There are an enormous number of social networks now available online. Each has a collection of features, benefits, functions and ways of working, that provide different styles, and different ways of interacting with others. Leading networking specialist William Buist explains in this ten part series how to use social networking to gain maximum results.
The variety of sites ranges from the purely social, through to the purely business based sites. At the social end of the spectrum are popular sites such as Facebook and Myspace and at the business end of the spectrum sites such as LinkedIn and Ecademy. Each provide a different set of functionality, different ways of working and a different demographic. In general the members and in particular the active members of sites such as Facebook are younger and more socially aware than the membership of business related sites such as LinkedIn and Ecademy where the membership is more mature and business aware.
So how do you choose which site to use?
There is no substitute for experience. The sites themselves operate in different ways so it’s not possible to provide a simple single way of working that will apply across all social networking sites. The functions used in one may not be available in another; the people found regularly in one may not be present in another. The people found in one site may use a different style than those found in another site. Does your style fit? My advice is always to investigate the sites. Along with that investigation and the word of mouth recommendations that you receive from those you are interacted with already will give you a flavour of the right places to go. It’s becoming clear as social networks develop that they are all changing too. So that the right site for you today may not be the right site for you tomorrow unless the sites provide some certainty of longevity.
These tips are focused on how to choose a site in order to develop business networking/social networking as a means of marketing your business and making sales rather than as a means of marketing yourself for social friendship. There is no doubt that for relaxation, socialising, and general enjoyment the sites such as Facebook and Myspace provide a means of doing that. It’s perfectly possible to utilise these sites solely in a social sense and for enjoyment. They allow you to interact with individuals and friends in an environment in which business may never enter the conversation. But that is not to say that they cannot be used for business, far from it, business is usually done between people who are socially comfortable whose integrity, honesty and social demeanour is understood as well as their business integrity, business honesty and business demeanour.
So in a business environment sites such as Facebook and Myspace and for the younger business people amongst us or those targeting a younger audience, sites like Bebo have a place to play. Progressively those sites too are moving to a more homogenous way of presenting themselves that allows different styles to co-exist within their functionality in a way that suggests the access to the millions of members that they have will be important from a business point of view as well. This is an area to watch. At the other extreme, LinkedIn has historically been a tremendously useful directory of people and skills and experience. But LinkedIn has had a problem, which is now addressed.
LinkedIn was a site in which people came to find people and put themselves to be found. The level of interaction was low to nil until such time as a connection between two individuals for the purpose of business had been made. At that point the relationship started. LinkedIn is now seeking to incorporate an ever increasing amount of social interaction as well as business directory functionality. Again one to watch.
Sites such as Ecademy are rare. Ecademy provides both a social platform and a business context. That mix social platform and business context, enables people to interact and discover there true selves without the need immediately to meet or to do business. It also provides the business directory functionality that LinkedIn has championed. It also provides a yellow pages of goods and services, a marketplace. Its challenge is that it’s smaller than the others, but that smallness also creates an intimacy, a small feel that enables the members to be comfortable and reassured by the ethos and culture of the site. It’s growing, it will change, but its ethos and culture are strong and my sense is that they will remain.
Conclusion
When we mix socially in person with others we find the environment, the places to go and the people to meet with whom we feel comfortable. We share our views and our values. We spend time with them, we get to know them and perhaps at some point we also do business with them. Social networks are no different. Go to all the places, look at the ones that make you “feel at home” and stick around in those that welcome you and that provide you with the means to do the things that you seek to do.
Don’t make a quick decision. Almost all the social networks have hidden depths. They are rich in functionality and rich in people and experience and skills and you need to spend time to find out which is right for you. I would also recommend you don’t pick one, but have three or four networks which allow you to spread your visibility and to interact in a variety of formats and ways with different groups and people.
In tip two we will talk about how to build a good profile but as a final closing comment on this tip, having chosen your network, make your profiles consistent across the networks in terms of content but make them consistent with the network in terms of style.
William Buist is founder of Abelard Management Services, a company specialising in building trust in teams and with businesses building communities. For more information visit www.aberlard-uk.com
Ends