Photo cred: Nazly Ahmed
The one thing we all want when using social media is to have interactions. Whether it's your friends, co-workers or clients, the fastest way of reaching out to those you're interested in, is thru channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. Starting to use one or more social networks comes with an "issue" for a lot of users: How do I build up my network of connections faster ?
Regardless if you're a business or just a private user, your presence on the web is a must. Further more, your account(s) and the way you manage them become your social media visiting card. It's nice to know that your message reaches more than just your close friends, thus increasing your online visibility or that someone quoted your idea, thus building up your social reputation.
Here are some great tips on how to grow your network of connections:
1. Join the right networks
This might seem silly, but if you're looking to connect with professionals in your area of expertise, then LinkedIn is definitely a better choice than Facebook for example.
2. Join groups relevant to you
I know, this is at least as silly as the first one, but think about it for a second. What's the point of using social media if you're not interacting. The best way of doing it is joining groups and getting involved in discussions that interest you.
3. Be interesting
Believe it or not, but posting relevant and credible information is a HUGE incentive for someone to follow your tweets or add you to their professional network connections. You don't know when a new opportunity arises through one of your social connections. In using social media frequently you do become a brand which can be a personal or a company brand. In both cases people will "label" you as being someone worth spending their time following or just someone that doesn't have much to say.
