Building a Network
March 26th, 2010 // 7:19 pm @ John Piro // 5 Comments
BUILDING A NETWORK of CONTACTS
Building a strong list of friends from your target market is extremely important. These friends are going to be sharing your content and bringing you into connection with their friends as well. If you have a certain target market you are trying to connect with, building a strong network is an ideal start.
There are a number of ways to find friends and request friends on Facebook and most social networks. The first step is to request people you already know you would like in your business network. The best way to do this is to go to you account tab and click on ‘edit friends’.
From here you can search for friends through their name or email address using the search box. You also have the option of importing friends from your email account through the ‘find friends’ tab. This is a fast and easy option if you have a number of business contacts you would like to bring over to your social network account from your email accounts.
On Facebook, a great option available is to place your friends into lists. This way you can target them into certain groups. To do this you simply click on the ‘Create New List’ next to the search friend’s box, type in a list name and then click on the friends you wish to add to your new list.
When you have finished importing your current friends you can then start adding new friends. This is where you will target your list. The best way to find friends is to join like minded groups or fan pages where your target market would be interested.
It is very important to get clear on what your target market is prior to starting this strategy. When searching for groups and pages to find your target market of friends you can search a number of ways such as location, lifestyle, work type, interest, etc. Just type what you are looking for into the search box. Then simply click on that group or fan page, become a fan (or member) and then scroll down the page to locate the box with all the fans or group members. It’s always best to read the info section to make sure the group or page is in fact what you are interested in.
Click on ‘See All’ to bring up a list of all fans or members and then click ‘Add as Friend’.
This brings us to the next step which as far as I am concerned is one of the most important strategies in connecting with others in the social networks and one that is overlooked by 95% of people. This strategy will dramatically improve friend response and increase the relationship building aspect of any social network. It is also a form of social network etiquette the majority of people simply do not take the time to do.
The key when you are requesting friends is to leave them a personal message. Your message should be short with information of why you want to be their friend.
Some things you may want to add include:
- A greeting
- Where you found them (i.e. what group or page)
- An association of that group or page to you ( a book you read, your line of work, etc)
- That you would like to find out more about them or that you are looking to network with like-minded people.
- Leave with an open ended question and sign your Name
On Facebook, to add a personal message click ‘Add Friend’ and then a new box will come up. There will be a link in the bottom left corner saying ‘Add a personal message…’ Click that link and then type in your message.
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Example Message (don’t copy this word for word, you need to be original!)
Hi Mary, my name is John, I am also a member of the ‘_____________’ group. I look forward to connecting with you soon.” Take care, John
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Make sure when you are requesting friends, you just request the ones that you’d like to be friends with. Remember you want a targeted list. You can send a generic message to each person by simply copying and pasting the original message and changing the name (if it is from the same group or page).
You can also modify the message for each person if you wish to make it more personal. For example you may see that they are from Australia. You can then add to your pasted message and ask ‘which part of Australia are you from?’ That way it is more personal and you are more likely to get a response and be able to start building a relationship.
There are also a few DON’TS when requesting friends:
DO NOT post any links to a website in your friend request.
DO NOT try and sell them on your business before you have even met them.
DO NOT talk about your business, focus more on them and what they do.
DO NOT be rude or obnoxious.
Most people send random friend requests with no personal messages and wonder why they don’t receive a good response! If you request many friends and have a low acceptance rate then the social network (esp Facebook) might actually cancel your account.
If you target your market and write a personal message without selling your business your opt-in rate will increase dramatically!
The best practice and proper social network etiquette is to leave a personal message following the steps above. This will increase your friend response; help you to build better relationships with your new friends and increase the chance that those people will go on to share your content, join your group or page, attend your events and invite their friends.
Remember your list of friends on the social networks are built on R-E-L-A-T-I-O-N-S-H-I-P-S. This is the core tosocial network site. The reason people struggle to succeed on social networks for marketing their business, product or service is because they do not understand the key principles of how the sites work. The fastest way to scare someone away is to start talking about your business as soon as you meet them. Don’t start pitching your business or opportunity to them. Instead enquire about them, their interests and what they do. They will naturally go to your profile to find out more about you as you are taking an interest in them.
If you have properly set up your profile with good relevant content then people will come back to you and start asking you about your line of work. You will also be seen as someone different from the masses as you have a professional looking profile, you don’t pitch your business, you send a personal message and take an interest in them.
By dedicating a small part of your day building relationships with people, you will see a dramatic increase in the back end production of what you are trying to achieve. On Facebook, the start of your ‘Fandom’ starts here. A successful Facebook marketing campaign is all about standing out from the crowd.
Remember this motto for Facebook Success!
Build Relationships >> Provide Massive Value >>
Over Deliver = Increased Revenues!!!
Category : Building A Network
