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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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Beasley on August 21, 2008 at 7:18pm: Well, does that tell you something Gimme A Dream?
If it don't work, don't keep doing it.
When you bounce back an ad to someone else's ad, you're basically
stooping to the same level as the person who's irking you. The golden
rule is do unto others AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM do unto you, and not
AS THEY DO unto you.

Let's try something else.

When someone sends you an ad, check out their link...(isn't this what you would want THEM to do?)
Send them an e-mail and make it personal and friendly.
Don't just point out their mistake. Ask a question about
their program. Something like, are you making money yet? Or.. What are you using to promote your program?

Then just wait for a response. If they don't respond, you haven't
lost anything. If they do, go by what they tell you and maybe you
can send them something to help them. But don't just send it. ASK
PERMISSION first.

Oh I see you're using such and such to promote. Are you getting good results?

The best way to keep contacts is to keep them in a conversation as long as possible. Show that you're knowledgeable and that you have ways of helping them to do better with their marketing. Offer them something that will help them to promote what they're doing. Say something like, I see that you're using....acme promotions...have you ever tried....ace promotions?

They will email you back if they're interested in getting help. They may send you another link..just keep working with them and before you know it they'll be lifelong friends.

Ask if they have children. Take a mental note of their names, and ages and whatever else you learn. Make mention of them when you email them. How are little carrie and leon doing? Show interest in THEM and their needs and wants and not just what YOU'RE after.

This will help you to build strong long lasting relationships.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan Jensen on August 18, 2008 at 10:20pm: Rebecca:
Thanks for the tips. I'm brand new to this style of networking. I certainly want to be an asset, and build on a strong basis, and not be a pain in everyone's neck. I'll keep watching and reading to learn more.

Thanks again,

Dan Jensen
http://sta.rtup.biz/profile/DanJensen; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shirron Jeffries on August 19, 2008 at 8:18pm: Thanks for the tips. I'll definitely keep them in mind. Very clear and to the point. Thanks again!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Christian Mowery on August 20, 2008 at 10:31am: I'd couldn't agree more with your list of common social networking mistakes...especially the one about promoting a business opportunity in your "about me" section of your profile or greeting new comers with an email/sales pitch when first joining a social site. It's ok to promote your business in my opinion but one can definitely incorporate some thought and style in how it is presented.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kevin Lankford on August 20, 2008 at 10:33am: Hi Rebecca,

The best part about your article to me was GET YOUR PICTURE UP! I really like knowing who it is that is requesting to be a friend. They may not all be "Darth Sidious" or anything, I just figure they're too new to take a digital camera and upload a photo on your hard-drive.

Anyway, you could still post a decent about me without using the affiliate sales letter! Newbies think that's what they ARE about!!!

Let's be real. We all are here to get our brand out. If your brand isn't about building valuable relationships don't expect to get any value back. And if you're brand new, don't give up. Just keep tweeking and learning from great leaders like Rebecca.

Great article Rebecca. Good discussions too. This is social networking at it's finest. My mission is to learn and teach others how to perfect this art of creating conversations that build business!!! (hint,hint)

Thanks,

Kevin Lankford
Six Figure Economy Pro; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jared O'Toole on August 20, 2008 at 3:16pm: Great post. Best point is about promoting yourself. If you are passionate about your venture and use social networking for fun and with a purpose your business will get all the promotion it needs in the end.

Jared O'Toole; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David Berkey on August 20, 2008 at 4:01pm: Hi Rebecca,
Saw this article on another site where you're playing. Makes great points.
~David
All Access Printing & Mailing
david@allaccesspm.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Joseph Parton on August 20, 2008 at 4:07pm: What I find amazing is that with this great
featured discussion on this topic that many
people are still posting ads as their comments
instead of a geniune greeting.

Personally, I don't have a problem with a valuable
offer. However, this is the issue. When you don't
even try to connect with the person that you are posting
a welcome comment to, then it just screams spam
and shows that you just view the person as a $ sign
rather than a person.

This is clearly something to think about.

To Success,

Joseph Parton
SuccessfulHomeBusinessReport.com
KACP Success Radio; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Beasley on August 21, 2008 at 7:44pm: Yes you're very right about that. Spam is bad enough, but when you ignore the person's valuable information and send an ad as a comment you're making yourself look bad to all the people who read the information and not doing one thing to help yourself get signups or whatever it is you're trying to do. Comments are supposed to be for saying something good about the person who wrote the article, and not for people to post ads. I usually just overlook people who do this because they obviously don't know any better, but they really have no excuse when all they need to do is read what's being said and they should be happy that someone cares enough to help them. If they want to shoot themselves in the foot, by all means, be my guest. I'll still be standing by with the bandaids if they ever decide to accept the help I offer.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Charles Daniel on August 22, 2008 at 5:36pm: Great advice i signed up today and was lost as to what to do next, thanks again; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Russell on August 22, 2008 at 5:52pm: Thanks for all the great tips. This why I decided to sign up and get knowledge from people and different experience.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by James on August 22, 2008 at 6:42pm: Dear Rebecca,
thanks for the article, I'm new to the social network thing and a few basic do's and don'ts have really helped.
James.; ▶ Reply to This