Do We Over-Complicate Social Networking? It’s Easy… Just Be Yourself!
I was reading a few threads in Net Marketing Forum and I thought I would touch on the subject of social networking. Here’s a quick video about my thoughts on social networking and how we tend to over-complicate it all…
Here’s a few tidbits to start off your week…
- This is a post I did about how to ENGAGE Sweeva surfers and really build your social ‘brand’ in the traffic exchanges (note: only a few people have taken me up on this advice, this could be HUGE if you own a traffic exchange or want to build your list)…
- The new ‘Cops & Robbers’ feature at SWAT Traffic is almost completed. Get ready for a massive boost in activity and new surfers at SWAT. It’s going to be a lot of fun…
- Also, we are having another T.E. Townhall Meeting tonight at 7ppm Eastern. Please bring all your questions, concerns and comments about social networking and of course, the traffic exchanges…
- And finally, I have added two brand new 250 x 250 banner spots on the right of Hit Exchange News. If you want to target your advertising to some of the most active traffic exchange surfers on the internet, it’s a great opportunity to get your brand and advertisement seen every day for a month!
Please let me know what you think below, I love reading all your comments =)
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Tagged with: s.w.a.t. traffic • social browsing • social networking • social networking sites • sweeva • traffic exchange community • traffic exchange guy • traffic exchange industry • traffic exchange live • traffic exchange seminar • traffic exchange specific advertising
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Oh yay for TE Town Hall meeting tonight and it’s actually a good night for me this time! Will be there! I’d have posted a note on my blog but had already posted by the time I saw your Tweet.
And I’m sure it’s a fabulous video but as usual, YouTube hates me and I can’t watch it.
Totally agreed that people should just be themselves as far as social networking though. I really don’t care to get to know anyone’s fake personality and I’m certainly not likely to buy anything from someone being fake or insincere – and I figure most people feel much the same. Why bother social networking and getting to know people if you’re not going to be yourself? Waste of time if you ask me.
Ya, exactly.
This is about people. And trying to ‘learn social networking’ is not what people should be doing. In fact if you need to ‘learn it’ you are already looking at it wrong.
This should be about being natural. Talking to people like people. That’s social networking. Not pitching, not ‘sales’…
Here, here, Jon!
In fact, most of the programs claiming to show you how to ‘master’ Twitter and Facebook for your marketing purposes… should be called, ‘How to lose your friends and influence nobody’… lol
Carl
I agree with you Jon. I was very slow at getting into Facebook mainly because it looked so intimidating. However, once you get into it, the whole thing can be very rewarding.
As you say, the whole idea is to keep it simple. Chat with people, show an interest in them and what interests them and it’s not hard to build a network of friends.
Don’t go wading in on a mission to sell them something because most people will run a mile. Just chat and be friendly, the rest will follow.
Carl – Post of the week, I love it!
Peter – Yup, bang on. I think we just make it more difficult then it has to be. Get out, meet people, talk to them, build your network. =)
Great video (as usual)! Social Networking is simply doing what you can do to get yourself known to others. Simple example – I tweet blogs. A lot of them. If you have a blog, tell me (or at least make sure I’m getting it). Let me know how frequently they come out. Better yet, become a TE Live regular and get your blog included on the TE Live toolbar (I ALWAYS follow all of those).
Follow me on Twitter and IM Faceplate (swhomebiz for both) and I’ll follow you as well!
Thanks,
Stephen Whittle
Most Internet marketers seem to miss the “social” part of social marketing.
I’m really not interested in following someone who only posts when they have something new that they want to pitch. My inbox is full of this stuff. If I follow you it’s because I am interested in YOU, not what you happen to be promoting today.
Take Steve Ayling for example. I’ve never met Steve and I don’t think we’ve really spoken much outside of AF conferences. But because I follow him on Facebook i’ve seen pictures of where he lives, I know he likes listening to Lady Sovereign (whoever that is), and I know what he likes to do when he goes out. So even though I don’t really know Steve I FEEL like I know him better than a lot of other IMers. That means when I do get an email or a pitch from him i’m far more likely to pay attention to it.
I’m sure it’s a little intimidating for people when they are just starting out but social networking sites are huge because they are so addictive. Once you start using them they way they are intended to be used it becomes much easier.
Great video post Jon!
I for one hate it when someone asks to be my friend on Facebook or Twitter and then immediately spams me with whatever they might be promoting.
When that happens, and it happens quite frequently, I will simply reply to them with “Hey, wouldn’t it be better for both of us if we got to know each other a bit and create a friendly relationship than to just indiscriminately spam me with your promotion?”
Some will respond and do indeed try to create a friendly rapport, but most of the time they simply continue with their mindless spamming.
So, I will just simply remove them from my contact list or block them.
Social networking is just that…networking and creating relationships in a social atmosphere.
Thanks,
Randy Ritter
I agree with you, and there’s a blog called Mashable and although there’s a lot of junk and spammy sponsored content on there, they do occasionally have good articles about building your brands using social media and the types of engaging activities you can create with them, as well as your ROI..
a small tidbit.. Someone who “Likes” a brand on facebook on average spends $74 more a year on that brand then they do one they haven’t “Liked” on facebook… and also each “Liker” is worth $2-$5 in advertising expenses…
so social media is a huge marketing platform but you absolutely must present yourself on it in the right way or it can seriously backfire, that whole word of mouth thing can effect you in positive.. or negative.. ways