The Social Media Marketer

5 Ways to Put the "Social" Back in Social Media

How many social networks do you need to join?

If you're like most people or companies online these days, you've connected into Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn - in short, just about all the sites.

At first, it's a lot of fun. You make your profile, find your best profile photo and set about connecting with others.  You fill your Facebook friends list with people you know now and those you knew back in your glory days. On Twitter, you do your searches and find people whose tweets either make you laugh or think, and on LinkedIn, you connect through networks with other people in your profession in the hopes of landing that elusive high-paying job.

But after awhile, all those social media networks are hard to keep up with, and you get tired of the constant updating, and suddenly, there's nothing social about your social media networking.

So how do you put the social back into social media and make it work for you personally and professionally?   
 
     1. It may sound like a lot of extra work, but have you ever considered setting up two separate profiles on the social media site of your choice? Let's take Facebook. If you set up a personal profile, that will be the place where you can chat with your high school buddies, your co-workers and your present-day friends without worrying about the impression it makes on your professional contacts. Conversely, if you set up a separate professional profile or fan page, you can make the contacts and links you need to expand your business, without annoying your friends in private life. It's easier to be more social with others when you divide your audiences. 
 
     2. Are you being a friend on Twitter? If you're just sending out links to your own websites and endeavors, you can risk being banned as a site spammer. Instead of doing that, why not try to use Twitter to just be social? Add some contacts through a search for people who share your profession or interests, and don't bombard them with your own personal items. And don't forget to retweet now and then. 
 
     3. Have you joined any groups on LinkedIn? Many people go on LinkedIn and put up their profiles in the hopes that other people will somehow discover them and their businesses. There are so many people on LinkedIn that the chances of being randomly discovered are pretty slim. However, if you join some discussion groups that are connected with your business or interests and participate in the discussions, other professionals in your field will check out your website and content.  
 
     4. Do you comment on blogs?  These days, when there are so many people who have professional and personal blogs, commenting has gone by the wayside. However, blog owners appreciate receiving comments that lead to conversation and traffic. Remember, though, commenting isn't about hurrying through blogs and posting "I'm first!" at the beginning of all of them. Say something of value and don't forget to include a signature that adds a link to your website at the end of it. 
 
     5. Have you ever considered guest posting? Find some blogs or websites related to your business and contact their owners with your ideas for guest posting an article. And don't forget, guest posting isn't about advertising your own business, but it is about penning a great article that will make readers think and will generate interest in the person who wrote it. This could mean a nice jump in traffic for your own website.  

Remember, to make friends, you have to be a friend - and that also counts in social media marketing.