Social Networking Co-Authored Series: 10 Reasons Why Your Online Networking May Not Be Working

Penny Power, co-founder of Ecademy, author and visionary and Andrew Ballenthin, founder of the Community Marketing Blog and President of Sol Solutions an Integrated Marketing Consultancy have teamed up for a series of articles under the theme of "Dialogue From The Head And The Heart on Social Networking".

Previous co-authored articles:
Article 1 - From Broadcast To Conversation
Article 2 - Creating A Brand Through Social Media Without Selling

Article: 10 Reasons Why Your Online Networking May Not Be Working

In this weeks article we are looking at why some people are not yet experiencing success with their social networking activity, Behind all these reasons why your networking may not be working, the most important underlying aspect of what you do must be patience, tenacity and an awareness that this is a new world for all and not everyone ‘get’s it’, but they will and you need to be one of the people who does, and the earlier the better.


Part 1: Dialogue From The Heart, By Penny Power

1. Attitude - What is the attitude you bring to your social networking? Is it the same as the marketing and sales attitudes you had on the past? Targeted, functional, practical and clinical. Do you ask yourself, ‘if I do this now, I will see a return soon?’. The first thing to establish is that this century is very different than the last. People are changing from being Closed, Selective and Controlling to being Open, Randomly embracing people and Supportive in their actions, deeds and motives. This is a very tough chasm to cross as it relies on you, the person who wants to achieve greater sales, having the faith that by having conversations with people these conversations may lead to something good, but maybe not always for you, perhaps for the others person first. It takes belief, faith ad patience to begin with.

2. Broadcasting - One of the most obvious mistakes that anyone new to Social Networking makes is that they stay in Broadcast mode. Their Blogs, while they may be interesting they make the mistake of making it all about them and their business. Their messages to other members are full of requests and their needs and wants, not creating conversation or dialogue, they purely make statements, that once read, (if read), are deposited in the delete, no action needed file of poor networking.

Social Networks are so called because they are SOCIAL, they are for making friends, for being friendly. Like sitting in a bar and sharing a drink with a stranger, conversations should be open, random and not targeted at financial gain, once a rapport is established; there will be plenty of business opportunities for all.

3. Clarity - When I receive messages from people I always read their profiles before replying but often it is very tough to understand what people are wanting to achieve and who they are. I think the starting point of your social networking journey needs to be based on honesty and clarity. If you are in a muddle, then say you are in a muddle! If you are discovering a new you or building a new business then say that. Attracting the right people at the right time to help you with the right resources cannot be achieved if you don’t know or don’t communicate what it is you want to achieve for yourself or for others. If you are brilliant at helping people through specific aspects of their business or lives, then state that. Make it easy for people to understand and help you to be successful when they read about you. I see life as a climb up a mountain and we need different Sherpa’s to help us on the way. If you already say you have reached the top, no one will need to help you.

4. Trust - 'What are others saying about you in the community?’, this is critical for gaining trust, without trust it is very hard to gain momentum, to have advocates or build your business. Broadcasting your own skills and brilliance will not gain trust; on the other hand, if you have friends that are saying good things about you, then trust becomes implicit.

I look at comments on Blogs inside Ecademy to see who is contributing and helping others, I look at Testimonials to see who is being talked about. I look at who is Blogging and unconditionally sharing knowledge, I notice who is being talked about. I am no different to any Social Networker, I want to be connected to the ‘good guys’ the ones who are part of the community, the ones who are well connected. By association with their knowledge and their network I trust them that little bit more than I would a complete stranger who just sends me a message and broadcasts what they do. Social Networking is about WHO you are not WHAT you are.

5. Friendship - Are you a friend? Do you have friends. Social Networking works at its best when you are a friend to many and many want you as their friend. On Ecademy, how many times do you appear in other people’s Spotlight? These people are in my Spotlight , they are my friends http://www.ecademy.com/account.php?op=favs_thumbs&uid=1001, I also note that I am in 160 people’s Spotlights. These are the people I want to follow, want to learn from, want to support and I am proud to know. Have you created your list of special people that you ‘bump’ into?

6. Quantity and Quality and Direction - Finally, you need to get the balance of doing enough - achieve Quantity. You need to be seen as knowledgeable and caring, reflecting the Quality aspect of you, and also consider the direction of your effort, make sure that the audience you are talking to and blogging to are relevant to you, build your network because you add value to one another. If you have a complete scatter gun approach across the web you will be in danger of sending out mixed messages and no one will know what you stand for, care about and contribute. Conversations need to reflect you and what you can contribute and if you are being real, open and supportive to others this will shine through.

As I stated at the beginning, this is a new world and it does require a leap of faith and some tolerance, don’t be put off by the fact not everyone is living by the expectations we have set in this Social world, but lead others by your example and find those that you like, trust and can become a friend to. It takes a few great experiences, many are serendipitous in their creation and then you will see that this is the most amazing business tool for the 21st century business.


Part 2: Dialogue From The Head, By Andrew Ballenthin

7. Bad Breath - We can appear to have bad breath, a poor dress style, a lack of charm and positive attitude by the nature of the words we use. Usually this shows up in form of pushy advertising about webinars, sales messages, overly direct messages about how the business offer can fix “all your money woes”. The remedy for the need to drive immediate sales can be found by understanding that without social network and rapport you’re simply looking bad in public. While social media enables a highly visible and free communication vehicle, in the short term this is the least effective way to get new business. Use other marketing strategies meant for selling directly and use social media for charming your future customer with minty fresh breath and great charisma.

8. “All About Me” Attitude - There is a HUGE shift occurring in the marketing world which will in the coming years mesh with traditional advertising principles. Once upon a time (and still now) the more you could say great things about your brand, your products, your prices, customer service, etc the more you stand apart from the competition. BUT CHANGE IS HERE as businesses catch-up and realize the more you help your clients and potential clients solve a wider array of THEIR problems the more loyalty and public good will you build. In time we’ll see marketing books and seminars on “IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU” social media and advertising. Businesses that get this now are well positioned to own the future.

9. We’re ‘Just Not That Into You’ - If your audience is consistently showing a lack of interest in your message over a minimum of 90 days in the beginning it’s likely to be one of two things. 1) Either you haven’t distinguished yourself as having an unselfish position and being a true community member, or  2) You’re to busy focusing on promoting, push messaging, and expecting direct sales results for your efforts, etc. Offline you may find instant chemistry and connect to a new contact and do business within weeks or months of a first meeting, but what about the other 99.9% of people? It’s the same online, the great invisible masses are watching and determining if you’re trustworthy, have true value, and plan to stick around. If after 90 days your steady social networking efforts aren’t resulting in connections, change your behaviour and spend more time being interested in others like a great networker and you may be surprised how many become interested in what you have to say.

10. Have You Show That You Listened? - While generating content, commenting in discussions and blogs are great ways to stay active and build a reputation, consider that what you hear/read in response to your content is equal or more valuable then what you have to say. Dale Carnegie in his book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People” speaks to the fastest way to build trust is demonstrate a sincere interest in those around us by talking about topic of interest to them. If you get comments on a blog you post take those comments, turn them into quotes and do a second blog advancing the conversation topic. If you participate in group discussions, respond to other commenter’s ideas, not just the author’s. By being a good listener you’ll quickly be distinguished as genuine and trustworthy which are the forerunners of social networking that turns into real cash transactions for your efforts.

Comments

[De-ann Black]

Andrew - excellent article full of good advice. Thanks for sharing this. Very helpful.

All best,
De-ann Black, LinkedIn. Author, scriptwriter, journalist.

[Katy]

wonderful article, stuff to put into action, i love the #2, broadcasting, that is something that i need to work on, glad to see it here and that i was heading in the right direction in getting away from broadcasting. thanks for sharing all this
-Katy, South paw studios

[Tracey Fieber]

Online or offline, as in life, relationships are the key.

When I post in online forums, I look to help others out with their retirement transition. That's what builds relationships. A sales program we implemented when I was still in corporate had the tagline, "selling is helping". It reinforced that when you help people, sales grow. Ours catapulted, even in this economy.

Tracey Fieber

[Andrew Ballenthin]

In my opinion it's not the quantity of contacts you have it's the quality of the contacts. What good is someone in your network if you never actually reach out to that person on a one to one, just on the saying hi how are you, basis. The point of networking is to create relationships that last. Like any relationship that can be taken for granted, it's important to remember what the real goal is. The network should be established as a foundation to support you through life, regardless the career/life/love path. It's not one you should ignore or someday call on to sell something or ask for a job and then ignore again. I see lines getting a bit blurred in some instances, I'm not saying it's not working, clearly it works. you alone have 4000+ I'm simply saying that if they are not cultivated relationships they are just pictures on your page that may or may not answer when you call.

Kathleen O'Leary Fitzgerald, LinkedIn On Start-up Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Thank you so much Andrew for sharing such an interesting piece on social networking which is definitely worth sharing. I cannot help but agreeing with Quantity and Quality and Direction part, I feel that is most important for any social media sites.

Web Analytics and E-commerce Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Hi Andrew,

I have gone through this article and its really excellent and helpful for Online networking. Apart from the 10 reasons which has been mentioned in that article I would like to mention that we need to constantly monitor the Internet on what is being said about our company. It could be good, bad or outright ugly. And what you need to be concerned about is the bad and the ugly. Here’s what could be done:

• Reach out: Make an effort to communicate with the dissatisfied customer. Do some damage control. An offer to make good the bad is usually well-received.

• Make your presence felt: Circulate positive content about your company on the web. This dissuades any negative comments or posts that might crop up in the future.

Seetha Lakshmi, LinkedIn Marketing, Web Analytics and E-commerce Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Andrew- thanks to you and Penny for sharing your insightful thoughts. A great post! It certainly takes leap of faith to change your marketing style, as Penny noted in point 1. However, I believe that there has been a profound change attitude, that continues to trickle down. Thanks,

Jess Joss, LinkedIn Toronto Digital Marketing Professionals

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Good article, good advice. Anymore, it's relationships that create business.

Taylor Ellwood, LinkedIn Social Media Marketing Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

This article offers lots of great advice. One area where I struggle is the perception of taking a "scatter gun approach." Anyone who visits my blog can see why I might appear to be "all over the map": because I work with clients in a variety of industries. I worry a bit about how that comes across on Twitter, in particular. I don't want to have multiple Twitter accounts, but I don't want to confuse my followers when I'm RTing or posting information that might seem irrelevant to them.

Any suggestions?
Debi Davis, LinkedIn Social Media Marketing Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

How are you measuring payback? Relationships with social media take longer to build. Expectations it seems to me should be adjusted accordingly and the real metrics will take longer to unfold. For example, engagement -- recognized as a very important measure - is evolving in terms of metrics. Also -- what kind of offline marketing are you referring to? Paying for a conference and measuring it by the business you bring in? A trade show and leads? Going to a local networking event?

Anita Baker, LinkedIn Social Media Marketing Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

(sorry if my english could be not so good) the most difficult thing is to keep your "native voice" (if you fake, they figure it out), but also to change the language in a smarter and easier way, because of media. not so easy, indeed.

Aurora Ghini, LinkedIn Social Media Marketing Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

You nailed it with your comment about people new to the idea get stuck on just broadcasting all about themselves. It is a challange finding your "voice," but at the same time it can lead to much more meaningful communication with your customer base. The experience becomes memorable.

Jennifer Hoy, LinkedIn Social Media Marketing

[Andrew Ballenthin]

The really tough problem with online networking is the speed that Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter etc. are currently growing and mutating. An example is how some followers loose interest in networking after less than 5 months. Habituation already cripples the application of many social network campaigns. But some experts, consultants and agencies lack the applied mathematical and statistical knowledge to figure this out. As a result actual ROI results are often dismal.

Online networks are a science. They follow the same statistical formula as flu pandemics, computer virus propagation and maybe even cancer. There is no art to networking. No creative design in 140 character tweets. Some try to apply the Pareto principle (80/20 rule) to building their online network. Few appear to grasp ‘small world theory’ and the ‘six degrees of separation’.

I have just completed an extensive study of ‘online networking nodes’ (also known as ‘key connected individuals’) and in my humble opinion the inmates may be currently running the social media asylum!

So be careful what you wish for in the news section.

Warren Denby, LinkedIn Marketing Communication Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Online/Social Networking worked for me back in 1996. I learned to design and develop websites through an online women's networking group. I was at this time a work at home mom and the connection with other work at home moms was beneficial. I never stopped I am new to LinkedIn but not new to social networking. The hardest part to overcome for me is not know the face I am contacting, being unsure if they are a real person or a fake. Jennifer is correct on face time I have never landed a job without meeting the client in person.

Laura Karol-Chik, LinkedIn Marketing Communication Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

In my opinion, on-line networking is only one part of the sales process. It helps expedite the introduction, allows you to somewhat research and vet the organization/person you may potentially be doing business with - as a partner, customer, consultant, etc. For your larger dollar sales, I believe there needs to be some "face time". On-line marketing helps you accelerate the meet and greet process but it does not & will never replace it.

JenniFer SchauS, LinkedIn Marketing Communication

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Thanks so much Andrew for sharing this very eye-opening article. Yes, it can be very frustrating if social networking isn't doing just that - working.

I would like to know what you think about using a business logo instead of a personal photo? What message does this give to others in the network? What do they think?

Thanks for your time to share this information with us.

Raymond Bevilacqua, LinkedIn eMarketing Association Network

[Andrew Ballenthin]

My mentor used to say business is about relationships and I think this is even more relevant when it comes to social networking. Fellow networkers will work with and do business with people that they know and trust.

Steve Petzer, LinkedIn eMarketing Association Network

[Andrew Ballenthin]

In order to make my online networking successful, I have found that you cannot focus on selling. When you just try to push your product or service, you only come across as the pushy online-version of a telemarketer. You have to engage, this is the key. Engage your audience in discussions that are interesting to customers and to you. When you do this, people will look to find out more about you.

Brenna Comacchio, LinkedIn eMarketing Association Network

[Andrew Ballenthin]

So. One customer told me yesterday on Twitter, "I block all sales stuff but hey presto you solved my problem. Like any marketing guess if it's directed at the right person..." I found him by searching on a topic that he was also interested in. He was looking for something that might be hard to find the way he described so I sent a link. Presto!

Wasn't really looking to sell anything. : -) We've been noticing that overall, people have been receptive to some solution ideas from a "brand" although I still struggle if they need to see more of a face or name to a brand, like @richardatdell. Does that make it friendlier? Hope I didn't sound fake to the guy afterwards, really do want to visit that part of England some day...I'll have to watch that. THANKs. Interesting read.

Michelle Judd, LinkedIn eMarketing Association Network

[Andrew Ballenthin]

Online networking doesn't work for people that use it only for their own personal gain. There is so much spam out there, as people constantly and continuously promote their business opportunity, without having built a relationship first. It's like meeting someone for the first time and saying, "Hi, wanna get married?" Relationships, whether in person or online take time to develop and nurture. If online networkers take the time to find out about the people they are networking with, find out what they want, and THEN determine if this person would even be a good fit to promote their business too, they would be much more successful. It's not any different than meeting people in person.

I have found that adding value is key. Sharing articles, or useful sites, hints & tips, or even just motivational quotes helps introduce who you are and what your values are. People online will be attracted to you as they perceive you to be a person of value and they may want to learn more about you. For those people that use every other "tweet" for example as a "check out my website," "buy my product." "join my opportunity," etc. they are doing more damage to their online reputation than they think they are. As Zig Ziglar is so fond of saying, "You can get anything you want in life, as long as you help enough people get what they want." Think about serving first, yourself second. Your online efforts will prosper!

Have fun,
Lisa Ryan, LinkedIn Facebook Group

[Andrew Ballenthin]

The thing which rings true in these times is to see forums like LI as knowledge sharing and gaining platforms. Over a period of time the other benefits of being an active community member will pour in

Very nice article. Keep sharing such things

Cheers
Jiveshdeep Singh Sandhu - LinkedIn Executive Group

[Jeffrey Veffer]

I agree with many of the points raised and additionally in my work with large brands find that one of the greatest challenges to overcome is culture within the organization.

Most traditional companies are set up as, if not exact pyramids, hierarchies where certain employees push out materials and stay "on message" according to scripts that have been approved. With the coming changes in how brands and customers interact, a greater level of transparency and trust has to be built into the organizational structure.

Is this change going to happen overnight? Of course not, but like it or not, it will be hard for companies to resist once new (or even existing) customers and employees start spreading these new perspectives at the grassroots.

Jeffrey Veffer
Brandsential
www.brandsential.com
"Bringing companies closer to customers"

[Sally & Ernie]

Thanks for taking the time to express your experience regarding the best use of this new tool. We have only recently (within the last week!) begun to use this method to interact with others.

It is the promise that we can develop a meaningful and profitable relationships with people we would not meet any other way that attracts us all.

You gave us food for thought.

[Debi Davis]

This article offers lots of great advice. One area where I struggle is the perception of taking a "scatter gun approach." Anyone who visits my blog can see why I'm "all over the map"; because I work with clients in a variety of industries. I worry a bit about how that comes across on Twitter. I don't want to have multiple Twitter accounts, but I don't want to confuse my followers when I'm RTing or posting information that might seem irrelevant to them.

In response to Clark's comment, above: WHO you are is more about your intentions, interests, and insights. WHAT you are is a job title. This, anyway, is my interpretation. I.e., your followers would much rather know WHO you are.

Debi Davis

[Pete Graham]

Interesting article, I think people are also wary of people selling things to them (especially when they are trying to be their friend too)
Social networking isn't the same as going shopping.
I agree the trick is make people aware you have a quality product while keeping them interested in you and vice versa.
'Dropping your product' into the conversation is difficult to do without people seeing the flashing warning signs!

[Clark Palmer]

This is a great article for all of us who are trying to get the hang of networking on this Web site and other social networking Web sites. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I wish I could impart some knowledge to you on this subject but I'm still feeling my way around.

There's one part of the article that I don't really understand. The last sentence in number 4 reads, "Social Networking is about WHO you are not WHAT you are." I'm not the most intuitive person and I have a lot of trouble interpreting statements like these. If anybody has any thoughts on this I'd love to hear it.

I'm definitely going to implement the strategies in this article.

[Lance]

Many people in social networking forget that it's not all about them. It's about getting to know others and seeing what's going on in their lives. In turn, the same will happen with you. Others will see your activity and curiously check out a link on your page or spend that extra minute reading about you that may have never happened if you were all about yourself.

[Bill FitzGerald]

This article is very helpful to me. Finding you're right online voice should be an ongoing process. True to Rachel's point, the speed, complexity and reach of the internet are terrifying for many of the most media / pr savvy people I know. You have to be open to continually inspect your own activity for misleading or inconsistent messages... especially if you have current relationships you need to maintain. It all comes back to the adage of getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar, and finding the best way to admit you've made an error without looking like you're just trying to cover your tracks. Self evaluation and constant improvement is a must if you're going to find and keep your true online voice.

[Kim]

=) Okay, I just realized that Rachel didn't submit the article.... LOL! Thanks Andrew for the great suggestions. (I'm going to get another cup of coffee.)

Cheers!
Kim

[Kim]

Rachel, thanks for bringing these suggestions to the table. For the most part, we know this, but sometimes being reminded of what to and not to do is key.

Cheers!
Kim

[Pinto Philip]

Social Networking is also a medium where we should also pay close attention to our existing customers , on how the product is working for them , are they facing any problems , how could we improve the product even more.sometimes we just look at getting more new customers that we forget how social media can help our existing customer base who in turn can refer this to their partners\sister concerns.

[Arbor Virtual Services]

I think the problem with social networking is that whilst successful people are quite happy to just network and let the work come to them, those who are less organised, successful or even just confused, find this type of networking very difficult as it can appear duplicitous.

For instance it is very common for those who understand what social networking is all about, in order to sell the concept often say look at all these contacts, not only do I have friends, but I have made a whole bunch of business contacts with whom I work regularly.

Patience is not something that many people appreciate and therefore wish to invest time. They do not see that just talking on the net will produce results as quickly as they need or would like.

I think there is a very definite need to be clear about what social networking is about, as opposed to business networking, which has a different concept and is much clearer if not more irritating about its aims.

Rachel Brett
Arbor Virtual Services
www.arborvirtualservices.co.uk