Part 4 of 5 (now 6) Using Social Networks

One of the biggest buzz words in business and the rest of the world is social networking. Is social networking more than teenagers talking their weekend? It is, much more than this, especially as social networking sites grow. Social networks, as well as specific social networks, are becoming viable parts of a strategy to use the Internet to define yourself as an expert.

Stepping back from the main topic, two words in the last paragraph stand out as critical points to the overall series. The first is part – each of these articles discusses a piece of the overall puzzle. Just one part is not going to be effective unless it is part of a cohesive whole. The second word is strategy. The word implies that there is a plan and that your use of social networks or other tools is planned. Without a plan you cannot have success.

To get an overview of social networking you should read this article, but this blog post will cover the specifics of defining yourself as an expert.

The trick to defining yourself as an expert using social networking is to work with the social network and its norms. One should not to use it in a pushy way against the flow and norms of the network. For example, norms for LinkedIn questions expect you to ask and answer questions not by not trying to promote your products or services.

I am a user of LinkedIn AnswersLinkedIn Answers and I think almost any service business should be as complete. LinkedIn Answers gives business people a forum to ask questions about any topic under the sun. Answers can be voted as best and commented on. These best answers are ones that show your expertise but do not sell a specific solution. In this article on ReadWriteWeb there is a list of many Q&A sites and the types of questions they lend themselves too.

I have personally focused on LinkedIn Answers because one of these easiest ways to fail using social networks is to over-extend yourself. Answering questions for a bunch of different networks can’t be a full time job. Find one or two networks that you will focus on.
If your market calls for reaching young professionals, Facebook is your place. Facebook was started as a place for social interactions and it is exploding into a place for business. Facebook Pages and their connection to the Facebook advertising system are wonderful tools.

Squidoo is a network that has sections called Lenses where you can post content about a specific topic. If you are a florist, it might help your company if you discuss about floral arranging. Just because you write content about how to arrange flowers, it does not mean that the average Jane or Josh is going to be able to do their own. You have just given content that proves that you know what you say you know and that you are willing to share with the community. Read the book The Go Giver for more on why this works.

Meetup.com is another very popular site for use in business because it attempts to bridge the gap between social networks online and the real world . You can plan “Meet-up” events and then meet in person as well as keep in touch using the Internet site. The South Metro Chamber of Commerce is able to do this better than any other company I know.

Next week we will take this local and discuss how to use local Internet directories and resources. I will also be adding a sixth week to the series on tying it all together and making a plan.