The Power of Social Networking for Business
Effective Social Networking
The initial reaction by business's to social networking was in advertising to the younger crowd. Then business people realized that it was a good platform to do market research. In the last couple of years professionals and business people have started social networking themselves on sites like Linkedin. From what I am seeing though, a large portion of the business people on Linkedin still don't really understand the power of social networking.
The real power in social networking by utilizing a site like Linkedin is not in connecting with people that you already know. You have email for that. The real power behind social networking is the ability to build a huge social network of contacts or connections that could not otherwise be built without the use of the Internet. I am starting to realize that many people are short sited when it comes to social networking. Just because you are in IT does not mean that you have no need to be connected to a Doctor of Endocrinology. The doctor could come in useful in introducing you to a colleague in need of your specialty, a great golf partner or a connection to an introduction you need. Five years from now, your local doctor may tell you that you have a thyroid problem and your "Linkedin connection" 2,000 miles away can offer a second opinion or advice. The possibility are endless, but only if you let them be.
I believe that in order to be an effective social networker you have to be aggressive and willing to communicate. Since I am an open networker, many of my connections on Linkedin are also. The funny thing is, most of the open networkers with a lot of connections, in the thousands, are not approachable. They are just as bad at social networking as the private account holders that accept no connections unless you are already in their Rolodex. The typical social networker that has thousands of connections has set up an autopilot system that allows themselves to accept connections, get your email address and start sending you offers for whatever they are selling. Notice I said typical, not everyone does this, but many do. Social networkers that are on autopilot are not interested in anything but their own financial gain. This is one of the reasons why open networking has a bad name among many on Linkedin.
In order to truly realize the power of social networking and and make effective use of social networking, you must have a plan on who you want to connect with and how much time you want to spend on it. From there the real power behind social networking on the Internet is to be able to meet your connections, talk to them on the phone and shake their hands. Meeting everyone in your social network may not be possible, especially if you have a network that spreads across the globe, or ranges in the thousands. But meet everyone that you can.
Many people like to play it safe and stay within a secluded comfort zone. You only live one time. That is it. When it's over, it is over. Live a little! Seek some adventure! If you live in Columbus Ohio, attend a social networking event in Dallas Texas. Study your connection list, go to Dallas, meet your connections, shake hands, have fun and socialize. Do this once a month or a few time each year and your social networking connections will start to feel real. Like they have real value and are not just names on a list.
One of the problems with the internet is that marketers will take every situation or opportunity that pops up and find a way to automate it. The most popular advice given to business people that join social networks is the advice to "pay it forward." The "Gurus" of social networking recommend that if you really want to succeed at social networking you must offer something of value to new connections. A popular way of doing this is to offer a free ebook to your new connections. The ebook is not supposed to sell anything other than yourself as being an authority figure in social networking. There are many variations of this theme, but basically it is hogwash.
The power of social networking is in the personal touch. There is no value to being connected to a person that when you send them an email, you get an automated response. That person is simply in the business of building an email list for marketing purposes. The power behind social networking has always been the personal touch. Just because we are on line does not change that. We all social network because we want to do business with other people or find a job and we have the desire to socialize. Be honest with yourself and realize this. No one joins a social network in anticipation of be put on an auto responder list.
Live long, prosper and get LINKEDIN!
Published by J. Michael Warner
I enjoy reading and writing about a variety of subjects, both non-fiction and fiction. I am interested in business, marketing, SEO, social media marketing, politics, history, economics, recycling, building... View profile
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7 Comments
Post a Commentdrgray, addictions futurist 02/04/2012
As a published freelancer, in a much discussed and yet little understood field, Addictions Futuring, I need to be able to reach as much of the general public as possible. This is an area where myth, misconception, misunderstanding, and outright ignorance abounds. The state and federal governments, although they would deny it, would like to keep it that way. Unchanged, it creates more government jobs. Naturally, the drug cartels, and those who deal in drugs want the federal "War on Drugs" to continue to create profits in their business. The beer, wine and spirits industry does not want marijuana legalized because it would eat into their profits. If more of the general public knew the real truths about alcohol and other genetic based chemical addictions they would be astounded. I simply use published science and clinical evidence to tell it like it really is. An example is the recent buzz regarding the legalization, taxing, and regulation of marijuana. Since there is virtually no extensive and sound scientific studies that prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that smoked marijuana is addictive and their is ample sound scientific and in-depth studies that prove alcohol and nicotine to be addictive, you can better see the conflict of interest. When money, power, and greed enter the picture, the end result is not much truth and a bunch of "spin-jobs" and outright lies. This is where I see, not only the general public but the entire business community wallowing in misconception, a misconception that frankly is very expensive and wasteful. It costs trillions and wastes millions of lives each year. Think about that for a while.
Great article. I think social networking is just starting to change the very way that the world works and how we relate to each other.
Good observations. The city of Fort Worth Business Assistance Center has teamed up with Texas Christian Univeristy and my company BON-Business Online Networking to teach small and medium size businesses how to choose, use and be good business citizens of LinkedIn and other Online Networking sites. I'm a fan of your writing--keep up the good work!
Great article - the information is so well presented, and the advice is something truly useful. Thank you!
great points!
J. Michael Warner's astute observation of the use of social media networking for business is right on. However, it may be a little ahead of its time in full blown acceptance by the business community as a whole. Since the comprehension of the www still eludes the small-to-medium-sized businesses/enterprises it is difficult to predict when this new media format will be accepted into the marketing mix.
Thumbs up, J.Michael Warner, for alerting us to this new marketing tool.
Very interesting article. This makes some really good points about Social Networking.