Social Networking - The Top 3 Do's and Don'ts

In the world of marketing, social networking is an infant, a new frontier still being explored. But instead of a network of dusty trails, this frontier has fiberoptic highways carrying a stampede of electronic covered wagons hightailing it to the likes of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube with the fervor of the California Gold Rush!

Whooooooaaaaaaa, Nellie. What's yer hurry? There is plenty a gold fer everybody and unlimited cyber real estate fer ya ta stake yer claim on.

While I firmly believe you need to get in the social media game and stay in it. I also believe it's best to do so according to your own plan and resist the temptation to follow the wagon ruts of self-anointed gurus touting the strategy du jour.

That being said, there are some basic ground rules that make sense to follow if you want to get positive results. Here are my recommendations for the top 3 do's and don'ts to incorporate into your social networking game plan.

Do

1. Start slow: Pick no more than three places for starters. The big three - LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter - are common choices, but a little research specific to your industry may reveal some equally viable substitute for one of these.

Hint: Twitter and Facebook are the hot tamales in terms of runaway growth right now so it makes sense to be there just to be in touch with what's happening on the cutting edge of the frontier.

2. Fill out your profiles and include a fairly recent photo. Give people the information they need to decide that you'll make a good connection for them.

3. Show up and be social. You don't have to be a slave to any of these sites. But you should commit to showing up at least a few times a week for 10 minutes.

Don't

1. Fall into the time warp hazard. In the beginning it is easy (and pretty common) to get a little addicted to tweets and updates. Once you get the hang of how it works, even social media skeptics report having fun. But before long, you may begin feeling enslaved by the endless stream of chatter and have second thoughts about this being a good idea. This is part of getting the hang of finding your comfort zone. Stick with it and I promise you'll find your sweet spot.

2. Succumb to the "Shiny Happy People Syndrome." I haven't heard anyone else talk about this, but it's real and I've seen it throw some people for a hefty loop. It happens when you start comparing yourself to the success that others are projecting. Remember, everyone is striving to put their best foot forward and that's a good thing. But please, keep it in perspective and resist the urge to measure your progress against someone else's yardstick.

3. Update hastily. The internet is forever. One rant or snipe posted in the heat of frustration or anger can undo weeks or months of trust and relationship-building. Once you tweet, there's no going back - you can't delete a sent tweet. Facebook and others do grant delete power; but even if you're quick on the delete draw, it may be too late to undo the damage in some places.

Follow these basics coming out of the gate and stick to them for the long haul and you'll be harvesting gold nuggets from your social networking efforts for a long time.