How to Social Network in Two easy Steps

Finding the social network that is right for you today is difficult because there are simply so many choices to be a simple decision. Some have more members, some have more active members, some are profession or trade specific and some are simply more fun. So how do you choose the one that is right for you?

Because there are all these different choices in the cyber world for social networking and equally as many choices in the ‘real’ world; for the sake of sanity, we will start off in the physical world.

There is one absolute necessity that applies to both online and off-line social networking and that is using respect and good manners towards others. People are still people and if you are disrespectful or discourteous to them they will ‘wipe you off’ their social list as a bad mannered cretin that they don’t want to be associated with.

After all, as my Grandmother kept telling us kids "You will be labelled by the company you keep"

Today we all use an online social networking site with a ‘handle’ so we need to protect it as best we can the same as we all try to protect our good name.

Step one:

The first step is to know what it is that you want a social network for. There are many different types of social networking both online and in the real world. Some networking needs include the two but not all of them. If you want a social network for personal reasons, like finding a dating site, that is going to need to be a very different site to a social networking group in your local business community.

Your local business community probably uses one of the online social networking sites more than another but if you don’t start networking in the real world with them you are not likely to find out this information or be accepted easily into their group if they don’t know who you are.

Step two: We have decided we want to network socially with other businesses in our community

This is a great way to start off any new business or to get an existing business better known. Socialising with your peers is not only good for business it can be one of the more pleasant aspects to owning your own business. Because it is also a pleasant part of being in business, too many small business owners tend not to do this when times are hard because some see it more as a trivial enjoyment rather than a business opportunity. Socialising with likeminded people is energising, reassuring and informative.

Once you have joined the local business community and become an active, caring and respected part of that community, you will be invited to share many social and community benefiting projects which often get organized through the use of online social networks.