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Helpful tips for being social w/those of us who actually want to be social.

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Are you confused about how to be social on social media? Are you trying too hard to build likes, that you forget what social media is really all about?

Here are some tips that we non-gurus follow, and guess what? We don’t only post cat photos and Walmart atrocities.

  • Don’t worry about how many likes you have on your biz page. Worry about having content everyone likes.
  • Remember, sharing content of others doesn’t mean you love it – it means you know someone else on your ‘list’ may or you appreciate the discussion that will come from it. And guess what? In most cases you don’t have to like a page to share the content on the page – and if you do, then it is their loss, not yours. And remember, you can share it on your personal page or your biz page (which will be more relevant to do on your biz page in the near future – see below).
  • Don’t just have like-minded people in your connections – gets stale really fast. I love you – I love you, too. Virtual air kisses and hugs. YUCK! Give us some debate, discussion, and thought provoking posts we love, hate, that outrage us, cheer us up – make us feel…something.
  • If you see a page you like, then “like” it. you can unfollow and just peek in once in a while, but don’t go crazy with those “like my page events” because unless there is content you enjoy or can share – it won’t help either of you. It’s like living in PA and liking a page for landscapers in Mexico. (Side tip – you can follow and not like the page at all i f you like only minimal content.)
  • Remember, reciprocity is lost on many, so don’t go crazy liking other pages just hoping they will like your page in return. They won’t. Don’t believe the hype. I don’t care how many assurances they give you – they will not like your page…many won’t even visit it. Do you, and let them do them. And how many Avon pages can you possibly like anyway?
  • Having more rules than Facebook already has on your biz page really annoys some people. Maintain your page and don’t expect me to do it for you. There are settings for that.
  • If someone sends you a request for a connection, especially LinkedIn, unless they are spamming you or posting inappropriate content, don’t hit ‘Don’t Knw” just ignore. Damaging someone’s ability to be social because you don’t want to be social just isn’t cool.

Lastly, have fun. post what you want on your timeline. It is YOUR timeline after all.

*****Remember the Facebook “rules” are changing on what biz pages will actually show in others’ timelines. Unless your posts are more than promotional items of your own business, it won’t be showing anywhere anyway, unless you pay. It doesn’t matter how many ‘likes’ you have.  So consider sharing other relevant posts on your biz page to keep your posts showing in your “liked” connections. (Remember, when you post someone’s interesting posts on your biz wall, it doesn’t have to be directly relevant to your business per se – but it should be something that could be relevant to others connected to your page (or linked social media accounts such as Twitter). That’s how you get ‘likes’ and followers that stick around.

Now where are those cat photos and Walmart atrocities?

Like this is you agree – no wait, don’t do that! Or should you?

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I cannot say enough how much I dislike picture posts for different Causes telling me to “Like” to show support, etc.  If I like or I think my connections will like, you will know. I will repost, retweet, link – everything I can. It is my choice.

But if you share these posts, have you ever considered the ulterior motive for someone to develop a post that ASKS you to click ‘like’ and share, instead of letting it grow on its own…Not all are bad, but do you really think FB or anyone will actually give money or anything else for any shared picture post on FB or how many likes it has? Don’t you think legitimate people who want you to share would actually have a FB page or web page to ‘Like’ and share instead of an individual post guilting you into sharing with your friends? Or if a post was going to go viral, it will go viral without being asked, won’t it? If forced to go viral, is it really viral, after all?

Sharing or liking posts on any social media site should be your choice because you like it – for one reason or another, or even better, because you know your connections may like the information shared, not because someone told you too for whatever Cause they want to bring awareness to.  Did anyone have to tell you that sharing brings awareness?  Didn’t you know that?

If you want to be social, which by the way is what social media is all about, then you SHOULD share, not just what you like and find informative, but what your connections may find informative or interesting. No Cause should have to ask you too.

BUT can you say worm, hackers, scammer, virus, spammer….ever wonder where your spam email comes from? Did you miss the posts about how your email is attached to your FB page or Twitter handle? Your friends emails and handles are too! How many Twitter DMs have you gotten recently that were annoying spam messages asking you to click a link? It has gotten to the point, where any link I receive, I do not click on. Kind of kills the purpose of informing me of your very valuable information didn’t it?These spam posts and links have ruined it for the legitimate people, don’t you think?

Check out how many of these “Please click like and share” Cause picture posts you have posted, liked, shared (&/or how many your friends have). Now, do you ever wonder how many of your friends have received spam because you gave access to their information by posting one of these and they shared at “your” request?

Safe to say, if you post something and people like it, they will share it. No asking will be needed if you connected to the right people. If what you post is not shared, then it may not be the post, it could very well be the people you connected with. You may just have connected with the wrong people, especially if you find you are sharing their posts, and your posts sit idle.

And if you are on social media, and you don’t share those posts that your connections have shared that are interesting, thoughtful, insightful, or informative – then why are you on social media at all anyway?

The only way to fight spam and other unwanted intrusions, is to begin using social media correctly, and not giving those pests a way inside our computers.If you want to reach more people, post something interesting to your connections. And if you see something interesting – share it – but be careful if the post itself begs you to do so.
Happy networking!

 

 

 

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Do you know your FaceBook connections? Really?

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Since many of us use Facebook as a true social media networking device, for professional and personal business, I tend to allow friend requests when I notice that many of my other connections have the same “friend”.

 

I was not always this way.  I use to research the connections, see if there was some kind of mutual interest, potential business opportunity, now or  in the future, or information I could share with other connections.  I laid off my pickiness in acceptance.  I mean so often we read blogs about using networking sites as a way to connect with everyone.  Everyone has a potential value for your business, etc.

 

Apparently this is not unnoticed by the bad guys, spammers, scammers, and even those lonely hearts.

 

Recently I was asked to be a friend by a male who upon checking out his profile I noticed he had 33 shared friends.  All 33 were business connections.  I readily accepted and then went back to check out his profile further.  In my business, many of my referrals come through social media outlets, so I wanted to get a gander at what he was working on and see if there was anything I could offer, anything I could share, comment on, etc.

 

Well, after noticing that he did not have a complete profile posted, no job, no activities, no publications, no nothing I knew something was wrong.  I sent him a message and asked him what he does.  I asked him how he knew me and /or my connections.  Was he a writer, journalist, publisher, transcriptionist, student, parent of a disabled/special needs child, parent, green enthusiast – anything that would be of interest to me?

 

I realized that he had connected to one person and then went down the list of that person’s connections to connect with others, and others readily connected thinking the same thought I had – he knows so-and-so, it is okay.

 

I credit my suspiciousness to another connection who let all of her connections know about another scammer who wanted to sell diamonds to a friend of hers, constant chat requests, and then pow – the scam begins.  This guy, after responding to my request for more information, said that I was suggested by Facebook and that he was a lonely heart.  (I bet).  Of course I was suggested.  He already had 33 of my friends, and was now up to 36 after an hour of connecting.

 

I disconnected our friendship, posted a status update to alert others.

 

I know my connections.  If not personally or professionally, I know my connections know them.  I know their profile and what they do and what they are into, and before I connected with them, I checked past status updates to be certain they have commonalities with me.  I refrained from this “knowing step” on this individual and it could have been disastrous for any one of my connections, or me.  At the very least, it would have been an inconvenience I nor my connections needed.

From now on, I will go back to my usual steps in evaluating my connections and friend requests and be a bit more cautious and not just assume that because they are connected to a “friend” that we are a good social media network match.

 

Some people may feel as if having tons of connections is networking and valuable.  I feel like having connections that have something significant to offer, to share, and who possibly even want to share my information is priceless.

 

 

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