3 Tips to Better Use the Social Networks You Use Every Day We know the biggies when it comes to social networking. But are you using them right?
By Cynthia Johnson Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Many people are unintentionally neglecting amazing networking opportunities online. As social media becomes more and more globalized, we have network access that the generations before us would have loved to have. It is often said that you are only as strong as your network and, whether we believe that to be true or not, why risk it? Finding people in the digital world is simple, reaching out to them can be scary, but finding out how to contact them is easy. There are many ways to network online that almost everyone has access to and can help you build your personal network.
"Build relationships with real conversations, not copy/paste self-promo plugs," Blake Jamieson, founder of Tinder Hacks, said.
Twitter is the most underutilized social media tool around. The amazing thing about Twitter is that everyone has it, but only a few know how to use it. What does this mean? The most important people on Twitter don't have a lot of followers. This makes it much easier for you to reach out to them and increases your chances of getting a response.
To do this successfully, I suggest searching for the person you wish to contact (use Twitter's advanced search and search for the company, title or name of someone you want to connect with), then comment on one of their tweets, retweet one and then follow them. Create an initial interaction and then follow. If they follow you back, send them a message with your email attached and let them know you're looking to connect and that they can email you anytime.
There are two ways of networking on LinkedIn. The first is to search the contacts of your contacts. If someone is a second-degree contact on LinkedIn, then you can easily send him or her an invitation to connect. I also suggest using tags to separate you contacts by how you met them, their job, company, etc.
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The second wayis by using LinkedIn groups. LinkedIn groups allow for people who are not connected to engage in conversation with one another. Ask questions and answer questions. I also suggest reaching out to the "top contributors" from the group. These group members are highly engaged and almost always willing to speak with you. One of my favorite groups for networking is Harvard Business Review's group. HBR's group has a variety of members and the topics discussed are very relevant.
Facebook Groups
Facebook groups are amazing for networking. The great thing about Facebook groups is that they're called exactly what they are. As an example, a group created for networking is called, "Networking Marketers Worldwide" and this group is made up of nearly 55,000 people. Also, once these groups become that large they often create sub-groups by location or industry. I have personally made several connections because of Facebook groups. To find and access these groups, just use Facebook's search and search the types of groups you would like to be involved in. Once you open a group, Facebook will then suggest other related groups to join. If a group is listed as private and you want to join, then ask to join. Don't be afraid of not being accepted.
I know that there are many other ways to network online. I urge everyone to seek out those networking opportunities online and use them to your benefit.
What are some other ways you have been successful at networking online?
