How to SUCCESSFULLY participate in Social Networks.
By Jack Beddall
www.successvillenews.net
Disclaimer: This is the process I quickly go through when I am working on networking sites, where I have been very successful. I’m not saying everyone should do it my way, but this is what has worked for me. I have this checklist that I go through almost instantly on every comment, email, or page that I visit.
I start with the friend requests. The reason for this, is if someone left me a message and a friend request, I want to get the friend request first, so I don’t leave a non-appropriate comment back. I NEVER click on “accept all.” For each friend request, I visit their home page and leave a short message saying thanks for the invite. I then go back to the friend’s page, and click accept for that person.
I then go to comments on my page. If it is a comment made to me:
1. If it has anything but text, I delete it without reading it. I hate banners, cutesy graphics, and canned emails. I have already seen all the banners, and read all the canned emails, so I don’t need them. I think the cutesy graphics belong on a social networking site, not a business site.
2. If someone’s first contact with me is a business pitch, I delete it. If you had read my page, or knew me at all, you would know that I have more than enough going on now, and am not looking for more. Later, after we have communicated a few times, I am way more likely to see if what you have fits into my overall business plan.
3. If it has an inactive link (“Visit My Site NOW!!!) that doesn’t work, I assume you are just getting started with the Internet stuff, and you should probably be listening to me rather than me listening to you. I leave the message.
4. If it says something like “thanks,” or “how do I….?” I respond as quickly as I can. I answer ALL questions. I prefer to answer as a message rather than a comment, but will do either.
That gets me through my comments.
I then look at my inbox, in this way.
1. If it is a canned company written message, I delete it without reading it.
2. If I don’t really know you, and you give me a pitch, I delete it without reading any more of it.
3. If you respond to something I sent you with an unrelated pitch, I delete it without reading it.
4. If you have clicked “reply to all” to someone else’s message, sending YOUR message to THEIR friends, I delete it without reading it. If it happens consistently, I delete you as a friend, or block correspondence from you.
5. I look for messages that have a question in the subject. I answer all of them as best I can.
6. I read the other emails, and respond where appropriate.
That gets me through my emails.
I then go to each of the groups to which I belong, and scan for the latest activity. If it is a post newer than the last time I was there, I read it, and comment if appropriate. I do this for every group, and every discussion in the group.
I am now ready to look for friends and associates. I begin each day at the members page, starting with the newest member. Don’t underestimate the power of being the first to leave someone a welcome message. If they are still on the site their first time, it is even better. If they are on their first time on the site, and did not come with a bunch of friends already, it is better yet.
I visit the member’s page. Here are things I look for.
1. If there is no picture, I probably won’t end up doing business with them very soon. I understand that some people might not want to put their own picture there, but put SOMETHING there.
2. If the headline still says, “Bill’s page,” I know they haven’t been around networks very long, and could probably use some resources.
3. If there are multiple banners, etc. (I call them spam opps), I pass by them without reading any of them, leave my welcome and go to the next person.
4. If there are multiple videos, picture galleries, etc. there, I sometimes leave my comment, and sometimes don’t. I hate it when my computer takes minutes to load someone’s page.
5. I look at the website address. If it is “billsbusiness.com,” I give them more credibility than if it is thisisagreatbusiness.com/welcomepage/newuser/?id=bill. If it is the latter, I know they can use my help, if they ask for it. If it is the former, I read one line of how they describe it to decide if I am going to click or not.
6. If the page is hard to read because of conflicting colors and background pictures, I mentally check them off, but leave my message anyway, since I am there.
7. If they are not already my friend from another network, I click the friend request button, if they are someone I think I might work with.
**IMPORTANT NOTE*** If someone has left an extremely long introductory message (more than about 10 lines), an obviously hyped up one (“I am the Greatest, and make $2000 a day!!!!), or anything else that is not consistent with how you want to do business, delete it. Believe it or not, people also evaluate your page by what you leave on it. DON’T LET YOUR PAGE BE SOMEONE ELSE’S ADVERTISING VENUE.
That all takes between 1 and 5 seconds. I then click to paste my first message. I offer them something without pitching them. I happen to have the SuccessvilleNews.com site where I post people’s business links for free, so I use that. When I was just starting, my first thousand or so messages were, “Hi. I’m new. Wanna be friends?” That got me one of two responses: “I’m new too. Let’s learn together,” or “I can help you find your way around.” Both are beneficial.
I try to communicate once a week with all my friends on every network, without it being a blatant sales pitch. I started with “Did you learn anything new this week that I might be able to use in my business?” Now, I generally just ask if there is anything I can do to help them build their business.
, both of which do nothing but offer services. The two businesses I really work are growing fast enough that I struggle to keep up with them. If you really look at how I created this growth, I didn’t spend a penny on advertising, I didn’t join multiple businesses that were pitched as “multiple streams of income,” and I didn’t talk someone into doing something.
In the elementary school, one of the lessons is doing something duplicatable. What I have done, and continue to do on a daily basis, is duplicatable, except for one thing: it requires work. For those who really think there is a business that is “free,” and once you join it the money piles in without anyone ever doing any work, good luck. For those of you who aren’t afraid of work, what I can tell you is that these guidelines have produced great results for me.
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