When my 81-year-old dad sent me a LinkedIn invitation, I knew some milestone had been passed.
It's an online-networking world, and working people who aren't already on the bandwagon need to catch up, fast. Here are 10 tips to help you get your online networking activities going without ruffling any feathers:
1. Get a new "one."
You'll need a ONE -- an online networkingemail
account -- just for use in discussion groups and social networking sites. If
you don't get an account just for this purpose, you may find your
"regular" home email address (or, worse, your work address!) beset by
spam messages and bacn (social networking spam). Get a new address at Yahoo! or
another free-email site today, and use it for all of your online networking
adventures.
2. Find your group.
Yahoo! Groups is the epicenter of group online
discussion, with 10 million groups covering every topic from search engine
optimization to moms working from home. Search for a group that suits your
taste and then join it, taking care to read the group's membership guidelines
before you plunge into the conversation.
3. Stake your claim.
MySpace, Facebook and a zillion other high-profile sites
are fun and diverting, but LinkedIn is the place for business networking, and
basic membership is free. Create a profile and invite your friends to become
first-degree connections with you on LinkedIn -- your friends will be able to
share your contacts, and vice versa.
4. Find your inner Twitter.
Join Twitter to keep your network updated on your daily
doings, in 140-character increments. Follow other people on Twitter to learn
about cool websites and online tools, be directed to provocative blog posts and
generally keep on top of what's up among the people you know and admire.
5. Reach out, with tact.
Go ahead and write to people you meet online -- that's
what online networking is all about. When you do, lead off with a subject
line like "Loved your blog" or "I see that you're interested in
astrophysics, like me" rather than "I need your help" or
"Here's my resume." Speaking of resumes, never, ever send your resume
to a person who hasn't asked for it. You wouldn't send a stranger pictures of
yourself -- so keep your resume until/unless someone asks you for it.
6. Don't poach contacts.
When you belong to an online discussion group or meet
people on LinkedIn, it's OK to contact people one-on-one in regard to a topic
they've written about. It's not OK to spam people with sales pitches or add
them to the subscriber list for your newsletter. And, it's not OK to harvest
email addresses from an online group for your own use.
7. Be grateful.
When an online networker writes to you with advice (on
LinkedIn Answers, in response to a question you posed to him or her, or in an
online discussion group), write back and say thanks. That little touch marks
you as a thoughtful online networker.
8. Remember the basics.
"Please," "thank you," and "I'm
very appreciative of your time" are just as appropriate in the online
sphere as they are in your neighborhood. Don't forget the niceties just because
you're communicating virtually.
9. Play with Ning.
Jump over to Ning to explore social networks that Ning
users have created on every topic under the sun, and join one of them to learn
more about communication and advice-sharing in the social networking arena.
Ning lets users set up their own social networks on the fly, so feel free to
launch JerryWorld or some other networking site once you get comfortable.
10. Watch your signature.
If you're going to use online networks and discussion
communities, be sure to delete or shorten a long email signature. Don't subject
your online contacts to the same never-changing quote, a list of all your
favorite books and websites, or any other information that's more than three
lines long. We love you and everything, but a little email signature goes a
long way.
Also on Yahoo! HotJobs:
Don't sabotage your job-search networking
Kick your career into gear
The 'relevant experience' conundrum
Find a new job near you
