Tag: Social Networking

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Are You Using Facebook to Win Clients?

You know sometimes promoting your business is not all about you, sometimes its about having fun and becoming a “real person” to people who are looking to connect and not a “corporate profile”.

I got one of my large web design projects from an exchange on Facebook. It was a random thing. I invited a whole bunch of people to join me on Facebook from my e-newsletter mailing list. One of the people who I invited joined and we interacted online for a few days. When her boss told her to find a web designer, I got the job. You know why? Because I invited her (the office manager and gal Friday to the boss) to join me on Facebook and she loves using it.

If you totally sanitize your message on Facebook and other social networking sites to match your “corporate face” you may have on your website, you are missing the power of connecting with others. People want to know and interact with the real you, not some cardboard cutout or marketing message! They want to see YOU warts and all. People want to see your family, your kids, know what you are doing, and what you like. This is the real world view that I have received from prospects who have interacted with me and become clients from social networking platforms.

For business owners who say they want a separate corporate site from their personal Facebook site, I say be careful there. If you are a big corporation this may make sense, but if you are a small to medium sized business and a business owner with “personality”, you are better served showing your full profile and letting people into your “circle of trust” to experience who you really are. I think you will find, as I have, that you can win business doing just that.

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You Can’t Cheat on Social Networking

I am repeatedly asked by prospects and clients to set up and manage their social networking platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and will not do it. Why? I use these platforms myself and what I have found is that you simply cannot cheat on them. People want to connect with the real you not someone masquerading as you!

Only you can speak from experience and exude the authenticity that these platforms require for you to grow your network and to interact with others. If users find out you are “cheating” the blow back will be fierce.

Now I do believe that there is a niche for coaching in these areas, but there is no replacement for the real you. So if you don’t have time to work these platforms, then I recommend that you stay away from them for the time being, and that you set up a blogger and hire a blogger, but don’t outsource a crucial way to connect legitimately with others interested in your field and services and risk being outed as a cheater.

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Facebook For Kids and Teens

Kids can do crazy things, things we wish they wouldn’t. As a parent I have to say I get a window on my kids activities by their personal pages. I am going to share some of my own family guidelines with you on the use of social networking sites that I have for my own kids.

First for my college freshman. I have recommended that for now he should set his Facebook page up as private and only to be seen by people he authorizes. I reminded him that funny photos doing silly things may come back to haunt him. I don’t necessarily mean the photo of him coming out of our dryer in the laundry room, but I do mean ones where he may not doing something that I would approve of. Periodically I check his Facebook page not to rant, but to give guidance and to know what he is doing. He and is friends are into mud sledding (mudding) right now. But if I see something questionable, I do phone and just remind him of not showing himself in the best light. We have a great relationship and I try to be a mentor now that he is on his own.

For my three small fry (age 12) all social networking sites and instant messaging programs are off limits. I am not allowing this type of interaction at this age. I feel that they can connect with kids and chat online at Fiesta, but beyond that I say no to MySpace and Facebook.

For some weird reason their age group is wanting to IM using Skype instead of AOL AIM, but I am not letting them do this at this time. What I have found from my big kid I am using to help my little kids. Instant messaging can be a huge distractor from homework. I have even institute computer time controls as I have found that it is very easy for them to be addicted to being online and I feel that at their age they need one-on-one interaction and socialization from clubs and activities offline.

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Social Networking No-No’s

I was watching the NBC Today show the other morning and Matt and Meredith were interview John Grisham about his new book. They asked about his Facebook page and the author dissed it.

He said that he never looks at it, he never intends to, and that it was set up and managed by his publisher. He also said that he had not even bothered to look at it.

Wow, a huge no-no in today’s world of interconnectiveness. John Grisham just dissed the site so that any readers who thought they might connect with him there clearly know that they will not. His publisher must be cringing and trying to do damage control right now in the aftermath. The author came over in the interview as sanctimonious, arrogant, and out of touch with today’s media. Clearly I will never be looking at his Facebook site as it will all be bogus done in his name for him without his interaction or blessing.

This is a public relations nightmare based on the draw that Facebook has with a wide variety of age groups and the thirst that people have to connect with other using the Web. The author should have been properly prepped and educated about Facebook and its pivotal importance in the lives of young to middle aged readers. Instead of dissing it, he would have been better served by talking up and encouraging readers to check in. He could have said that he was not doing posts, but that he was fully apprised of the activities and looked forward to reader comments.

Wow, from my viewpoint a huge gaffe. Bet the publisher will make sure that future interviews don’t take this direction.