Friday 1 July 2011

What type of social networker are you?

Social networking should be all about building relationships (I wish everyone understood that) with the commerce coming second. To be successful you cannot just shout about what you have to offer, you need to share knowledge and build trust - something that will not happen overnight.  It’s about people and the purpose, not just the tools.
You must be prepared to accept criticism in a positive way, ask how things can be improved, if you can’t do this then maybe social media is not for you.
Social media users come in a variety of forms, some are observers (about 90%) while others are activators. Which social media species are you and which do you want to attract?
Social sloth: Have nothing to do with social networking.
Media meerkat: Will read blogs, watch video, read reviews but not contribute.
Anxious antelope: Will join and maintain a profile of social networking sites. They will network with people that they know and have established relationships with offline.
Wallowing warthog: Will shout about themselves and not listen or engage in conversation with others. Have hit a brick wall and will struggle to progress without new strategies.
Participating parrot: Post ratings and reviews, and will comment on blogs and other peoples posts.
Busy bee: Will actively update their profiles and look for opportunities. They may need to be cautious not to update too regularly as this can discourage communications.
Engaging eagle: Will publish a blog, have a website, create video, write articles and looks to develop a wider network. They will look for people that they can help.
Regardless of which category you fall into, there is still a place in social media for you. You get out what you put in and you can always evolve for the better.