SOCIAL MEDIA 101 + 10 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

If you're a professional who has not yet tapped into the vast reputation-building options and relationship making channels of SOCIAL MEDIA, take this introductory tour to the world of digital connectivity.  Social media is today's central hangout for just about anyone.  It's the common place to find them, how to learn about them and most of all, the most popular platform to safely and easily reach out to them. 

On a business level, social media enhances YOUR value in society through your writing (blogs), your associations (e-social groups that you belong to) or from your achievements (your well-written bio)- while delivering an easy and comfortable community platform to connect, exchange and chat. 

EMBRACE THE TREND
Relationship-building methods like the proverbial cold-call, the door-to-door approach or direct mail has been deemed "old-school", antiquated and unpredictable in comparision to the high-speed "key sport" activities of texting, emails, tweets, "likes", posts, share, join, subscribe and groups.  Having access to this new world order means understanding and accepting the dynamics of "high-speed connections". To search through any database is done with speed and efficiency where you can pretty much find anyone in any advanced search criteria in microseconds.  But unlike yesterday's society, social media conditions all members to welcome interaction from in this safe virtual community.


RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1) DON'T SOLICIT.  This is social media so be social.  Nobody wants to be SOLD things within a private community.  The receiving end feels a sense of entrapment and will often retaliate by reporting you as spam.

2) BUILD A REAL FRIENDLY CONNECTION. Be a person- not a sales hunter.  If you are using social media professionally, all the more reason why you need to connect stylishly.  Provide real conversations and exchange.   If you don't really have common ground, don't force it.

3) - BE INTERESTED.  Read about them and find a common ground... yes, just like a real relationship.  And when you get into discussion, stay being a person and resist soliciting.  Everyone knows why you're in Linkedin and they can read what you do.  If and when you build trust, business will happen organically.

4) BE INTERESTING: work on your bio, spotlight the best of who you are and when you connect with others, choose words that bring positive response and energy.

5) SLOW DOWN... NO BLIND OVER-FRIENDING.  When you land on a screen with lists of people, don't just "friend" or "connect" with everyone.  That makes you a "social pig" and all websites are watching for it.  Over-friending gets you frozen or blacklisted.  Take the time to read about them and really find common ground. The rules are to protect everyone from spam but also from predatory connections.

6) POST & BLOG. The best way to get attention is to write about things that can help the community.

7) COMMENT & ENDORSE: By inserting your 2 cents about something they wrote, you are supporting the blog article and are also helping them and you get more visibility through that blog.  This also means roam the website for articles that are worth commenting.  At best, if you don't have time to comment, click LIKE where it's called for.  

8) CHAT: Unlike the old definition, our impatient and fast world needs messages short and concise.  Chat is modern dialoguing condensed (and abbreviated) to the least amount of words possible. As we all communicate on screens, today's high-speed digital user frowns on reading a torturous 300 word email or an over-lengthy text.  Chat is about a quick thought or two, then wrap it up with a 'what to do next'.  Where over-abundant writing is called "NOVELING", advice to maintaining your connections is to keep words to a well-calculated absolute minimum.  

9) SHARE GOOD CONTENT: Pass on links that are important.  Show great videos. Refer people, sites, resources and vital info that others could benefit from.  Announce some good news! Remember, this IS a community.  They will honor you for it.  By sharing, you increase your appeal, your value as a person and advance your public image.

10) SOCIAL CUES: When reaching out or connecting with strangers, respond according to their response.  Never get too comfortable with anyone to let your guard down (especially online) by writing inappropriate things or prompting odd-ball topics.  Stay positive with your comments (no negative comments to anyone- that builds hostility) and keep a respectful outreach.  As social media is a 'safe community', people on the other end are all cautious from predatory characters.


END OF PART 1
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This blog is written by Lennard M. Gettz, Carmen Regallo and the editorial team @ imworx.com.  Copyright (C) 2014- Image Unlimited Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Contributing content by: Karin Caro, CEO of BluChip Marketing.

ENDORSEES & DEDICATIONS
This article is dedicated to the undying generosity and giving energy of MS. ILANA EBERSON, president and CEO of NYCBNG for over a decade of commitment and loving service to the social media community and business networking.  She wins the annual "OSSUM-YENTA AWARD", a top recognition for efforts above and beyond the call of duty for bringing a vast number of individuals together and generating solid business relationships in NYC and is one of the most recognized business event promoters in the community.  For more information on Ms. Eberson, visit: nycbng or visit her on Linkedin @ www.linkedin.com/in/ilanaeberson