As appeared in the Presence Pointers column of the January 2009 issue of “Business Watch” magazine.
As we kick off a new year, I thought this would be a good time to open our horizons to new frontiers. What hopefully makes this particularly exciting is that it isn’t dependent on how elaborate or simple your Web site is, or in fact, whether you even have a site yet. For those who have been feeling behind the times because they haven’t made the leap onto the Web yet, this is a way to get out on the leading edge.
What I’m talking about is social networking. You may have also heard related phrases like “Web 2.0” or “social media.” In fact, if you created your LinkedIn profile after the “Are You Linked In?” article — way to go — then you’ve already been dipping your toe in the social waters.
LinkedIn is a great place to get started, but it’s really just one example. For 2009, lets broaden our horizons and get out and socialize a little bit more. Remember, this is something that can be explored even if you don’t have a site.
Socializing Requires Participation
Wallflowers, just like those old junior-high dances, just showing up probably isn’t going to get you very far. Fortunately, unlike those dances, the Web provides a little extra buffer that might make it a bit easier to put ourselves out there. This analogy isn’t meant to limit this discussion to online dating. The social Web carries huge ramifications for business as well.
This idea of participation is absolutely critical, which is why it is the first thing on our list. It is so critical, that without it, don’t bother. The social Web (even for business) is all about connecting, communicating and interacting with others.
Interact, Don’t Advertise
While we are on this topic, let’s make one distinction very clear. There are social media and networking sites that you may want to explore. Some of these may provide opportunity to advertise to their members or visitors, but that is simply online marketing that happens to target social networking sites. Interaction isn’t about advertising, but participating in conversations, sharing thoughts, ideas, concerns, advice, photos, video, etc.
Even when you are a community member, it’s critical to understand the type of interaction and communication involved. Don’t view social networking as an advertising channel where your message is “Look at us, aren’t we great! Hey, I’ve got something to sell.” Rather than viewing the other members as customers, see them as peers, around which you both share a mutual interest. And no, that mutual interest probably isn’t you, and if it is, I’d still recommend focusing on the broader interest around which your company is involved — the type of products or services you offer, or their purpose.
Along these same lines, focus on being genuine. Don’t pretend to be someone else, especially one of your customers who just can’t stop raving about you. If you head down this path, understand that you won’t be alone, and like those before you, will probably be discovered and may well undue much more than just your social networking efforts.
Next time, I’ll introduce you to some of the popular and important social networking and media sites that you might want to consider getting involved with.
Quick Tips to Social Success
- Set aside time to participate within the community regularly.
- Be genuine and transparent about who you are or the company you represent.
- Don’t use this as a sales channel — it’s about rapport and relationships.
- Some community members will be skeptical and some may launch attacks at you or question your motives. Be open and graceful to their concerns, but don’t launch counter attacks or become defensive, rather, let your actions and time prove otherwise.
- Social networking online is just like offline … the more you give, the more you’ll get out of it.