Lori--Like you, I'm trying to learn about social networking and what the benefits are. Last spring I took a course in blogging and set up my own blog about the writing life. (I set up a second blog on teaching at the community college level too, but realized that blog had some downsides--students can look up the blog and read what you are saying about the trials of teaching.)

As for the writing blog, I found I wasn't able to keep up because my work seemed to consume all my brain capacity. Yet, blogging was somewhat like social networking, in that people responded to the posts, much as they do here on Biznik.

Given today's economy, I believe that there will be value for me in social networking, but I'm not entirely sure what that value will be. I'm willing to give it a try.

One question for those who answer Lori's post, is there a downside to social networking? Is there a danger that current or potential clients might read what's written here (let's say about setting prices) and be turned off?

Dear Lori & Jennifer,

I'm a freelance graphic designer and wanted to add my comments. Just within the past few months I've started to explore the networking world, but I try to have structure in how I manage it.

For instance, I concluded that I cannot possibly be on all the sites that people rave about, so I picked the ones that seem to best suit myself AND my business... AND my time. One is more social, and one is more business (biznik). I limit the amount of time I spend each day on them, and use them for their intended purpose. Already I've been fortunate to acquire one smaller project, and have also met and am involved in a number of social events (through the "social" one).

As for blogs and posts, I think there is great value to them, but again... just be clear about how you will approach your writing, schedule your time to invest in your blog, and make sure to always approach it in a professional and friendly manner. Even if a blog gets messy and could potentially "put off" the more level-headed crowd, if you've done your part by maintaining good business and etiquette practices you'll always be known for the one who they enjoyed reading, or better yet, as the example of goodness. :)

Topics like pricing and such should be open for discussion to a point, but I would never reveal actual numbers. We can't control what other people will write, but we can always post in a manner that discreetly "saves" the subject for when we actually have prospects to whom to send proposals.

In a nutshell, networking - both social and business - is good. It's up to us to make something valuable out of it, and be a beacon of light as much as we can.

Lori, I have been casually (self) publishing my writing on the Web for over a decade now, and moved to a blog format several years ago.

When stacked against "social networking" forms such as Biznik and Twitter, blogging seems sedate, but I find it over and over again a surprisingly effective means of "networking". At Biznik events, there'll always be some-one (or more) person who makes a point of finding me, and commenting on having read my blog.

My blog posts make it easy for people to get a sense of who I am, and they open the doors for building relationships with new people--"relationships" of course being the foundation of networking in the 21st century.

Hello all. I am an owner of a graphic design studio and like most of you, I am starting to dabble in the social networking realm. Similar to Jill, I have narrowed down my social networking to one business site and one social site.

While I love Biznik for all the articles and information it provides, and will continue to use it as a business resource, I still have not obtained any work from it, even after a year.

I also have a facebook account, which, while much more social, has actually allowed me to have a more personal and relaxed relationship with a lot of my existing clients. I also use facebook to make announcements pertaining to my business, such as when I have a new blog post. I am also currently working on creating a facebook page for my business, so I am curious to see if that produces any results.

I, too, have started a blog this year, although I would love to hear anyone's advice or tips for how to drive traffic to a new blog.

-- http://kalicodesign.blogspot.com/

I think we are all still "homesteading" in the online social media frontier, although some have discovered and tapped into richer veins of opportunity than others, and maybe a little faster.

I've been exploring and building out my presence for about six months; it has certainly been worth the effort. I've been learning a lot along the way--almost as much about my self as about others--and I've enjoyed the opportunity to meet folks with similar (or delightfully contrasting) interests that I would otherwise never have encountered--including many that I have or will meet in person.

Briefly (should probably write a full article about this) here is the lay of the land as I've found it:

FACEBOOK is the community center--increasingly more like a Commons--for informally catching up with and updating folks I already know from multiple "lifetimes," including high school alums and extended family to current business colleagues and associates, and increasingly folks I've encountered in other online venues who I'd like to spend a little more time, but maybe not get caught up in extended discussions (that' for email or Starbucks!). This is the place for an informal exchange of information on family, friends, causes, and events.

My BLOG provides a public/private study, where I can leisurely share and archive (<-->

DRAT, I evidently discovered a limit. I'll go ahead and post the entire reply as an article.

Well, we know for sure Biznik is worth it!! I know that I only allow a little time each day for things like posts and comments and emails. I do spend a lot of time .face to face. Service clubs (like Kiwanis), networking group, and Chamber of Commerce as well as Biznik Events are where we meet. From there I try to connect. By that I mean connect you or your business with others or someone who might fill your need. I am not trying so much to sell people on what I have. More that I want to serve the existing clients so I am out there learning to serve. Social networks provide yet another great arena for me to learn

Hey Lori, I am new to this as well (6 hours) and feel that the more networking you do the better off you will be in the long run. (takes a while but pays off)

In fact, my entire business runs off of networking.

Here is an example: I am in pharmaceutical advertising and always need freelance writers. I am based in Morristown, NJ.

Let's talk. I am serious.

See, it's working already. Looking forward to speaking with you.

My client Shama Hyder recently wrote an in-depth ebook on Social Media: The Zen of Social Media Marketing.

You can check it out at this address: www.zenofsocialmedia.com

There's a lot of depth and it's cheap!

I just posted this on another thread, and I promise I'm not a huckster for Shama! But I talked to her at length today and am proud she put out such a good product.

Cheers, Robert

Hi Lori and others,

I think social networking is something which is more becoming more important to getting your presence in front of potential clients, etc. I think a downside is that it can be a real time sink.

I evaluate social networking sites in terms of what I'm trying to achieve and who I'm trying to reach, and most importantly, can I automate the process as much as possible, so I'm not spending all day on social networking sites.

Taylor Ellwood http://www.imagineyourreality.com

Taylor, what is your method for automating the process of social networking? I'm stuck in a very haphazard mode at the moment. Would love to hear some tips.

Hello Jennifer,

First I figure out which sites I need to be on and how much of a presence I want on them (i.e. how much time will I give them)

Biznik, for example gets about 15 to 20 minutes a day and not a minute more. I answer a couple questions on biztalk or ask one, read an article, comment on it, and/or set up an event.

Linkedin gets five minutes a day. I stop in long enough to update my status bar and answer a question or write a recommendation.

Besides limiting the amount of time on these sites, I also look for technology I can use to automate my presence. Twitter, for example, is useful because I can post an update on it and automatically update my facebook and plaxo accounts...Still looking into doing it for myspace.

I also only add a site when I see that lots of people are talking about it...then I know it'll be useful to be on and will add another layer of contact between myself and my comments.

Please feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

Taylor Ellwood http://www.imagineyourreality.com

Lori,

Since you're a writer and writing is so important to business, I can't think of a better social networking activity than writing articles and posting them on Biznik. I'm trying to find time to write one article a week or edit and post one I wrote before. Doesn't take a lot of time and results in a lot of positive connections.

You also get to show off your writing skills. How perfect is that?

Cheers,

Robert

I use social networking sites primarily to connect with clients, business contacts, people I meet at face-to-face networking events and people who send me inquiries. I do not cold call on social networking sites or seek out my target market and try to connect with them. Instead I use social networking sites to create top of mind awareness and build stronger relationships with people I already know.

On LinkedIn: I provide useful info in my status updates or discreetly talk about a project I'm working on. I also post event notices for the workshops I do and comment in groups. I sometimes thank a connection for a referral in my status update thereby giving them recognition and visibility.

On Facebook: I post a lot of the same type of info that I post on LinkedIn but I don't bother with Facebook groups...they are a mess! I comment on things that my "friends" have posted and sometimes ask them questions in the news feed. I mention a friends business or industry casually to give them more visibility.

By consistently providing useful information & links to resources, I have gained new clients in all aspects of my business.

I spend most of my time on LinkedIn, Facebook and my blog. When I post a blog it automatically imports into about 6-7 other sites including Biznik. And I use ping.fm if I want to post a status update to multiple sites at once.

I believe social networking for business will only become more important in the future...it will not go away. Develop your plan now, be consistent on a few sites and provide useful information pertaining to your industry...and you will be way ahead of the pack!

Happy networking online & off!

Social Networking & Internet Marketing Blog

Hi Lori,

Social networking absolutely does work for me. I have a very focused strategy—I blog on the topic of branding for the fashion biz, and use twitter and Linked In to network and to promote my blog. I have made some very valuable connections and have a laser-like focus on my target market. I would say it's absolutely worth it to use social networking.

I spent a good chunk of time getting my blog up and running initially (had bunches of content ready at launch so the blog looked meaty) but now I blog every other week or less. But when I actually do blog, it's short and sweet and easy to belt out.

Hi Lori and everyone else :)

As a social media consultant I know that social media can provide great benefits to yourself and your business, but it can definitely be a bit overwhelming to get started. As a couple of people touched on, its all about defining your target audience and picking a few social networks that will work best for you.

I would be happy to help you further define your goals and figure out which social media tools and networks would work best for you.

I would agree that you definitely need a blog and Twitter as well as submitting your posts to social media bookmarking sites. I would recommend checking out Mashable.com which is a great social media news site (with lots of how-to articles).

Good Luck! Please feel free to send me a message if you would like more customized advice.

Hi Lori, I've been playing with social networking for more than a year, and am convinced it has value. I've landed new clients, speakers for my teleseminar series, and speaking gigs. Plus I've met some really neat people.

As many of the folks here have already said, it's important to have goals and a plan to reach them. If you try to participate in every social network under the sun you'll never get any work done. Pick and choose the ones that make sense for you and your business.

That said, I believe there are two more important factors to consider...

1 - Much like in-person networking, those who show up regularly and stay focused on helping others reap the greatest rewards. Remember, people do business with people they know, like and trust. So think of social networks as wonderful places to share your expertise and get to know new people. New business will flow naturally from that. If all you do is put up a profile and connect to people you can't expect new clients to come rolling in the door.

2 - Social networking needs to be part of a larger strategy. It's not enough to just put up some profile info. You need to connect all your online efforts with one goal in mind. So if you want more visitors to your blog, you can post articles on it with tags; Twitter about the article with a link back to your blog; Digg or Stumble your article, etc.

Then, if you want to build an email list from there, you might have a link to a free offer or downloadable on your blog. You can even link to it at the bottom of your blog article. Or send them to your main Website for more info. This way you can stay in touch with the folks who are clearly interested in what you have to say. Make sense?

A few resources for making it all less time consuming include: www.hellotxt.com (microblogging aggregator) and TweetLater (for managing Twitter tweets and follows).

Hope this helps. Dive in...The water's fine! Best, Stacy

Thanks for posing the question, Lori. I really appreciate the posts, particularly on how to manage the time social networking can take. It's hard for me to spend more time at the computer than I "need" to- clearly I need to do this more. Great advice on all fronts, Stacy, and to others about setting a time limit and deciding which sites are most amenable to your goals. I'm still on the fence about Twitter- obviously I haven't spent enough time there to find the business value...

Hallo.

I use online professional networking in a limited way, so that I can keep up, manage the inflow of information, and focus on what is productive and constructive for me.

I work with LinkedIn for professional connections and an occasionally updated online profile. I check with BizNik once in awhile for the great info I learn here from all of your. I have an online design portfolio (www.studiobast.com) for coordinating my samples. Finally, I visit in person and virtually with members of Meetup groups I occasionally attend in the design and marketing field.

Social networking is slowly beginning working for me. I see benefits in term of partnership with Biznik. I use LinkedIn only to publish articles on specialized forums. It takes time to make profitable professional connections.