do that, you will see that others are eager to do the same for you!
You've started "tweeting" a bit on Twitter, you have a page set up on Facebook and your business profile is on LinkedIn.
You've even added your colleagues and friends to some of these sites as contacts.
But there is new information and Web 2.
0 applications for online networking daily, it seems, and you don't know if you should spend the time learning it all.
You also don't know if you are using it like you should.
Here are some suggestions on ways to keep this process easy and enjoyable for you.
It may be hard for you to talk your social network contacts into joining yet another site, but FriendFeed is worth it.
It combines, into one location, your activity across a variety of networks include Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook and more.
It will even list your Amazon.
com wish list.
If you are going to consider one more site, Friend Feed is the one.
Ping.
fm is a must! This Web based app (www.
ping.
fm) allows you to update your status across platforms.
Log in and you can update your status on the "big three": LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, all from one spot.
It supports many other sites as well.
This allows you to be active without being logged into all the sites.
Plus it is an easy and effective way to spread the word when you have a new blog post or business venture.
HootSuite and TweetDeck are two great Twitter dashboard applications that will help you manage your activity on that site.
HootSuite is Web-based and TweetDeck is a download, but both have similar features.
Both of these sites allow you to manage multiple profiles if you have them for different business purposes.
You can also watch your feeds and in TweetDeck you can create groups to watch more closely if you are following a lot of people.
If you are struggling with how to find appropriate and interesting people to follow on Twitter, you can use WeFollow.
com.
WeFollow is a directory where members can list themselves under three keywords.
For instance, if you are an entrepreneur, you would likely use "entrepreneur", "small business", "marketing" or something similar.
Thus you can do a search for members by keyword.
Additionally, if you do a search on the main Twitter dashboard (using a hash mark helps: #smallbusiness), you can find discussions on a topic and find individuals to follow who have the same interests as you.
Remember, across all of these platforms, engaging and supporting fellow members is the only way to build a loyal following, which is the reason for social media.
On Twitter, you can do this by "retweeting"-in essence, sharing what someone said with a larger audience, replying publicly (using the @ symbol and their Twitter ID and involving them in a public discussion) or "DM-ing"-sending a private message to them.
Do the same with blogs, crediting the author.
Tweet a great post you've read and you will have a smiling new contact! On LinkedIn, you have the option of joining and participating in themed groups.
Do a search in the Groups section for subjects or professions you are interested in and join.
There are groups for attorneys, accountants, consultants, HR professionals...
and many more.
Once you have joined, start connecting with other members through group discussions and inviting them to join your network.
Also check out the Answers tab at the top of the main screen.
People post questions that they seek either opinions on or answers to.
Answering questions can define you as an expert.
Social networking is very similar to live networking.
We've offered these advanced user tips to make your online experience more rich, but always remember the goal is to connect with and contribute to the success of other people.
Once you do that, you will see that others are eager to do the same for you!
SHARE
