
Over the past 12 months I’ve met many people who want to network online, but don’t know how to get started. Here is my eight step quick guide to getting started with online networking:
1. Write a profileWrite a short profile about yourself, making sure you include relevant keywords within the description. You can then use it as the basis for all your online profiles and biographies. Make sure to include your talents and experience as well as your job title and companies. 2. Get a photograph Find a good quality, but low resolution, professional head and shoulders photo. Use this on your profiles, so people can put a face to a name. It makes you more personable. 3. Get online
Fill out your profile for the online networking sites that you’ve joined and follow the sites’ suggestions to connect with people you may already know. For example, LinkedIn will go through your Microsoft Outlook and online address book to find people you already know on LinkedIn, and send them a request to connect. 5. Start a blog Start your own blog and write about a subject which showcases your credibility. Update your blog at least once a week. Use:
- The WordPress or Typepad application on LinkedIn to connect your blog to your LinkedIn profile
- Twitterfeed to connect your blog to your social networking status updates, eg Twitter and Facebook
- A status update relevant to the audience on the site. For example, keep your status updates on LinkedIn very professional; but light, personal and social on Facebook
- Help someone out on the site, for example, answering a question or connecting two people together
- Find up to five people to start a conversation with, whether this is commenting on a blog or chatting to someone on Twitter, answering a “LinkedIn question” or joining in a discussion on an online forum
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