Social Networking Presentation Today

Clovis Chamber members got a valuable dose of information today about getting more out of Social Networking. I presented it as the December installation of our Seminar Series. We had a great time with 18 people attending. A few came back to the Chamber office afterward for a little trouble-shooting on their profiles.

Instead of step-by-step how-to's, I wanted to instill in them a sense of the possibilities with Social Networking.

Here are a few of the key points:

• It is a "people" thing, and not a "computer" thing.
• All the rules of good networking apply: create visibility through consistent participation, develop relationships based on what you have in-common, and give first.
• Focus your time and efforts on a few key Social Networking sites.
• Manage your time: keep your eye on the ROI or you'll waste time.
• Don't sign up and abandon your profile after one day; apply regular effort to see results.

What are the benefits of Social Networking?

• Visibility: for you and your company
• Search Engine Results: Google likes LinkedIn
• Targeting: key contacts within companies you want to reach
• Selling: product and services
• Finding: lost friends and customers
• Relating: to current customers

I recommend starting with www.LinkedIn.com, because of the well-developed Fresno community, and www.FaceBook.com. Especially consider using Facebook's Groups and Fan pages to promote your business. Search for "Clovis is a way of life" to see what I mean.