Social Networking Strategies That Make You Want to Hit Yourself For Not Using Earlier

By Andrew M Nathan

Social Networking is easy once you understand the concepts behind it. The challenge is that all too often people jump in without researching how to use it effectively. That is when you hear the weird and outrageous stories about what people have done to effectively ruin someone's social networking experience. So let's review the basics, because I feel for a lot of people using social networking this is necessary for them to become successful:

1. Not everyone went to Facebook to hear about your rates, savings, amazing special offers, and the like. We have all grown up watching television, where companies pound us with offer after offer. Anywhere we go we see someone hawking their products. Whether it is signs out in front of a store, huge billboards that shout, "Please, Please, Please purchase my services, so we can make up the costs on sign on I-90", stadiums, such as Wrigley, Minute Maid, and Comerica are there to promote big business as much as the sports they hold. People are not looking to be bombarded by an ever ending list of advertisers.

Especially when they go online. They are looking to connect with friends, family, and connections, not to be hawked goods. While some social networks run their free services to you through advertising, it is not your responsibility to take over where they left off.

2. Quantity plus quality is what matters. Everyone gets excited on Twitter about getting millions and millions of followers. The truth is that without quality relationships, it does not matter how many followers you have. That is why I feel that my best networking has come when I maxed out on Facebook, because then I focused on building my current relationships, not my network. Keep up with your network and make sure that build relationships.

3. Be creative! One of the good things about the recent economic downturn (Yes, I did say good with the downturn) is that people who once used to be part of the corporate monolithic block have left companies en mass after layoffs. Once they got out of their post-traumatic zombie haze, the vast majority of them started to think for themselves. Instead of being part of the think corporate, speak corporate, dress corporate masses they started have great ideas. That means that for you to succeed to today you need to come up with new and interesting content to compete with the groundswell of people who entered the entrepreneur market. The ability to do that effectively will make or break your business.

4. Be honest. Some believe that you tell people things to get them in the door and figure out a way to keep the rouse going until they close. That is not appropriate or profitable. Most companies that do this get caught. Think Enron, Bear Stearns, Countrywide type not work if you think you are exempt from that idea.

In the end, as long as you listen to these basic tenets you can become successful at social networking. In the end as long as you learn that it is not about what you hawk, but how you talk
to people when you connect.

Andy Nathan
I am a social media expert with over 34,000 followers on twitter (@andynathan) and 5,000 friends on Facebook. I help businesses succeed through social networking.

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Article Source:">Social Networking Strategies That Make You Want to Hit Yourself For Not Using Earlier