Social Networking: Is it worth it?

Divine Inspirations
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Social Networking: Is It Worth It?
by Melissa Albano

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Many of you are probably connected to Facebook to keep up with friends and family, may have a profile on LinkedIn to stay in touch
with colleagues, and may even have ventured into the Twitter space. However, you also may be wondering where the payoff is? Is
your time being invested wisely, and will your voice be heard through all the clutter? So,, to answer those questions, here are a few
reasons why you should stay in the online game, and tips on how to make the most of your time.

Supporting Evidence

1)There are currently 350 million people on Facebook, including 65 million accessing the site on mobile phones.1
2)The average Facebook user spends 55 minutes per day on the site, and becomes a fan of 2 pages (political, nonprofit, and/or
business) per month.1
3)There are currently 22 million active members on Twitter, posting 3 million messages per day.
4)Time spent on social networks represents more than 10% of all Internet time. 2
5)Activity on social networks continues to grow at a rapid pace, and is expanding rapidly into more mature markets.

Getting the Most out of Social Networking
1.Looking for a job?
a)Search “jobs” on Twitter, and connect to hundreds of firms in your industry that may be hiring. Many will link you directly to an
online application, and you can save the search for easy updating.
b)Post a resume on your LinkedIn profile for employers to find you easily, and search the job listing directory in your field.
2.Involved in a nonprofit?
a)Build a Facebook group page, or contribute to the organization's existing group if they have one by posting wall messages and
sharing the page with your network of friends.
b)Start a LinkedIn group for supporters, and invite your network of colleagues to join. Share blog posts, articles, and requests for
fundraising through the discussion page.
c)Setup a profile on Twitter for the organization, and use it to reach out to the community. Search for followers based on keywords
related to your cause, and invite them to help spread the word. Post links to published articles, blog posts, photo galleries, videos,
and fundraising pages.
3.Organizing an Event?
a)Setup an event listing on Facebook, and invite friends & colleagues from your network. This can easily be shared by attendees,
who can also post comments, RSVP online, and share with others.
b)If it's a work event, you can also set up an event listing on LinkedIn to invite colleagues, clients, and partners. Attendees can
RSVP online and help spread the word through their own networks.
c)On Twitter, create a hashtag ('#' followed by keyword) to share with your network. By posting regular messages, you'll generate
interest and excitement.

Tips for Making It Work
1.Start with a blog. You'll be able to create content here, and push it out to your networks through automated systems. I prefer
Wordpress.com for blog templates, they offer hundreds of tools to automate your posts.
2.Use directories like Twellow.com and Listorious.com to determine who to follow on Twitter.
3.Use a system such as Hootsuite.com or Ping.fm to manage your profiles. You will be able to reuse the same content in many
places without extra effort and manage all of your accounts easily from one location.

Overall, the best advice for beginning a social media campaign is to determine your strategy, create the content you want to share,
and start putting it out there. Whether your use is personal, professional, or charitable, you will see a return for your investment of
time.

Melissa Albano is the owner of Grapevine Consulting, a strategic marketing firm based in Manchester, NH. For more information,
visit their website at www.grapevinemktg.com or call 978-912-0477.
1 Source: Facebook.com
2 Source: Forrester: The Growth of Social Technology, 2008