Social Networking – effective when “on & offline” work together.

When I speak with start-up entrepreneurs and at business groups I am always amazed that so many intelligent business people hold onto the illusion that, “If I build it, they will come.”

Don’t get me wrong here… the occasional lead can be generated by an excellent tweet or someone’s random search on Google, but I think (deep down) most of us realise these are happy, but infrequent events.

And that’s why I don’t believe that online social networking is a new way of promoting your goods/services – it’s just the old way facilitated by new technology.

If you are unprepared to share your knowledge, help people out and put your own ideas “out there” then you’re just wasting your own time. Selling has always been about reassuring people that you are the best course for resolving some, or all, of their business challenges.

So here’s the Top 11 from my perspective:

1. Focus hard on “who” you want to network with and “why”.
2. Establish where these people gather and get in there.
3. Be prepared to talk on the phone and meet too.
4. But don’t be scared to work globally and virtually either.
5. Remember, a purchase order is not a piece of paper – it’s a transfer of trust.
6. Be ready with additional information when asked, e.g. PDF brochures, testimonials, case studies, etc.
7. Have a LinkedIn or Plaxo account (or both) and use them.
8. Honour your followers, friends and recipients, i.e. succinct, useful information.
9. Keep “fun” networking (i.e. friends) and “business” networking separate wherever possible.
10. Look for complementary contacts where you can help one another generate sales or improve mutual propositions.
11. Be consistent.

All sounds like basic common sense doesn’t it? But I continually shock myself at how bad I am at actually doing it.

Animal types of Social Networking – The Results!

Here it is, thanks for all the input.

And the winner is (ta ta ta boom!) Terry Hall at Job Spot for her contribution “hummingbird”.

You can see her full description on her blog this week here

Feel free to blog this list on, tweet it, Facebook it or get it into the ether any way you see fit. I’ll wiki all of it too, so edit as you wish.

The idea is to get people using the animal descriptions to reflect their current moods/purposes or demonstrate their personality – for example sblatchley(bee). How ubiquitous can we make this if we all use our networks?

Generics and repeats have been omitted. Definitions have been made concise.

1. Owls – good sources for advice and wisdom.
2. Parrots – only pass on links or repeat what others say.
3. Rabbits – only purpose is to promote sex online.
4. Foxes – networkers with a hidden agenda.
5. Vultures – fly in for the kill when a mistake has been made.
6. Meercats – self-appointed police, they report abuse & online dangers.
7. Puppy Dogs – desperate for any kind of friends or online connections.
8. Hyenas – only in it for the laugh.
9. Wolves – we all know what they do – find them and report them.
10. Gorillas – those who indulge in cyber-bullying.
11. Elephants – individuals who remember where everything is online.
12. Tigers – always up for a fight or debate.
13. Bees – very communal, labours for others with a desire to share benefit.
14. Lynx – an individual who connects everything.
15. Panthers – (no definition given).
16. Otters – Swims in conversation. Jumps ashore. Observes. Jumps in again for more (the runner-up answer in the competition).
17. Hummingbirds – known for their quiet energy – natural pollinators, vibrant and resourceful whilst spending adequate time at each flower they visit.
18. Butterflies – start out as ugly caterpillars on legs and transform into a creature of graceful flight.
19. Aardvarks (no definition given).
20. Cheetahs – fast, targeted and agile, observes surroundings and then chases prey.
21. Sloths – hangs around, watching and eats leaves. They move slowly.
22. Octopus – puts tentacles around people they like, black inks the ones they don’t.
23. Flies – buzz in, talk crap and vomit on people.
24. Fleas – professional networkers looking for business people to bleed.
25. Kitty cats – social network on their terms, watch and playfully engage, then go back to sleep again. Occasionally engage in fights.
26. Pythons – want to gorge themselves on business, then disappear for weeks and reappear when hungry again.