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 JackieO on January 2, 2009 at 11:22pm: Hi Rebecca
Happy New Year! Nice to met you I am sorry I haven't introduced myself sooner.
I hope you will let me use the excuse that I am fairly new at this and I haven't taken the time to read everything threw. Sometimes I feel like I am suffering from info over load, which I am someday. And to be I sometimes I fall a sleep while I am reading and loss my place. It is not really like reading a book.
I do hope you accept my apolgy.
I would like to I like what you wrote here, and thank you confirmed a lot of what I thought.
I have a real good feeling about this I think we will do better then what the news says.
Thanks Again
Warm Regards JackieO; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by solcarina on January 3, 2009 at 11:17am: Hi Rebecca,

Yes, I`m so agree with You. Thank You for sharing.

Solcarina; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Workathomemomblogs on January 4, 2009 at 12:18am: great ideas hope some one will use them, I will use your ideas
Happy New Year
Thandi; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Karen MacNab on January 4, 2009 at 8:02pm: Thanks for your words of wisdom and advice! Always good to have people who "tell it like it is". Especialy for those of us who are new to this. Here's to your success!
Karen; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mikko M&auml;kel&auml; on January 10, 2009 at 11:17pm: Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your post!
I absolutely agree with You!! You got it all the way right there.
I joined this network about 3 weeks ago and have not got any good friendly invitations. I would not like to be added as a number among the other numbers but want to get to know a person first. After all when you are doing business TRUST is the most important thing that comes to my mind. Not to mention when your business is a confidential start-up.

All the best:
Mikko

Lets make it work -Let´s network!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Toyin Ojo on January 13, 2009 at 4:50am: Thanks Rebecca. This is one of those things that you know from being around through the years, but you need to be reminded ever so often. Common Courtesy and the golden rule applies at all times, especially online.

At times when you're doing 'business' in your PJ's, you tend to forget that you're conducting business and one must behave accordingly.

I'm new here and I look forward to being a sponge and soaking up as much information as I can and hopefully sharing some knowledge as well.

Thanks a bunch!

Toyin; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Helen Swarovski on January 14, 2009 at 11:58am: Hi Rebecca,

I trully agree with your opinion and I think that your post should have a "MANDATORY READING" status for all members.

Best wishes,
Helen; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Beasley on January 14, 2009 at 12:55pm: Thank you Helen, maybe we need to send this to the admin and have him feature it again;)
Becky; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Robert on January 21, 2009 at 5:10pm: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Rebecca...VERY helpful!

Robrt Fobes; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David Nielsen on January 25, 2009 at 4:41pm: This should be posted on MySpace, and in everyone's Profile, We all see the People who are trying to Network and have no idea how. This post is so important and to the letter I think I'll let all my friends read it, expressly my new friends. My compliments Rebecca...

David; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Carol Ann Stott on February 2, 2009 at 9:23pm: Rebecca,
Etiquette in all areas of our lives is best understood when written out plainly and effectively so all can be informed. This was most helpful to me as a newbie and certainly great advice to anyone seeking to network and promote their services in whatever social situation. Sixteen years on-line has seen quite a number of changes, but I am sure etiquitte standards are pretty much the same. It is just we a newbies do not now what is expected unless someone shares it like this great articles does.

Thank you so much for sharing and giving us a clue as to how to behave in a professional manner.
Carol Ann Stott; ▶ Reply to This