After spending countless hours on social media websites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Imeem, Plaxo (believe me, the list goes on and on), I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert in the field. Okay, maybe not an expert expert, but at least a novice expert if that makes sense. I not only use these sites for my own personal pleasure and interest, but I also help set them up and “farm” them for bands and companies. After working at this tediously for a few months, I can personally offer some tips for what is becoming an increasingly important way to get yourself “known” on the web. If you want to be somebody (and who doesn’t??), you need to have a Myspace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., profile. When a younger crowd goes to find out about a company or person, guaranteed one of the first places they’ll check is Facebook or MySpace. Google is still a possibility of course, but you’ll get extra traffic if you’re in the hot spots of the web.
Setting up these sites are simple enough- next to the log on button is always a question posed for the viewer, “Not a member? Sign up!” It’s that easy! After entering some standard information about your likes/dislikes and personal data, add a picture (one where you don’t have broccoli stuck in your teeth) and you’re ready to go! While nearly all social media sites are free to join, many do have a VIP upgrade feature (for a price, of course). This is not necessary, especially at the beginning. Wait until you see if a site is working for you before you put your green into it. Some other things to remember when gaining “friends” on the sites:
● Personalize, personalize, personalize! You do not want to be known as that creepy spammer trying to befriend everyone on the internet. One way of going about gaining massive amounts of friends without coming off as a “bot” (software that automatically adds friends) is to let your potential friends know your intentions. Be genuine! If you’re a singer and have a great song you think someone would enjoy, let them know. Nine times out of ten, they’ll accept your friend request and listen to your music. Also, if they write on your wall, Hey I like your music, THANK THEM. Manners go a long way in the real world, and the same works for the web! Commenting on other walls goes a long way, you’d be surprised. If you are an actual person working the site instead of a bot, people will recognize and respond in a positive manner. They’ll be interested to learn who you are.
● There is a time to be choosy. Sure it is nice when people ask you to be their friend, but there is a time to be choosy about the friends you accept and the groups that you join. At first, you don’t really want to be turning people down, but the time will come when you notice that JoeGreen has 25,0000 friends and loves Hard Rock. You play classical music. Check into the situation. Maybe Joe does have a genuine interest in your music, but chances are he’s a bot that is asking everyone for friends. The friends you accept reflect what your plans for social networking are to others. If you really want to find people who enjoy your music or company, but you accept all offers that come to your table, others could view you negatively. There are, however, some sites this is acceptable on, so just know your audience and your purpose.
●Patience is a virtue. It takes time to get friends, just like in real life. Sadly enough, you do not become top of the MySpace charts overnight. You have to work to earn your friends. Farming (the term I use which is basically updating, adding friends, and commenting on other’s profiles) is key to your success. You have to be patient in your endeavors. If you build it, they will come, but only after some time has passed. In the same way, you need to be patient in learning which sites work for you and which sites don’t. If a site isn’t working for you, let it go- there are TONS out there. Patience is key in learning the sites and making friends, thus gaining popularity in the world of web.
Overall, social media networking is a key marketing tool in today’s society and one that does not come easy. It takes practice just like anything else, but it will be crucial in gaining popularity on the web, as well as in “the real world” (although I argue there’s a thin line between the web and the real world today). It’s definitely worth trying, this “free” advertising is beneficial both to your company, and hey, you might just make a real friend or two out of it.