Angela's blog

When giving presentations or workshops, I ask the participants if they have a profile on LinkedIn and if so who has used LinkedIn to request an intro to a specific individual.    Most folks immediately joke that they have a profile but it is only 40 (or some number other than 100) percent complete.

I also ask participants if they have a profile on Facebook and if so, who has uploaded their organization’s contact list.  As you can see below, folks are likely to have a profile but are a) not using LinkedIn to strategically expand their network and b) not using Facebook professionally.

Chicago – Net Tuesday    DC – New America Fdn    Cbus – Ohio Small Biz Dev Ctrs
LinkedIn profile              70%                                  100%                                100%  

Request intro                 20%                                  13%                                   41%   

Facebook                      77%                                   53%                                  100%   

Uploaded org contacts  35%                                 37%                                    8%    

Social media is a conversation that can easily expand.  Social networking is a piece of social media.  Social networking develops relationships.  

Social media is another avenue for promoting a business or nonprofit.  An avenue that if integrated into an organization’s overall customer service/promotion/sales strategy can produce amazing results.  Folks who do not use social media or slightly use it often find the field overwhelming.  

Last week I launched Shiny Door with my first social networking presentation (Net Tuesday Chicago) and my first two social networking workshops (Community Media Workshop and New America Foundation).  One of the attendees asked if she must have a Facebook profile before creating a Group to promote her organization.  I am so ingrained in social networking, the issue had not occurred to me.  That was when I realized I need to include a discussion at the beginning of the workshops about the structure of social networking and the importance of the individual.

In order to promote a business or nonprofit online, one needs to first establish an individual presence online. Companies and nonprofits are often uncomfortable putting themselves out front. They are accustomed to promoting the organization itself.   We all know that organizations benefit from individuals networking offline, (this is why networking events are popular and why some folks even attend events at all).  Online networking very much relies upon the individual.  Organizations have an

Facebook was created for college students but it has become a social networking tool for developing both personal and professional relationships.  Unsure whether to use Facebook?  If you have a need to network offline then you should definitely be using Facebook.  Facebook enhances offline networking.

Benefits of Use:

1. Establish/deepen relationships with contacts.
2. Discover organizations and events to expand your network.
3. Promotion of your organization, your business, yourself.

Set up:

1. Go to www.facebook.com
2. Sign up for an account.  Create username and password.
3. PROFILE
   1. Fill in as much information as you are comfortable providing in your profile.  At a minimum include where you work and your hometown.
   2. Facebook is where you connect with your family, your friends and your colleagues.  If you do not want your friends to digitally mingle with your colleagues, consider creating 2 separate profiles.   Keep in mind, two profiles means double the work.
   3. More and more folks are using Facebook professionally.  If you choose to have one profile with your friends and colleagues mixed, post what you are comfortable telling your colleagues, keeping in mind that having your colleagues know more about your personal life will help to develop relationships.  For example, posting about a particular sports team can lead to conversations, ie relationship building, that may not otherwise have occurred.
      

Creating a business without funding means asking friends to help, learning how to do tasks that should really be outsourced and sleeping on friends' couches.  How have I managed to launch a company within 3 weeks?  The obvious, working my rear off, but also, relying upon my network.  Colleagues who have turned into friends.  And friends who want to see me succeed.  Folks who know I would do the same for them. A good deal of the help I received came by way of instant messenger, sending files back and forth and Facebook communications.

Within a 2 week time period, I:

LinkedIn recently added applications that can help you more fully utilize LinkedIn.  You can find Applications in the top left box of any LinkedIn page.  Kudos to LinkedIn for providing simple and clear instructions for each application.  Some of the apps in LinkedIn could be used in any social networking site.  The 3 that really integrate well with LinkedIn are Tripit, Slideshare and Bloglink.

Below are the 3 that have the most value for small/medium size orgs.