Social networking for the not-so-social

By J.D. Hughes

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Wondering whether a social network is worth your time and trouble? Thinking you might be able to use it to keep in touch with business contacts, but are afraid it just might be a huge time sink? Social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn offer many opportunities for businesspeople -- but it's wise to do a little groundwork before logging in. (Digital Landing's An Introduction to Social Networks might also be helpful.)

Industry observers predicted -- incorrectly -- that last year would see large gains in the businesspeople user segment. While they are catching on, their growth among adults and, in particular, business users, has not yet exploded. Adoption has been slower than expected, according to the results of Pew Internet & American Life Project's December 2008 tracking survey.

That's not to say there has been no growth; the opposite is true. The number of U.S. adult Internet users who have a profile on an online social network site has increased by four times during the past three years. One-third of that population has a profile on sites such as MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn. However, that figure pales in comparison to the 65 percent of teenagers who use social networks.

By setting up your social networks methodically, you can get the most out of them for business as well as pleasure. In general, LinkedIn is considered the most business-like of all the sites, but the interaction on that site is more limited than on the other two. You might join all three, investigate each and then decide to stick with the one best suited to your personality. Your time is money, so efficient use of social networks will help you increase productivity and improve your time efficiency.

• Create separate profiles: Set up different pages tailored to various purposes: One account for personal messaging, another for professional, a third for special hobbies or interests. That keeps business contacts from learning you are part of the "24 Fan Group." (Unless you choose otherwise.)
• Set a schedule: Understand these sites can suck away time like a black hole. It’s tempting to search for everyone you went to high school with –- whether to reconnect or to brag. Set a routine to check in and stick to it. This way your page will be updated regularly, but you won't take away from your work time (and drain your bottom line) because you're constantly updating your status.
• Contact management: Speaking of customers, the nature of sites such as Facebook makes it easy to keep in touch with your contacts. Remember the Franklin Planner system? For those that meld that system of contact management with a social network, the result could be extraordinarily productive. Set up a profile just for your business, invite your contacts and then follow-up on all those loose ends. Sold an insurance policy six months ago? Check in and see if they are ready to buy a car, upgrade their homeowners or just see how they are doing. Customer care is vital to retaining a client base and it’s far less expensive to keep current customers rather than to cultivate new ones.
• Join groups: There are many groups available that are relevant to your profession. Much like an old-fashioned paper resume (remember those?), these show clients you are serious about what you do, and that you value networking. Although you cannot browse profiles of other members without their accepting you as a "friend", you can check out a group before you become a member of it.
• Break the mold: Forget the idea that social networks are for teenagers. The median age of a MySpace user is 27 years old and 26 for Facebook users, according to the Pew research. College graduates use these sites also, and 50 percent of adult social network users have a profile on MySpace, 22 percent on Facebook and six percent on LinkedIn.

By tightly managing your time and profiles, business professionals can make productive use of social networks. If you are over a certain age, you may remember the Rotary Club –- or you may recall your parents belonging to one. Those clubs were formed for business networking. Today, social networks can be constructed to create a type of online Rotary club, the difference being that only people you choose can become members. This is not your Father's Rotary Club. Social networks might indeed be the next big thing, but it's going to take a while to get the Rotarians there.