The BIG 3 Social Networking Components
Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will. Why network? It is the most powerful way to build professional relationships, actively foster contacts and disseminate information. The key word is relationship building. The BIG 3 components in social networking, in no particular order are, relationship building, your circle of influence, and viral marketing.
Relationship Building: Most people personally know at least 250 other people, and have even more acquaintances. You reached this point by building trust and credibility with the people you already know. So how do you build and maintain a social network? This too should be a relationship building strategy of establishing trust and credibility. One of the more important sayings I've heard is, "It is not what you know, it is not who you know, it is what you know about who you know." Another saying that we have all heard, "They don't care what you know until they know that you care"!
Also keep in mind relationship building creates long term relationships (for marketers that means repeat customers).
Beware of social networking errors. (1) Be sincere; (2) Don't ask for (or expect) payback; (3) Respect other people's time; (4) Follow through on promises; (5) Use special care with referred 'friends'; (6) Don't make disparaging jokes; (7) Err on the side of politeness and formality; (7) Don't wait to be properly introduced - practice a self-introduction; and (8) Say thank-you.
RECOMMENDED READING: "Social Networking Basics & Etiquette".
Your Circle of Influence: As human beings, our lives are shaped and influenced by a myriad of factors, and relationships is at the top of the list. Think about how much of "who you are today" was influenced by a specific parent, sibling, relative, teacher, coach, neighbor, author, speaker, boss, co-worker, spouse or friend. Values, habits, behavior, knowledge, skills, passions, hobbies, tastes and attitudes are typically learned through association with others. Yet, as influential as relationships are, most people haven't consciously chosen their greatest "circle of influence". More than the conscious decision to go "friend" or "mentor" hunting is the AWARENESS about your circle of influence. Just being present to the impact someone has on your state of being is powerful.
Final Point:"You Are Either Influencing or Being Influenced"
Note that influence doesn't mean pushing a point of view across. In different situations, influence can mean listening in a certain way, using facts and logic, involving others to develop a consensus, sharing a vision, offering incentives, asserting boundaries, or building up a power base.
Also, different organizations tolerate different amounts of "pushiness," depending on the situation and on the culture. By dividing the world into influencing and being influenced, and understanding the subtleties of influence conversations, you can help your clients, associates, and network friends achieve their goals.
RECOMMENDED READING: "What Powers Your Circle of Influence"
Viral Marketing Effect: I admit it. The term "viral marketing" is offensive. Call yourself a Viral Marketer and people will take two steps back. I would. "Do they have a vaccine for that yet?" you wonder. So what does a virus have to do with marketing? Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, to millions.
Off the Internet, viral marketing has been referred to as "word-of-mouth," "creating a buzz," "leveraging the media," "network marketing." But on the Internet, for better or worse, it's called "viral marketing." While others smarter than I have attempted to rename it, to somehow domesticate and tame it, I won't try. The term "viral marketing" has stuck.
RECOMMENDED READING: "Elements of a Viral Marketing Strategy"
In conclusion, social networking is a softer sales approach. In fact, the art of social networking is based on the premise that to give is to receive. Some people get it, some don't and are quick to blame the process. In fact, they have their modus operandi backwards. They want to "get" immediately ... or at least within a week or a month of having made a new contact. Social networking isn't a shortcut to success. However, it offers an intriguing platform for customer, employee, and supplier relationship management that can serve not only existing connections but also help to identify new prospects. Social networking provides greater recognition to its most influential and active participants.
One of the challenges of mastering social networking is determining where to invest your resources, time, energy, and possibly capital. As you gain personal experience using on of the many networks, you can begin to identify, and ultimately prioritize, the universe of possible initiatives to enhance your career, your brand, your staff, and revenue.
Mastering these 3 components you will become successful with social networking campaign's.
Continued Success,
Robert Mesa
SiliconPost.Com
Relationship Building: Most people personally know at least 250 other people, and have even more acquaintances. You reached this point by building trust and credibility with the people you already know. So how do you build and maintain a social network? This too should be a relationship building strategy of establishing trust and credibility. One of the more important sayings I've heard is, "It is not what you know, it is not who you know, it is what you know about who you know." Another saying that we have all heard, "They don't care what you know until they know that you care"!
Also keep in mind relationship building creates long term relationships (for marketers that means repeat customers).
Beware of social networking errors. (1) Be sincere; (2) Don't ask for (or expect) payback; (3) Respect other people's time; (4) Follow through on promises; (5) Use special care with referred 'friends'; (6) Don't make disparaging jokes; (7) Err on the side of politeness and formality; (7) Don't wait to be properly introduced - practice a self-introduction; and (8) Say thank-you.
RECOMMENDED READING: "Social Networking Basics & Etiquette".
Your Circle of Influence: As human beings, our lives are shaped and influenced by a myriad of factors, and relationships is at the top of the list. Think about how much of "who you are today" was influenced by a specific parent, sibling, relative, teacher, coach, neighbor, author, speaker, boss, co-worker, spouse or friend. Values, habits, behavior, knowledge, skills, passions, hobbies, tastes and attitudes are typically learned through association with others. Yet, as influential as relationships are, most people haven't consciously chosen their greatest "circle of influence". More than the conscious decision to go "friend" or "mentor" hunting is the AWARENESS about your circle of influence. Just being present to the impact someone has on your state of being is powerful.
Final Point:"You Are Either Influencing or Being Influenced"
Note that influence doesn't mean pushing a point of view across. In different situations, influence can mean listening in a certain way, using facts and logic, involving others to develop a consensus, sharing a vision, offering incentives, asserting boundaries, or building up a power base.
Also, different organizations tolerate different amounts of "pushiness," depending on the situation and on the culture. By dividing the world into influencing and being influenced, and understanding the subtleties of influence conversations, you can help your clients, associates, and network friends achieve their goals.
RECOMMENDED READING: "What Powers Your Circle of Influence"
Viral Marketing Effect: I admit it. The term "viral marketing" is offensive. Call yourself a Viral Marketer and people will take two steps back. I would. "Do they have a vaccine for that yet?" you wonder. So what does a virus have to do with marketing? Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, to millions.
Off the Internet, viral marketing has been referred to as "word-of-mouth," "creating a buzz," "leveraging the media," "network marketing." But on the Internet, for better or worse, it's called "viral marketing." While others smarter than I have attempted to rename it, to somehow domesticate and tame it, I won't try. The term "viral marketing" has stuck.
RECOMMENDED READING: "Elements of a Viral Marketing Strategy"
In conclusion, social networking is a softer sales approach. In fact, the art of social networking is based on the premise that to give is to receive. Some people get it, some don't and are quick to blame the process. In fact, they have their modus operandi backwards. They want to "get" immediately ... or at least within a week or a month of having made a new contact. Social networking isn't a shortcut to success. However, it offers an intriguing platform for customer, employee, and supplier relationship management that can serve not only existing connections but also help to identify new prospects. Social networking provides greater recognition to its most influential and active participants.
One of the challenges of mastering social networking is determining where to invest your resources, time, energy, and possibly capital. As you gain personal experience using on of the many networks, you can begin to identify, and ultimately prioritize, the universe of possible initiatives to enhance your career, your brand, your staff, and revenue.
Mastering these 3 components you will become successful with social networking campaign's.
Continued Success,
Robert Mesa
SiliconPost.Com
Tags: etiquette, influence, marketing, networking, relationships, social, viral
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bea Kunz on
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Hello Robert, I'm delighted to meet you.
Congratulations on this article, it is the best and most right-on I have read.
Totally enjoyed the read and agree with the points 100%.
Social networking has been very successful for me.
It's fun, educational, and a challenge...when one is working by the rules.
To your most successful times yet~
EatWell-BeWell
Bea Kunz
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Permalink Reply by Robert Mesa on -
Hi Bea,
I'm glad you enjoyed my article, and I hope you found it helpful. But after reading your comment above. It looks like you have already mastered the techniques with your efforts. I would like to point out your mention of...
"It's fun, educational, and a challenge...when one is working by the rules."
This is so true... Thank you for sharing.
Continued Success,
Robert Mesa
SiliconPost.Com
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Permalink Reply by Area Light Explorer on -
Working by the rules does help you stand out for the contemporary market. I would recommend that for anyone who intends to focus specifically on a professional or organizational demographic. However, I also think as you define your niches, sometimes it is how you take exception to the rules that helps you relate more directly, engage your circle of influence, and inspire a genuinely voluntary viral spread.
The Big 3 Social Networking Components provide a very useful foundation for professional networking. A lot of the value is simply in the common sense business networking protocols. I also think selecting these three in particular carry a value of helping those interested to start ahead of the curve rather than learning for themselves the hard and long way. That's an insight you can experience first hand as you watch Robert lead by example.
My target market has the multifacetted dynamic of personal, professional, and organizational. I beleive the modern environment calls for some intelligent disruption and outside-the-box thinking because the rules are still yet to be written. So my social networking protocols test the boundaries of contemporary thinking a bit, which serves my interest in appealing to people, specialists, and businesses who want to find a competitive edge as well as take risks to be ahead of the game.
I find my approach fun and challenging too. Since I market to like minded individuals- even if they are only one in a million- they should appreciate my approach that much more.
Best,
Anthony
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Gordon on -
I agree...excellent post,
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It is not what you know, it is not who you know, it is what you know about who you know." Another saying that we have all heard, "They don't care what you know until they know that you care"!
Also keep in mind relationship building creates long term relationships (for marketers that means repeat customers).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to say though, I do enjoy humor, with a third of the world in famine right now like the world health organization is saying, and this global recession, everyone needs a laugh...
I enjoy wit and humor...
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Gordon on
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Values, habits, behavior, knowledge, skills, passions, hobbies, tastes and attitudes are typically learned through association with others.
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I also enjoyed what you said about saying thank you, I tried that with a diamond member, for his generic posting on my guestbook (grin) and it was not posted on his guestbook, it was insulting to say the least, but it makes me aware of whom to do business with..and whos advice to search for really.
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Gordon on
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and I have to wonder why bother having a guestbook if you have to edit it before it appears? what is the point of the guestbook? For people to enjoy signing it when they come, hmm go figure..
I will not edit a guestbook, it is not personal, and again bad marketing, if it is a distasteful post, then the postee is the one who would look shamed anyhow? right? I will leave my guestbook open for real guests to sign it..
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Gordon on
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I think by leaving them up, the guestbook signings that might be off base, lets others know what that person needs to work on, maybe help them to become better of a marketer for their business..
help them to post a nice comment..
I dont do generic, no one gets ahead with generic, at least not for long.
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