Social Media Best Practices
The rise of social networking means that many of your contacts have an online presence-perhaps on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. By connecting with them in these places, you can maintain and consolidate your relationship. You can also easily access their networks.
LINKEDIN
• Looked for shared connections – they are an indication of mutual connections in your world and theirs. The higher the number, the more you have in common.
• Look at who a new contact has recommended, and who has recommended them – see whether you know those people and can rely on their credibility.
FACEBOOK
• Consider establishing a separate page for your business, rather than adding every contact as a friend – especially if you primarily use Facebook to connect with personal friends and family.
• Update your page regularly, once a day or at minimum, once a week, to link to interesting articles, to ask questions, or to share some news about current projects.
TWITTER
• View Twitter as a conversation medium, not a broadcast medium. 50-70% of your tweets should be directed to a person using the @ symbol and their Twitter name.
• Establish a regular presence on Twitter, logging in most days and tweeting several times. Consider sharing some personal snippets about your life, though be mindful of your professional image and brand.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
You’ll find a number of articles related to networking and other personal development topics on my website, www.dempcoaching.com. I also recommend the following books:
The 29% Solution by Ivan Misner
Endless Referrals by Bob Burg
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
Referral of a Lifetime by Tim Templeton
Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
The Little Black Book of Connections by Jeffrey Gitomer
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
