Social Media Tips

When I first came online back in 2006 the only way to connect with others using the Internet was through bulletin boards and forums. It was quite primitive and sometimes technologically challenging, but it was the only way to “talk” to others who were online. You might be wondering why we didn’t use social media, and that is because this was before social media! Here are some social media tips to help you get started.

Facebook was still for college students at this time, and even though I was taking classes as part of a graduate program at a university I was not aware of this site. Twitter was not even a gleam in its founders eyes, and LinkedIn was strictly for the corporate world. Once these sites opened up to the world our lives would never be the same.

One of the only negative things about social media is that these sites can be a time and productivity “black hole”, meaning that you may have the perception you are working but actually you are accomplishing very little during that time. The posts and comments can also be quite negative at times, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like religion or politics. That’s why these social media tips are so valuable.

I have made it a policy not to get involved in any way with anything that does not relate to my work or the people in my life. This has kept me positive and focused for all of these years. My motto has been and continues to be “Get in, get out, and get back to work!” when it comes to social media and forums.

Forums are probably the best places for you to spend a little time each week. The one I prefer by far is the Earn 1K a Day forum and membership group founded and run by my good friend and mentor Dennis Becker. I’ve been a part of his group for more than five years now and have been able to connect with some of the smartest and kindest entrepreneurs in the world. I give them credit for helping me to write a few of my bestselling books, create successful online training courses, and even plan and host live events. The comaraderie is so valuable, helpful, and even comforting at times. And if you’re looking for outsourcers or joint venture partners it is second to none.

These days there are most social media sites than anyone can name or think of, so be careful when it comes to how you divide up your time for each one. I recommend starting with the “big three”, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and then adding YouTube, Google Plus, and Instagram. Don’t go any further until you have achieved your goals on these six sites in a way that makes sense for your business. And Dennis Becker’s Earn 1K a Day forum is also a must-have resource and membership.

I believe you must have a strategy in place before you start spending endless hours reading, posting, and commenting in social media or forums. Instead, think of the message you want to disseminate among the people who follow you and then look for ways in which you can make that happen. In addition to the content I share regularly about my overall topic of online entrepreneurship I also include content that shows my lifestyle and the charity work and volunteering that are such a big part of my life.

There is no doubt that social media makes everything we are working to accomplish as entrepreneurs more fun and interesting, but your goal must be to make sure the people you connect with know who you are and what you have to share with them in terms of your business expertise. Please leave a comment to let me know if these social media tips have been useful and helpful.

I’m Connie Ragen Green, online marketing strategist, bestselling author, and international speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship and inner game mind shifts. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future.