Guest Post by Dr. Sally Witt (learn more about Sally at the end of this post).
Now that you have your profile in a few places, you need to actually meet people. The best place to develop relationships is in Forums or Groups.
If you are on Linked In, there is a very basic ability to communicate now in groups by leaving messages in the Groups area. You should be in a few groups with people that have similar interests. If you want to meet other people that you do not know and build your network, join a group like TopLinked, Invites Welcome, LIONS, Link_USA, My Power Linking Forum, and for women only – LinkedInPowerWomen (LIPW). I am one of the co-moderators of the Linked In Power Women group. My good friend Vincent Wright runs the My Power Linking Forum, tell him that I told you to say hello.
The women’s group has a yahoo discussion group to join, and the Link_USA and My Power Linking Forum both have Ning groups to join. When you go into the official Linked In group area, it will have a button for you to see the website affiliated with each of the official groups. Look for me in all the recommended groups, and feel free to link to me on any of the sites.
I am on Open Networker. That means that I accept everyone unless they are inappropriate and/or rude. I have almost 5,000 Linked In contacts, for an example. There are people with thousands more, but I am happy meeting new people every week. There are many styles of networkers, and some are really picky on who they intereact with.
Since we mentioned Ning groups, that is such a wonderful set of groups. I have a Ning group. too. My group is http://www.drsallywitt.ning.com. Please feel welcome to join, and find some of the specialized groups that appeal to you. A few are Stop Smoking, Looking for a Job, My Radio Show, and more. I would love for you to be a member there! Once you join your fist Ning group, you are 95% there to join other ning groups. They are all a bit related!
Each one of the groups are attached to a forum or group outside of Linked In as well. I highly recommend that you find a few groups that you like, and get to know people before you ask them to link. You have to be careful on Linked In not to get tagged with the dreaded IDK (I don’t know who you are, why did you send me an invite, arrrggghhhhhhhhh). That is bad, you can be penalized by Linked In for that.
Facebook in comparison is so much more friendly. If someone does not want to connect with you, they just deny your contact request. No harm done. A few recommended Facebook groups,
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14228499788 with my friend Jim Turner
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15955672006 this is one of my groups
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2539903267 Ecademy and Facebook group
Applications on Facebook are amazing now. So many wonderful tools to work with. Personally, I don’t to the hugs, kisses, bunnies, flowers, etc.
I use a number of applications. My favorites are:
- Daily Motion videos (let’s you attach videos to your skype profile and share on Facebook)
- Memorable Web Addresses (lets you make an easy address for your Facebook profile or groups)
- Notes (kind of like blog posts on Facebook)
We will get into more suggestions in future posts. Join some groups, poke you toe in the water and look for nice people to connect to.
Remember, the personality and etiquette for every site and every group on each site may be different. Take a bit to watch and learn before jumping in.
About the Author
Dr. Sally Witt is a Breakthrough Coach and Hypnotherapist. She has a Ph.D. in Spiritual Counseling, and has a unique background in traditional psychology as well as intense alternative and metaphysical training. Dr. Sally has a strong background in teaching computer skills since her days working at Apple Computer in the 1980’s. She has always used her combination of technical expertise, teaching, and counseling training and abilities to grow her own businesses, and to help others.
She provides one on one coaching, as well as group training in Social Networking and Social Media. Listen to her on the blog talk radio program, The Dr. Sally Show, as well watching her video blogs and interviews on YouTube. As an example of the power of blogging and other social media, Google Dr. Sally Witt, and you will see her on many pages!
Sally Witt, Breakthrough Coach/Hypnotherapist
[email protected] 215/736-0900
skype: drsallywitt
STOP SMOKING EASILY!!
http://www.drsallywitt.com
Read Dr. Sally Witt’s other guest posts on Women On Business:
- Are You Afraid of Social Networking?
- Can’t I Hire Someone for That?
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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