Networking v Social Networking

People network for different reasons. To build their personal brand, career opportunities, sales leads and of course don’t forget friendship :)

I do believe that there is a difference between pure networking and social networking, a difference that often gets forgotten as the desire for quantity over quality becomes to hard to resist. Here are 

S = Send personal invites or connection requests. Show that you are not just collecting numbers but specifically want t

o connect with them. Personalising the message shows distinguishes you from the rest.

O = Offer value to your contracts by asking what can I do to help you?

C = Create gossip! In social situations people like to talk, share stories, laugh, cry…..create those stories that people can share. The stories are your way of socialising on the web. What do I mean by stories? I mean content that makes people gossip about it ….

I = Interact with your contacts. Answer tweets, answer linked in questions, show your value to their life.

A = Allow people in to parts of your personality. I believe you need to keep some back but show you personality, show a 360 degree picture of yourself.

L = Learn how to be a social hub through connecting people. Be the party organiser who bring people together who they know will enjoy each others company and who can provide value to each other. People enjoy socialising with people who bring people together.

[photo from istockphoto]