In the last few weeks I’ve received several questions pertaining to more specifically facebook. However, in this world where we are constantly bombarded by social networking opportunities I’m discovering a constant blur between what is for business, what is for personal and for that matter what is personal now-a-days.

There are several options and networks out there and I would actually highly recommend that in this day in age everyone be exposed to at minimum one of them. They are a great way to stay in touch with family, friends and even a way to meet new people.

I’m going to attempt to outline the different sites, a bit of what they are and how you should use them. Keep in mind this is all largely based on my opinion and how you choose to utilize the various sites is completely up to you.

Facebook

This site has gained huge amounts of popularity and overtook its predecessors like myspace and others. In my opinion this site should be used primarily for personal connections and not professional. Granted there are some instances where you may have a good friend that is also a work colleague. However, for professional reasons and by the sheer fact that you probably don’t want your boss aware that you hit the town with all your friends and stayed out late on a Sunday night and perhaps that’s why you’re less than perky on a Monday morning, just avoid accepting your co-workers in this venue.

Don’t be afraid of the ignore button when you get friend requests. You are NOT obligated and the most they’ll notice is if they go to request you as a friend again. For those that are out for a popularity contest, get over it.  If I don’t know you, I personally won’t accept your friend request unless we have several friends in common and one of them vouches for you.

Another quick and easy tip in this area is think twice before diving into the wonderful world of facebook applications. Sure, these are a fun way to pass the time away, but be aware of your friends and what their interests might be. Many people are actually quite turned off by applications and find them a hindrance to using facebook.  No one wants to spend their valuable ½ hour of facebook time ignoring 50 invitations to help someone grow a farm, take part in a mafia war or the myriad of other options that exist.  For those that are wondering what I’m talking about here, don’t worry join facebook you’ll find out soon enough.

Be sure to exand your network in Facebook. Take advantage of the tools such as friend finder and search by school.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can find and connect with long lost classmates from college and high school.  There are even search functions by work place to connect with those co-workers you still want to be in touch with.

For those that are looking at facebook as a tool to get the word out about your business or services, there is a great feature called “pages.” This is that feature that pops up and you can “become a fan”.  It’s a great way to have a connection with your customers and supporters without being obligated to that personal connection.

The most important feature to be aware of are your privacy settings.  This is where you control what the world see’s about you.  If you are new to facebook, I’d highly recommend placing your settings at the highest levels, at least until you are more comfortable with the site overall.

Finally, the status update. Yes, this is the news feed that appears on your homepage that I’m sure many have come to hate or love. I strongly recommend limiting yourself to MAYBE 4 updates a day.  Anymore than this and it gets a little annoying.  Also, try to avoid the temptations to make your friends a part of your latest diet where you post everything you eat in an effort to trim down your amount of intake. If you do find that someone is inundating your news feed with updates, there is a handy little “hide” button that appears when you hover over an update.

Twitter

This site is probably one of the more largely misunderstood. Basically, this is the status update from facebook in a simplified format and often more limited. The site utilizes RSS feed technology (basically runs the information real time to you if you have an RSS reader either on your phone or computer. You can also program to have the “tweets” from people you are following sent to your cell phone via text messaging.

I think businesses and organizations have the greatest difficulty on how to utilize this site to get their message out. Try to think of your posts in terms of quick announcements you want to get to your followers and customers. Let them know about a new shipment of merchandise that just arrived, new product that you just launched or in terms of this blog when I’ve made an update. From a business stand point I like to think of these as tweeteasers (I’m secretly hoping that term catches on). The more you tease your followers with information the more likely they are to take note and see you above the crowd.

Same rules apply here as in facebook with followers. Think about what you intend to post, if its professional leave it wide open for anyone to follow you. If you are posting your daily journal of activities you might want to set this to private and approve and monitor those that are following you.

LinkedIn

Now, this is your professional network of contacts. So feel free to reach out to everyone you know professionally and those you know personally that can vouch for your professional achievements.

The main keys you want to consider here are ensure that your information is up-to-date. Recruiters today are actually using LinkedIn to find candidates for new positions. Think of this as your online resume and then some. Be sure to be specific about achievements and take the liberty to brag a bit. This is your avenue to shine.

Maintain the art of recommendations. Probably the most powerful tool in the LinkedIn interface, however make sure you go about this the correct way. The best way to get a recommendation or referral is to give one. I’d strongly recommend taking the initiative to go out and write up a recommendation for someone you think highly of and that may think highly of you as well. Once you have written your raving review, invite them to replicate the favor. The more people you have vouching for your capabilities the better your chance of wowing a potential future employer.

Let’s Wrap it Up!

I hope this, my longest post, served to help answer a few basics for diving into social networking. If you have more questions feel free to shoot them my way, comment below and I’ll be sure to update with answers.

If you’d like advice on how social networking can improve your bottom line and work into your business’s strategy feel free to email me at christophermohs@gmail.com.

Til the next post – reach out and reconnect with a long lost friend.

Christopher!