In recent years Social Media services such as Twitter and FaceBook have seen unprecedented growth. Everyone is jumping on the Social Media bandwagon to make use of this new and powerful medium of communication. In this quick post, I look at some very basic Social Media principles that you have to follow in order to get the maximum out of this medium.
1. Consistent User Names
It is very important that you have consistent user names (or logins) across all Social Media networks. For example, if your Twitter Id is called “VeryCoolGuy” it is good to have the same user name on FaceBook (i.e FaceBook.com/VeryCoolGuy). Using consistent user names will allow people to easily find you. It is also important that you have consistent profile images across all Social Media sites that you participate. A consistent profile picture will allow people to easily recognize you or your brand. Most Social Media sites also allow you to write a few lines of information about you. Make use of these profile description to tell your audience who you are and how you can help them.
2. Don’t be left High and Dry
A lot of us (including me 
) place our efforts on a single Social Network. This is not a good approach, since we do not know how successful these networks will be in the future. A couple of years back MySpace used to be very popular, but now the trend seems to be FaceBook and Twitter. Therefore it is a good idea to participate in a number of Social Networking sites, may be around 5 sites if you want a number. If it is going to take you more time in taking part in many Social Media sites you may want to connect these networks using plug-ins. For example, a Tweet in Twitter can also update your FaceBook status!
3. Be Active
If you need to get the most out of Social Media you need to be active on these networks. It is pointless to create just a profile in a network and not use it. If someone discovers your inactive profile on a Social Media site they might just assume that you are no longer active in your business or niche. I can understand why you may want to create a profile on a Social Media site even if you do not plan to use it in the near future. Many of us do this to secure our own profile name and brand from squatters who may try to use it for their advantage. If that is your concern, create your profile and leave some kind of message in the profile page to indicate that you are not really active on that Social Network. Also let people know how they can find you in other networks.
4. Give & Take
Another important principle is to help others on your Social Network. You can not expect others to help you without you helping them. When you give to your friends or followers on your Social Network they will remember you and they will help you in the future. You cannot except your Twitter followers to Re-Tweet your Tweet when you haven’t Re-Tweeted any of theirs! It is simple as that.
5. Don’t Be Too Noisy
It is important that you be active on Social Networks. But, that doesn’t mean that you get too active and come to a point many people find you too noisy. If your followers or friends think that you are spoiling their Social Media experience they will either ignore you or leave you for good. So the next time you create a Blog Post don’t Tweet the post more than 3 times
I hope you find these tips useful. Got anything to add or say ? Please leave a comment.
Photo Credit: Desmond Kavanagh’s photostream
Very succint and yet very poweful! thank you for sharing.