A Guide to Social Networking
If you think online social networks are just for teenagers, then you’re really behind the times. A number of social networks designed just for executives are gaining critical mass. More than six million executives, for example, have signed up for LinkedIn, the largest business networking site. In fact, recruiters regularly mine sites like LinkedIn, Ryze, Ecademy, Spoke, and OpenBC for potential job candidates. So it can pay for job-seekers to post profiles on these sites. Executives also use these sites to re-establish contact with former colleagues and to open doors to new relationships.
Social networking sites are not just about job opportunities. A number of companies such as Intuit and Mini USA have created their own online customer networks to encourage brand loyalty. Burger King and Chase, meanwhile, see potential customers, and are beginning to launch advertising campaigns specifically for sites such as MySpace and Facebook. And other firms are installing enterprise software that automatically tracks employee e-mail to unearth potentially useful relationships with executives at other firms for sales purposes. Interested in exploring this new technology? Here’s how to get started — even if you’re not 17.
DO
Market yourself If you’re hoping to score a new job or simply want to build new relationships on a business networking site, pick what you want to be known for and communicate that clearly. Some recruiters use business networking sites as if they were a giant rolodex. You’ll get better job leads if your profile is clear and up to date.
Get personal At least a little. To build relationships on social networking sites, consider sharing a bit of your personal life such as a hobbies or volunteer work as a small part of your profile. It makes you appear human and it resonates with others.
Set guidelines Make sure to clarify company policies about employee conduct on social or business networking sites. People in the 25 to 54 age bracket are the fastest growing demographic at MySpace. Some of them may be your employees.
Expect honesty If you’re creating advertising campaigns for social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, you have to be prepared for feedback. Not all of it will be pleasant, but if you listen, you just might learn how to improve your product.
Make it relevant Advertising on MySpace and Facebook can easily backfire if it doesn’t strike a chord with young people. Burger King has made more than 114,000 friends on MySpace by giving away free episodes of Fox shows such as 24 and American Dad.
DON’T
Skip details If you’re trying to foster business relationships on business networking sites, make sure your profile includes your complete work history, even those entry-level jobs. Some sites allow you to search by company, and former colleagues might want to contact you. They just might have job offers.
Be selfish Master networkers who are trying to connect with other executives don’t expect payback from every person right away. Instead, they build relationships for the long haul. If somebody helps you, try to reciprocate.
Play the numbers game The more people you are connected to on business networking sites, the shallower those relationships are likely to be. Recruiters may find value in linking to as many people as possible but one executive says he feels that more than 150 contacts is too much.
Forget privacy If you’re installing software within your company to automatically track employee contacts, make sure to calibrate the privacy settings to match your employees’ level of comfort. Executives may balk at sharing personal contacts with sales people, especially if they have no control over how and when those contacts are used.
Hoard information If you’re planning to build a customer network for branding or market research purposes, consider sharing insights gleaned from these networks with participants. It helps keep them engaged. Intuit, for example, lets its Quicken community know how they have helped shape product features.
