Social Networking - Some Basic Things to Remember

First, if you haven't heard of social networking or if you totally missed out on ever 'creating a profile', please click on my link above. It will take you to a pretty popular site called Facebook. Facebook is a place where you can catch up with old schoolmates, you can keep track of what your kids are up to or even network for business or personal relationships.

Granted, most of you HAVE already heard of social networking, so I'll save you any more drivel about how to get started. What I'm getting at here is this: we forget what the social networking sites have to offer sometimes.

When's the last time you joined a new group?

the last time you changed your profile status?

the last time you updated your profile picture?

the last time you downloaded a new application?

When is the last time that you sought out new contacts either in your area or field of expertise?

These questions are only the tip of a very large social networking phenomena called, "Set it and forget it".

Once you're done setting up a profile, your work has only begun. There are plenty of things to do once you're involved. First of which being, MAKE FRIENDS! There are people with similar interests as you. Find them using a search! These don't have to be people that you'd spend your vacations with or hours on the phone talking to, but nonetheless, they are people and they are united with you in a common interest. We should be THANKFUL that we can do that! Let's show it by spreading our knowledge and experience while taking what we can from others'.

Also, think about the last application that you downloaded. Do you use it a lot? Maybe it's what we call "A Nattering Nabob of Negativism" in your life. These are the things that pop up and reinforce bad habits. For instance - my favorite is Mobsters on MySpace. My mob just grew by two people today. Those two people could have been two more affiliates in my network, IF I WERE PROMOTING MY BUSINESS RATHER THAN MY MOB. It's all about how you do it and how often. It's obvious that time spent on your latest addiction cannot also be time spent on your good ol' business, (sometimes it can and I'll get to that later).

Perhaps the most important thing I'd like to leave you with is this tidbit of intelligence. Social Networking means, in lay terms, communicating with people.... social.... AND... connecting the dots...... networking....

So when you put them together, you have a connect the dots game while communicating with people.

Don't leave your picture half drawn! Finish that thing up because there's a PRIZE at the end of that road folks!