Social networking sites aren't just for college kids anymore. As testament to that fact, the stat tracking site Inside Facebook cites that the fasting growing demographic of users to the site of that name is women over 55. More and more, sites like LinkedIn and Facebook are becoming efficient and powerful ways for professionals to network.
But if you're going to take the leap and start a LinkedIn profile, make sure you do it right. At raintoday.com, Jason Alba posted a list of 11 tips for getting the most out of social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook. I found his first tip to be the most important:
"If your profile isn't complete, I might not trust who you are when you reach out to me."
This highlights a common problem I see with many people's profiles on social networking sites. Signing up is only the beginning—if you're going to get any meaningful networking done, you need to both fill out your profile with information about yourself and customize it in ways that reflect who you are and what your business is all about. Only when people feel like they know you and what you're about will they take the effort to reach out to you.
What's more, a blank or incomplete profile reflects badly on you. It can send the message to potential contacts that you don't follow through on things or that you aren't organized. It goes without saying that this is not the kind of impression you want to leave with people.
So be careful when you use social networking sites. Dabbling on LinkedIn and Facebook may be fun, but only by making your profile a true representation of yourself and your business can you hope to attract the kind of contacts you seek and project your professionalism.
Once you've joined a social networking website like LinkedIn or Facebook, your work has only begun.
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