***Social Networking For Business: It’s Not About Numbers

As internet marketers transition to the fast changing world of social marketing, entrepreneurs are learning that hard-sell and relentless pressure aren’t welcome. The generation gap becomes a profit-crushing divide as “old-school” methods fail to fit in the sleek world of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In.

In the world of social networking, the hard sell approach is as welcome as “granny panties” in Victoria’s Secret. You certainly stand out when you take the old-school approach with social networking… but it’s not standing out in a good way. You stand out as being outdated and unable to navigate the streams of Web 2.0.

The primary difference you’ll encounter has to do with numbers, but not in the way you may think.

Numbers are crucial to traditional internet marketers, from opt-ins to web visitors to conversion rates. But with social networking the focus on quantity is not nearly as important as the focus on quality. When you focus on quality, you set up criteria that weigh the importance of each contact a little differently.

Here are some tips to consider when connecting with people via social networking sites. You are to use these criteria when building your contacts and investing your time into relationship building:

1. How is this person related to my target market? For example, is this a member of my target market or is she in front of my target market?

2. What do I have that would be of benefit to this person? What can I give (it’s not all about taking, remember!)

3. What is this person’s sphere of influence? Does this person have contacts that I’d like to get to know?

4. Where is this person heading professionally? Do we have similar destinations? Similar goals?

5. Where does this person hang around? Are there groups or sites she is most active on?

6. Do I feel a sense of synergy? Does this person seem “likeable”?

When you examine your internet marketing through a social networking lens, you may first want to resist as it goes against the traditional numbers approach. Numbers are still important, but more importantly are the habits and networks of your contacts.

One incredible contact could yield more business for you than 1000 mediocre misfits.

Take a look at your social networking criteria. Ask yourself if you are focusing on quality or quantity. How do you tell the difference? Use these questions to guide your efforts.