Be a Good Friend in Social Networks

Posted by techgirl

Posted: April 12, 2009 - 9:00 am

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social networking is about "friends" and being "friendly"

The more we use social networks in our everyday messaging, the more we need to consider how we are using these new forms of communication. I've blogged about the need to establish your friending policy to better manage which friend offers you receive, accept or make. Here are a few more tips about making friends and not annoying people in the world of social networks.

1. Fill in Your Profile. Before you start inviting people to become your friend, make sure you fill in your profile so people know who you are, what you do, and why they might be interested in connecting with you.

2. Don't Auto-Invite. Many social networks prompt you to notify all of the contacts in your email address book that you've just signed up to MySpace or Twitter and the like, however, before you do this, make sure you have spent some time filling in your profile before using that auto-invite tool. You can always skip it and go back to it later (you'll usually find this under Add or Invite Friends).

3. Use a Photo. If you're on a social network, the key part of being social in an environment where face-to-face is not possible is to include your photograph. You may, however, have a good reason not to use a photo of yourself such as privacy issues. You could use a cartoon image or a photo of your pet and still convey "friendly" and "accessible." Some people use a photo of themselves from high school or grade school. Or if you are representing your company, a company logo can do the trick.

4. Link Out. If you have a web site with more background information about yourself or your company or organization, make sure there is a link on your social network account leading people there. You can use your social networking presence as a gateway to other sites to achieve goals, not the least of which is letting people know a little more about you.

5. Make Intros. A social network like LinkedIn is based around people connecting to one another through their mutual connections. But in general, any social networking site provides you with the ability to connect various friends and acquaintances together. Don't just wait for a request to do so - be a matchmaker of sorts and introduce others who you think might be good matches either personally or professionally. Of course, with any matchmaking, only choose people who you know and trust. If you've ever made referrals or introductions before, you know that your own reputation could be on the line.

The key to social networking - even in professional networks - is "social."

How do you make yourself more accessible and friendly in social networks?

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