Myths About Social Networks, Social Media and Social Networking
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What's REAL About Social Media & Social Networks?
A social network is a social structure made of nodes (individuals or organizations) that are linked to each other by one or more similarities or inter-dependencies.
On the Internet, social networking has created new ways to communicate and share information. The list of social networking websites is huge - and growing bigger every day. They are being used regularly by millions of people.
To someone just becoming aware of this phenomenon and trying to make sense of the morass of data out there, it can be a confusing, overwhelming and frustrating task.
This lens hopes to distill the most useful nuggets of practical, directly applicable knowledge you need to begin tapping into the power of online social media and begin your social networking efforts with a better than average chance of success.
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Social Networking Blog Posts From Money.Power.Wisdom
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMYTH: Start Social Networking Today - Right Now!
Social Networking - What Is Your STRATEGY?
Far too often, rushing blindly ahead into the exciting waters of social media and social networks will only result in your quickly getting in over your head.Spend a little time thinking out your social networking strategy. That small investment will maximize and leverage even limited time and resources you sink into social networking.
Here are some critical questions to ask and answer before you get started:
1. Who is your audience? Whom are you trying to reach?
2. What do they do? Are they already on social networks? Why?
3. What do you want them to do?
4. What do you expect will happen when they do?
5. What could go wrong - and how will you deal with it?
6. Who or what do you need to implement your social media plans?
Each of these issues will have CRITICAL impact on certain key choices you'll be making in the course of your social media marketing and networking activities.
Because this is so central to the entire concept of social networking, I have even written a short guide that gets deep into each of these 6 strategic issues, as well as a few more important things that you must get sorted out even before taking your first hesitant steps into social networking.
"SOCIAL WINS - How To Craft Your WINNING Social Media Strategy" is a quick primer available for immediate download - click here for details.
MYTH: Try Out Every Social Network
Social Media - Which Services To Use?
While it is a slightly easier decision if you're involved in very tightly defined niche markets or areas, the 'generalist' has little choice but to "play the numbers" when getting started.
The 'big boys' in this playing field are:
* MySpace
* Bebo
* Friendster
* hi5
* Orkut
Each one has unique features, charm, demographic - and drawbacks!
You'll get best results when you find and focus on one (or a few) social media networks that are ideally suited to your strategy for social media marketing.
Social Media Marketing Delivers Results
The Social Media Marketing Plan
High Search Engine Ranking
More Inbound Links
LOTS of Traffic - for free
The Social Media Marketing Plan is a step by step guide that reveals an easy-to-follow blueprint you can adopt in your social media marketing to deliver all these results in your business.
Learn more about the social media blueprint and download your copy of The Social Media Marketing Plan today.
MYTH: Twitter Is The BEST For Social Media Networking
Is Twitter The Best Social Network?
Twitter is also special in being the ultimate 'permission based' social network - you can choose people to 'follow' and 'block' those who you deem troublesome, giving you unparalleled control over who is in your social network.
The devil is in the detail about using Twitter to the greatest impact in your social networking and social media marketing efforts. This goes back to strategy, and depends upon how you plan to use your networking efforts on the service.
In a short, free report called TWITTER TRENDS, I outline one approach that is now guiding the way I use Twitter. And in an ebook called TWITTER PROFIT, I delve deeper into the ways Twitter can be used in a profitable and productive fashion - without wasting hours on it every day.
To learn more about using Twitter in your social networking efforts, you could check out the extensive set of posts about Twitter on my blog, Money.Power.Wisdom - here.
How To PROFIT From Twitter
Secrets To Tweet Your Way To Riches
What's in the 'Twitter Profit' report?
You'll learn how to SELL on Twitter (I know they told you it isn't possible - but they were wrong!)
You'll see how to NETWORK on Twitter - and use your most powerful asset to maximize your networking efforts
You'll realize how easy it is to ASK on Twitter - and get the answers you want, quickly and easily
You'll be able to RAISE FUNDS or generate BUZZ on Twitter - through the collective power of a passionate network of your followers
You'll discover how to EXTEND your reach - far beyond anything you can do on your own
You'll understand how to BROKER deals on Twitter - and gain infinite leverage you can monetize by partnering with others who lack this skill
You'll co-ordinate PROJECTS on Twitter - and get things done in half the time, with far less stress and work than ever before
You'll tap into a MASTERMIND on Twitter - you'll reach the biggest and best experts in your industry or niche, and pick their brains
You'll BRAND yourself on Twitter - elegantly, simply, yet effectively so that you are recognized all over the world!
And finally, you'll learn how to MAXIMIZE your time on Twitter - that's a critical skill even many power-tweeters don't have, and knowing the secret will skyrocket your ROI on Twitter and other social media too.
Learn more - and get your copy of this power guide to Twitter Profit - click here
MYTH: Facebook Is The PERFECT Social Network
Is Facebook The Best Social Network?
Facebook, with a huge user base that's growing rapidly, is the talk to the town when it comes to social networking - and that's with good reason. Interactivity tools are abundant on Facebook, and creating them has made many entrepreneurs rich!
The downside of so many apps is that Facebook offers many rabbit-holes to scurry down and waste oodles of time on - and that affects productivity. That's why anyone seriously considering Facebook for their social media networking needs a guide like Mari Smith's "Facebook for Professionals".
When it first came out, I reviewed Mari's exceptionally informative and educational course... and it has grown better over time. FAST COMPANY magazine calls Mari Smith "the pied-piper of Facebook" - and that's because she not only has mastered the use of Facebook for business purposes, she also teaches it in a fun, easy and effective style.
Armed with that guide, and steered by a dose of common sense, anyone can delve deep into Facebook without losing direction, and leverage the huge network, tools and features like 'Facebook Ads' and 'Facebook Groups' and 'Facebook Fan Pages' to massive business benefit.
Facebook for Professionals
Complete, Step by Step Guide To Make Money on Facebook
There may be many 'experts' about Facebook marketing, but my pick of the pack is Mari Smith.
It's obvious Mari really 'gets' Facebook and social media marketing/networking. Her Facebook profile reveals she has over 2,000 'Friends' and is very active on it. Her Twitter profile is just as interesting.
So I chose to study her Facebook approach - and discovered her flagship course,
Mari Smith's SOCIAL MARKETING METHOD
In it, you'll learn a LOT about Facebook and using it effectively to further your goals, and applying social networking on Facebook strategically to avoid the typical wasteful (even if temporarily entertaining) visits down rabbit-holes.
Mari is more than just a 'Facebook coach', she's a social media marketing coach! She is a PASSIONATE expert and teacher - and that makes a huge difference when it comes to learning!
Social Marketing Method is a course that you will enjoy, cherish and keep revisiting over and over if you're serious about social networking on Facebook.
MYTH: LinkedIn Is The IDEAL Business Social Network
Is LinkedIn The Best Social Network?
There's very little to DISTRACT you on LinkedIn. It is NOT a socializing tool, it's a NETWORKING tool. All the benefits, none of the wasteful time and effort. And some people consider that a serious advantage over other social networking services.
You can recommend people, connect with them, find new contractors, partners and business contacts. And you can also leave feedback and testimonials for people you know well, in a business context, so that others will benefit from your experience working with someone who is listed on LinkedIn.
Still, this doesn't make LinkedIn the "best" social network in any sense... just as Facebook being created/designed for college kids doesn't preclude it from being used by serious business owners and professionals too.
MYTH: MySpace Is GREAT - But Only For Musicians!
Is MySpace The Best Social Network?
On MySpace, I created "My Purple Space" - which was one of my first ventures into the social networking space.
With competition from Facebook hotting up, MySpace made changes which now make it hard to distinguish between the two services - they are almost clones of each other! But they don't allow users to port data and share networks across services, which means you've got to pick and choose between which one - or both - you'll use.
Tools and 'engagement devices' abound on MySpace too, with your own personal blog being one of the attraction for many users, as is the extreme customization MySpace permits of your 'place on the Web'. The result is often chaotic, creative and compelling (or confusing!)
MYTH: Build It, Connect And Grow Rich
Social Networks, Social Media And Social Networking Are All SOCIAL
They cannot. All of this is SOCIAL.
It involves people, people. Don't lose sight of that.
In a management book about STARBUCKS, I first read this 3 word mantra - and instantly saw how perfectly it applies to social marketing and business building online, in any niche or area.
Connect. Engage. Respond.
The first part of the 3-word formula is easy and logical. That's why many people are in a mad rush to build lists, grow them as big as possible and try to reach the greatest number of people with their message.
Engaging your audience is hard work. If it comes natural to you, you're lucky. If you enjoy it, your audience will feel the joy. If you work at it, you'll get better.
To stand out as special, worthy of being noticed, and better still, listened to, you need to respond.
Social media makes this possible for everyone. Yet it is NOT intuitively obvious what to do.
After studying your options, define your strategy and pick your tools.
Decide how best to use them.
Focus on a few, scale up if you can.
And all the while, keep the powerful 3-word mantra firmly in mind... because it is the key to social marketing success.
Connect. Engage. Respond.
Do this right, and you can't help winning!
What's Your Take On Social Networking?
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Reply
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ggalea
Mar 23, 2011 @ 10:19 pm | delete
- I use, twitter, linkedin and facebook for marketing proposities.
thanks by share
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