Common Social Networking Mistakes

There are a few mistakes that people make when using social networking sites to try to get more exposure for their business. These mistakes can be minor and not amount to much, or they can be fatal and cause you to lose your business and never make contact with anyone.

Naked Profile.
If you try to use social networks by just signing up and sending bulletins and emails to people, you’re missing the point entirely. If you don’t have a profile that’s the first thing people notice. You’ve already ruined your credibility and made yourself look like a scammer. Anyone who doesn’t take the time to at least set up a simple bio page has nothing to present. Even if you add friends, what are they going to see? No one wants to do business with someone they don’t know. To them you’re like a stranger lurking in the shadows with no real identity. You also want to have a nice picture of yourself so they will see it when your activity comes up in the search engine of the site. If you don’t have a picture people see you as the default no pic blank photo and this makes you look like you’re not professional or trustworthy.

Your About Me Page is all about your business opportunity
This makes you look like you’re broke and you need someone to sign up for your opportunity because you need to pay your light bill. Your about page should be about you and who you really are. It’s not the place to promote or advertise. People want to know you, not what you do or how much money you make.

Too much hype
We already know that your business is the next best thing since buttered bread, but when you have too much hyped up claims about how your business is making you a millionaire in three days, we can see right through it. If you’re that rich why do you need to use social networks at all? You should be on a warm sunny beach somewhere enjoying your good fortune.

Sending ads in comments and friend emails.
Oh boy..that one is a big no no. When you use your friend’s comment box to post an ad or banner for your business, you’ve shot yourself in the foot. Do you honestly think they’ll sign up for your business just because you shove it down their throat?

Put a link or a banner on your profile just in case someone wants to know what you do, but the main thing you want to do is present YOURSELF as someone who is credible and has a handle on who you are as a person.

Social networking is all about making friends, being helpful, and being REAL.
People want to do business with people they can identify with and who they can get to know as a friend first and foremost.

If they want to know what you’re doing to make money online they will ASK YOU. Then you have the opportunity and the PERMISSION to tell them and they won’t feel like they’re being sold to.

Rebecca Beasley has been online for 16 + years and has written
hundreds of articles to help newbies and oldies alike.
© July 13th 2008 All rights reserved

Tags: branding, bulletins, e-mail, howto, internet, introductions, marketing, networks, profiles, social

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by tami herman on March 7, 2009 at 11:55pm: Thank you Rebecca. I am a newbie and this is good! Hope you have a chance to visit my Blog.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bookkeeping Success on March 17, 2009 at 2:09pm: Great suggestions. The key for me is to be helpful. A lot of times we get a slew of posts promoting products or services. I think it's important to build a relationship first before we "move in together", so to speak.

Great information!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Humph Schriek on March 17, 2009 at 8:55pm: Excellent post and right on!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by mialoni on March 26, 2009 at 10:19am: Thank you Rebecca, this is very helpful for someone just new to the network marketing. I guest I have a lot of reading to do, because I'm afraid, I've made some of those mistakes and hope it's not too late to fix them.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Darlene Dell Shoff on March 30, 2009 at 1:34pm: Thank you for the information. I'm new at this and I want to take in all that I can. I appreciate your clarity.l; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Beasley on April 5, 2009 at 1:03am: It's never too late to start learning how not to make these mistakes.
Just start over as if today is the first day of your life. Because it is!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by james myjak on April 25, 2009 at 12:16pm: thanks rebecca for this information, I am new on this site , james myjak

and I don't understand how all this works , I've been here two days and , trying to learn

how social networking can help me ...thanks your info was helpful ...jim; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brian Walker on April 25, 2009 at 4:30pm: Hello Ms Beasley: Enjoyed the info you shared about social networking mistakes and I agree. Being new to network marketing I was just wondering if signing up to all the social networks available on the net now really benefits someone marketing via the net? I realize it is a form of free advertising, or could be provided one follows the rules. But, does it really work?
Thanks,
B Walker; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Roylene Coleman on April 25, 2009 at 5:45pm: Wow is what I have to say. Thank you so much for the eye opener. Appreciate it very much. I do want to be a friend & have success at the same time. Being a good listener is a good start.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Beasley on April 26, 2009 at 5:10pm: Your profile is very nice. I would recommend that when you put in a link that you use keywords and phrases to describe it, You can make the link go to your site using the link icon in the html editor provided here.

Like so to link to your site.

Earn a six Figure Income

BTW. That was my first business opportunity too;)

Becky; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Beasley on April 26, 2009 at 5:14pm: Social networking does work, but it's only as good as you make it.
If you use it to make friends and contacts first and try to keep
in touch as often as possible. The updates you'll receive will help
to remind you to post again.

I wouldn't recommend signing up for all that are available. That could take you a lifetime!
But signing up for a few at a time is good to gradually get your reach further out.

I would try to target the ones that appeal to people in the same niche you're in
if possible.

One piece of advice, don't just do one thing. Diversify and use several different
methods of marketing and track your results then you'll know what works and
what doesn't and you can adjust it until you see better results.

Becky; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Beasley on April 26, 2009 at 5:22pm: First of all James, a picture on your profile will help people to see you
for who you are. Then fill in the information about YOU and not just
your business.

Then simply click the links and follow the friends who send you their
profiles and get to know them. This will help more than anything.

I need to take my own advice sometimes. I forget to do this myself.

You can add friends by clicking their profile picture from your own
profile or anywhere else you see them.

Becky; ▶ Reply to This