Social Networking 101 by Allie Herzog

With so many social networking sites out there, it can be a little overwhelming just knowing the difference between twitter and flickr! Some people are scarred to “expose” themselves online and other people just don’t know which sites to join and what information to include. As The New Media Director here at HJMT, as well as an avid social networker, I thought I could offer a quick primer on the different sites and where to begin if you’re a beginner!

Start simple, setup a Linked In account at www.linkedin.com. You only need to enter professional information, no fancy designs or pictures and it takes about 5 minutes to join. This will get your feet wet in the land of social networking if your not ready to tell the world what you ate for dinner and what you are watching on TV just yet…
Be open-minded…Facebook isn’t just for college students, Twitter is actually quite useful and professional, and people do want to read your personal blog and view your photos. Try it out and see for yourself the benefits that await you!

Divulging personal information is ok, even encouraged, but know where to draw the line. Pictures of you at work are great, pictures of you and your husband (or wife) are cool. Pictures of you doing inappropriate things —are not. Rule to live by—never post anything on line that you wouldn’t want your mother, brother, boyfriend, wife, boss, etc. to see.

Send a consistent message. Link up all your sites and microblog (send out short messages or “status updates” of 140 characters or less) using sites like Hello Txt and Friendfeed to send out constant and consistent messages. Brand your name/company by constantly posting concise and interesting information to the online world.

In my opinion, the three most useful sites are Linked In (www.linkedin.com), Twitter (www.twitter.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com). I visit these sites everyday and also use Friendfeed, Tumblr, and my personal Blogger account to share my RSS feeds from these accounts.

Enter as much information as you can and update the sites frequently to get the most out of them. People want to connect on a personal level, even it’s a business exchange. Search for people with similar interests or people in your field. Join groups and take part in online conversations. Let people see the real you, and utilize these sites for all they’re worth. You will be amazed at the network of people you will discover and the wealth of knowledge and opportunity that awaits you!