While there are brilliant minds out there working to build better social networks, you should be devoting a little bit of time and effort of your own towards building better social networking skills. There are things you can do that will make social networking become more streamlined and effortless. This makes it less time consuming and allows you to devote the time and attention you need to work while still managing to invest a fair amount of effort in your social marketing endeavors.
What can you do that will help you build better social networking skills without taking precious time away from the business you need to be doing in the process?
1) Understand that social networking is a critical component of your Internet marketing business. If you are doing business online then it is vital that you master a few basic social networking skills. Understanding this need will help you fight it less and move on to acceptance. It is inevitable and better that you embrace it rather than fighting it. If you continue to fight it you will enjoy a nearly endless mental tug of war every time you log into whichever social networking platform (s) you are using.
2) Listen instead of just talking. It is easy to comment and type and offer suggestions with social networking but that isn't what it is all about. You need to learn to listen to what people are really asking for. This is how social networking can help you most, by identifying and providing what people really need and want. They are telling you and countless other marketers. What separates the true success stories from the social marketing washouts is the ability to listen to those wants and needs and provide for them.
3) Be sincere. It seems like such a small thing and yet it is so important. The biggest skill you can build when it comes to social networking is sincerity. It is the most difficult to fake and one of the most liberating once you've begun to master it. Sincerity will give you more traffic, more customers, and more repeat business than a fancy sales pitch almost any day of the week. The trick is in learning where your sincerity should be placed.
4) Learn to grab attention quickly. The last step and one of the most important is to learn that in social networking, as with most things these days, you must grab the attention quickly and then work fast to hold onto it. You have a few words at best in many platforms to gain the attention of your target audience. Learn to do this and you should never have trouble with your social networking efforts again. Make every word count and every word magic.
Building better social networking skills is the first step on a long road to building a better Internet marketing business. What do your current social networking skills say about you and how you do business online?
No one enjoys the idea of wasting a lot of time for a little return. For this reason it is important that you have a plan in place to get the most of your social networking efforts. You always want the maximum possible return on your investment in Internet marketing and time is money. Unfortunately, social networking requires a rather significant investment of time in order to be successful. Consider taking the steps below in order to ensure that you are getting the best return for the amount of time you are investing in social networking.
1) Use programs that respond to multiple social networking platforms at once. FriendFeed is one of the most popular because it allows you to make one comment that reaches followers and friends on multiple platforms. This saves time and makes your efforts pay off more quickly. Additionally you aren't taking the time to log into multiple social networking platforms each and every time you wish to leave a message.
2) Establish a schedule for social networking and only work within that schedule. This keeps you from going overboard with your socializing efforts and keeps you on task for the business at hand. You want to avoid spending too much time on social networking and falling behind in work and family commitments. Schedules make that possible and help keep your business profitable. It also helps make sure you put in enough time for the social networking tasks at hand every day.
3) Talk to people in your networks rather than talking at them. Make direct comments and take an interest in what those within your network have to say. This will help them remember you and watch what you have to say more closely in the future.
4) Be helpful to others whenever possible. This has a larger impact than you may realize. People really are watching what you do and paying attention to how you treat others. When you help others someone is going to know. When you help people within your niche or area of expertise it will make an impression on those who don't need help now or aren't looking for partnerships now. The good news is that when they do, they will remember you.
5) Learn from your mistakes but don't quit because you've made them. This is one lesson that is difficult for many people to learn. You will gain a lot more respect by admitting your mistakes and asking for forgiveness, help, or advice than you will by simply disappearing for a while or leaving and coming back with a new name. Besides, it takes a lot longer to start from scratch than to begin again with an apology.
In order to really get the most from your social networking efforts you need to make consistent efforts while remaining thoroughly in charge of those efforts. Don't post things when you're too tired to choose your words carefully and don't spend every waking moment trying to build up your network.
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