SOCIAL MEDIA - WHATS APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR?

I've discovered in my social media experience there truly is a sense of camaraderie amongst the majority of users! Chances are if you are bold enough to seek assistance with a particular issue/question you will receive a quality response from at least one person, usually many. That is spectacular!

Like most other things in life, the energy and passion you invest into your own Social Media (SM) network will determine the value of your experience! In an online community an individual influences his/her own experience by making choices, conscious or sub-conscious, regarding the honesty, tone and direction of communications with other users. Most SM experts recommend transparency as the most effective choice for communications.

Usually, a person's core values and morals will influence their interactions. Of course that is not always the case, as some users view online social media as an opportunity to play out their fantasies and engage in experimental behavior. This is particularly true in places like Second Life (SL), (http://www.secondlife.com) a virtual world where a person designs an online version of themselves, called an "avitar." In SL an avitar may embody both real and unreal physical characteristics, including gender choice and human/non human appearance. Users have the choice to communicate in whatever context they wish and their behavior is only governed by the SL terms of service. (TOS)

SM is sort of the "Wild West" of business communications, as it is a relatively unrestricted communication forum with many avenues still to be explored. That is both exciting and dangerous. In my SM experience I have learned some lessons over time and here are a few high points:

1. Golden Rule -- Treat other people the way you wish to be treated. There probably is no greater truth in this world ...!
2. Visibility -- Expect that whatever you say or do in a social media application may be seen by anyone and everyone. This includes employers, prospective employers, customers, spouses, significant others, pastors, family, etc.
3. Do Not Self Promote -- Don't make your communications an infomercial for your company or products. This is one of the biggest mistakes made by many users.. instead be helpful to people and request their help, when needed. Build relationships... the business opportunities and recognition will follow!
   
4. Make It Personal -- Show fellow users tidbits of who you are through your communications and actions. People are drawn to other interesting people .... it makes them feel real and it opens the door to finding commonality!
   

I do not have all the "right answers" as to what constitutes the proper way to engage social media but hopefully this article has been helpful to you in making decisions on how to integrate it into your life.

Have a wonderful day and happy networking!!

SOCIAL MEDIA -- SO WHATS THE FUSS ABOUT??

Are you new to the social media community? Whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter or Digg, or some other application, more than likely you are trying to figure out how to best utilize these wonderful networking tools.

As an account manager, my number one priority is to be my customers' (both internally and externally) trusted adviser. The foundation of any business relationship is strong communication. Therefore you should share relevant information with customers to consider in addressing their business challenges. This consultative behavior demonstrates value and builds their confidence in you quickly.

Social Media is a wonderful resource for business people to locate nuggets of information relevant to their job as well as build new relationships. Here are just a few samples of ways to leverage this tool:

1. Facebook (www.facebook.com) -- By befriending someone, such as a new customer, you can access their Facebook profile potentially learning a great deal about them. (their birthday, hometown, relationship status, education, hobbies & interests, etc.) In Facebook everyone has a "wall" a place where they display their interactions with other Facebook friends. There you can pick up other tidbits about an individual. Facebook is also famous for its photo sharing capability which can be very insightful.
2. LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) -- has a distinct business feel to it and there is wonderful information here about a person's business accomplishments and interests. LinkedIn has a unique feature, much like amazon.com, where you can review recommendations other business colleagues have made of an individual. You can learn much about a person's business style.
3. Twitter (www.twitter.com) -- tagged as a Microblog site, Twitter is an amazing place to build a network of like minded individuals to exchange information and web links in "tweets". (140 characters at a time) For example if I type the words "hotel cancellations" in the search window every tweet posted with those two words will come up in an answer window. You can then scan through those microblogs to find the information you seek.

The business world is becoming increasingly competitive, especially in the current economic environment. It is incumbent upon us as business professionals to find ways to distinguish ourselves in the business community.

Do you want to be perceived by your customers and business colleagues as a proactive thinker? Then start investigating the value of social media... it is the future of business communications!