What is the etiquette for building your Biznik Network?

Hi Charrisse,

got your message and sent you an invitation to my network (before I saw this post). I also "introduced" you to Sandra Beck, president of Motherhood Incorporated using the "introduce to a friend" feature.

Those are two ways you can build networks and interact with people.

I've bookmarked people when I like their articles and want to follow up, and added people that I liked and wanted to have in my network so I can see their activity (you'll get a weekly report that includes the activity in your network).

Hope that helps!

Tia

Great question Charrisse. And I suspect it will generate an array of answers--none "right" or "wrong" ...

One of the premises of Biznik is that business is about relationships and for many of us, our Biznik networks are also built on relationships--personal and/or business.

In my network, except for a small handful of folks, I've developed a solid relationship with each person--I have a good sense of what kind of human being they are, and what kind of business person they are.

Some of these relationships have developed over a long time, through face-to-face interactions, and many of them have developed here in Biz Talk; as we Post and Comment on different topics a real sense of who someone is, starts to emerge.

No one is obliged to join a network just because they have been invited, and if you are inviting "strangers" to your network please do not take any particular meaning from having your invitations rejected.

Welcome.

Leila gives good info here. I'm not sure, Charrisse, if there is a mass consensus among Biznikers about the ettiquette of network joining.

I'm with Leila in that I choose to only have people in my network whom I feel I have a personal relationship with of some kind. In almost every case, this means I've met them and had at least one substantial conversation in person.

But that's me.

My suggestion (and this comes from experience of being approached often by strangers to join their networks) is to feel free to reach out to whomever interests you. But to offer some reason for initiating connection. You can do this through simple messaging in Biznik, or by paying a compliment to someone whose profile you admire.

But if you really want to join networks, then I suggest you give some reason for wanting to connect (rather than just sending the boilerplate text in the "Join Networks" feature)...something that gives the other person a reason to want to get to know you.

A personal touch, a genuine or helpful observation, or a valid compliment will take you far when reaching out.

Hi, Charisse,

I'm one who also tries to have folks in my network with whom I have some connection. That could be anything from an in-person meeting to an interesting dialogue on BizTalk or in the Learn section. I will tell you that I've received several network invitations from people who are clearly just trying to build their network with no other purpose than to have a gazillion people in theirs. Those invitations I turn down.

One suggestion I have for you is to attend some Biznik events. Ask for business cards from the folks you meet and have a connection with (a great conversation, something in common, etc.). Then go home and send them a request to add to your network, and instead of using the standard note that's in the box when you click "add to my network," use that as an opportunity to say something like this: "It was such a pleasure to meet you at McLeod's tonight. I really enjoyed our conversation about _. I'd love to add you to my network and hope to see you at another event soon!"

Welcome to Biznik!

Best,

Valerie

This is complicated. It's the area I'm still not real clear on myself.

I think it depends partly on whether you feel that you need to know people in your network well enough to be comfortable referring them to others for business transactions. And how do you know that before you send an "invitation to join my network" out?

Also, especially with online communities, that "meet in person first" rule may or may not work for everyone. For instance, I'm in Pierce County and can't get away for lots of coffee chats and events, although I try to make as many as I can.

What I wish is that each person had their "join my network" philosophy on their profile page.

Charrisse... It was a previous thread posing this same question a few months back that prompted me to write my one and only article which sums up my opinion on this subject.

I wrote about the value of a "connection" and how to respond when you get a "request for an on-line link."

I hope this helps form your opinion of what works best for you. Welcome to Biznik. ...Howard

Dan dear, are you listening? With Judy's comment above, that's at least two requests now for members' network philosophy to be a part of our profiles :-) I'd love to see it as a pop up when we go to invite someone to join our network, plus as a little written blurb on our individual network pages.

I don't know if it should be stock language, or individually written, but it would be cool to know someone's stance about their Biznik Network.

thx

We feel the best time to ask someone to join your network is AFTER you have had some sort of connection with them. E-mail, Event, BizTalk, Oysters, etc. If you are "pinged" by someone you do not know, and have no desire to meet, simply block them. If you are open to expanding your network, why not take a chance, accept them and have the option of blocking them later.

Feel free to add to your profile that you frown upon extending your network to those you don't know and perhaps they will bother you no further.

But what is the implication of having a person in your network? All I can see is that it is more convenient to click to their page from your page.

John

I'm not sure about "implications", but one use of networks is that if I am considering a relationship with someone whom I see is in the network of someone I know, I can ask that someone-I-know about their read on that other someone. And make a better informed decision about my new relationship. I've done this many times.

I use the network listings the same way as Leila and consider that one of the benefits of Biznik membership.

I try to be vigilant to only accept requests to connect on Biznik to the people that I "like and trust" and for that reason, limit it to those whom I've had some kind of meaningful interaction with.

For those that are in the "know" category that may someday become someone that I "like and trust", I use the bookmark feature to make a note to myself.

Maybe someday we will have a feature that we can "rate" our network connections with a designation of "know, like, trust". I think something like that would make the act of joining another's network more meaningful.

John... So as we can see, there can be implications to who you "join networks" with.

Just a thought. ...Howard

Dan, perhaps another way to use our Biznik network is a (probably difficult to code) way for us to email our whole network.

The function of being able to email all your network at once would make it useful. That's been requested and is in the works. (The next thing we'll want though is the ability to email to a select subset of out network...)

Otherwise, I know there was a lot of interest in having the Network feature - people with MySpace and FaceBook habits I guess. I couldn't figure out why then and I see no big advantage now.

I haven't restricted many people from joining mine and I haven't been too selective in joining others. There were a couple requests out of the blue that I did ignore; and some of my very favorite Biznik people are in my network.

Let us know more about your experience over time just for the fun of it Charrisse.