The influence of social networking has changed our lives forever. We can communicate our ideas, feelings, events and so much more in an instant. We are surrounded by online social networking sites and platforms that we use to communicate with friends, family and colleagues.
The 2011 social media statistics are pretty astounding as noted in socialnomics.net.
Did you know:
1. Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30-years-old.
2. In 10 years over 40% of the Fortune 500 will no longer be here.
3. Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web.
4. Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.
5. 1 in 5 couples meet online; 3 in 5 gay couples meet online.
6. 1 in 5 divorces are blamed on Facebook.
7. 2009 US Department of Education study revealed that on average, online students out performed those receiving face-to- face instruction.
8. If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 3rd largest and 2x the size of the U.S. population.
9. 80% of companies use social media for recruitment; 95% of these using LinkedIn
Based on all of this information, ask yourself, how much do you want to communicate about your life on these social networking sites?
Mixing your business life with your personal life can be a huge challenge from many viewpoints. Here are a few things that you may not have considered when you entered the world of social networking and created your Facebook page, twitter account, LinkedIn account or one of so many more.
1. Keep your personal information personal. Ask yourself if your business contacts want to know about your family where you are having lunch or dinner or what movie you saw. Be careful what you post.
2. Post your photos on social media sites knowing your audience. If you want to project a professional image, then make sure that the photos you publish are ones that you want to be seen and would not be embarrassed if someone from your professional workplace had seen it.
3. Take advantage of the business tools that the social networking sites offer. For example, Facebook has a business only tool anyone can create. It is separate from your personal page, and is a better forum for more business oriented content. Once you have 25 fans, you can create a vanity URL.
4. Use Twitter to send out postings of articles you or your colleagues have written. Get to know who is following you on Twitter and be cognizant of what "tweets" you are putting out there. Remember that business and pleasure don't always mix.
5. Be mindful of the privacy practices of social media sites. When you put content on a social media site, know who can see it and what it takes to remove it.
All in all, social media is here to stay. It is used in almost every aspect of our lives. In addition to the social networking sites mentioned here, don't forget about sites like yelp.com where consumers can rate your business. These sites are getting more and more common so dealing with your customers who are not happy means that they now have a much more public forum to vent their complaints. Times are changing and from a business networking standpoint, it is critical to know that how you treat a client or customer may not stay between the two of you but may actually become very public.
In summary, social media influences every aspect of our lives.
Be mindful of how you use it and get educated on how it can serve you and how it can hurt you. My suggestion is to treat your social media sites carefully --- watching what you say as you never know where and how it will be repeated. I plan on following the advice my mother taught me years ago......if you can't say anything nice about somebody, don't say anything at all.....the advice she gave me that I don't plan on following and never have is...."don't talk to strangers" and of course... master the "f" word, follow-up. That way, I can be sure I will always be two minutes and two people away from my next referral.
Until next week, keep tweeting.
Rhonda L Sher: The Sloganator Rhonda L Sher was born talking. She fell in love with words as a child and has never stopped communicating since. Her father once commented that she was vaccinated with a phonograph needle. Not only has Rhonda inherited her father's humor, but it's that quick wit that has become the signature that has helped propel her clients to stardom.Acclaimed Keynote and workshop leader, Rhonda has authored two books, "The 2 Minute Networker" and "The ABC's of LinkedIn," "Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out" as well as numerous action guides, articles, workbooks, jingles and corporate slogans.
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