Build your own Opportunity Network Getting Started with Social Networking Steve Woodruff www.stevewoodruff.com (Twitter: @swoodruff)

Why should you care about social networking? You (and others) are the source of your future opportunities, not “the company” Google is your new resume – either you will project your professional image, or someone else will

You (and others) are the source of your future opportunities, not “the company”

Google is your new resume – either you will project your professional image, or someone else will

Who Cares about Professional Networking? Advancers Job-Seekers Hiring Managers Learners Potential Entrepreneurs Suppliers Junior people, Senior people, Extroverts, Introverts, Techies, non-Geeks…people with a vision for connection

Advancers

Job-Seekers

Hiring Managers

Learners

Potential Entrepreneurs

Suppliers

Junior people, Senior people, Extroverts, Introverts, Techies, non-Geeks…people with a vision for connection

Social Networking: Exploding Facebook: 100 million -> 200 million in 8 months Twitter: yearly growth rate: 1,382% LinkedIn: total minutes on site doubled Dec -> Jan YouTube: i n March, reached 100 million monthly viewers

What is an “Opportunity Network”? “ Safety net” – fear and circumstance-driven “ Opportunity network” – confidence and future-driven Greatest opportunities, for you and others, will be through ties of shared interest, sympathy, and connections

“ Safety net” – fear and circumstance-driven

“ Opportunity network” – confidence and future-driven

Greatest opportunities, for you and others, will be through ties of shared interest, sympathy, and connections

Where do I start?? ?

The “Why” - Networking Goals Establish your reputation on-line Open connection channels with key people Help others with their needs Find professional opportunities Learn and grow Strengthen “strong ties” and create “weak ties”

Establish your reputation on-line

Open connection channels with key people

Help others with their needs

Find professional opportunities

Learn and grow

Strengthen “strong ties” and create “weak ties”

The “How Much”: Participation Levels Open Web Networking Engaging with Private Communities Lifestreaming Formal Connecting Passive Outposting Transparency Disclosure Interaction

Passive Outposting Adding your basic information to on-line repositories such as Visual CV, LinkedIn, etc. Allows you to be “find-able” on-line Join to an early strategy of “lurking” (reading and listening) to get a feel for the social networking world

Adding your basic information to on-line repositories such as Visual CV, LinkedIn, etc.

Allows you to be “find-able” on-line

Join to an early strategy of “lurking” (reading and listening) to get a feel for the social networking world

Formal Connecting Reaching out and becoming a “connection” with trusted individuals you know. LinkedIn very common for this on the professional level; Facebook on a personal level Begins to open up access to wider networks (friends of friends)

Reaching out and becoming a “connection” with trusted individuals you know.

LinkedIn very common for this on the professional level; Facebook on a personal level

Begins to open up access to wider networks (friends of friends)

Lifestreaming More open sharing of multiple dimensions of life Usually more focused on status updates, picture sharing, etc. Facebook and Twitter very popular for lifestream sharing Professionals may struggle to reach a comfort level with this

More open sharing of multiple dimensions of life

Usually more focused on status updates, picture sharing, etc.

Facebook and Twitter very popular for lifestream sharing

Professionals may struggle to reach a comfort level with this

Engaging with Private Communities Countless focused (generally invite-only or private) communities exist around specific areas of interest These “walled gardens” allow for a freer level of sharing without exposing info to the broader web

Countless focused (generally invite-only or private) communities exist around specific areas of interest

These “walled gardens” allow for a freer level of sharing without exposing info to the broader web

Open Web Sharing Your writings and comments are open to the world Blogs, Twitter, and other open platforms expose you to a wide audience, with little control Can vastly extend your opportunity network Must embrace privacy/publicity tradeoff

Your writings and comments are open to the world

Blogs, Twitter, and other open platforms expose you to a wide audience, with little control

Can vastly extend your opportunity network

Must embrace privacy/publicity tradeoff

Tips for Effective Networking START! Be giving Broaden your base Build consistently and pro-actively Join communities (virtual and real) Find a good local coffee shop – you’ll be meeting new people face to face! Find super-connectors/Be a connector

START!

Be giving

Broaden your base

Build consistently and pro-actively

Join communities (virtual and real)

Find a good local coffee shop – you’ll be meeting new people face to face!

Find super-connectors/Be a connector

Social Networking Cautions Google never forgets – think twice about what you share/upload Transparency with care – learn to be yourself, with limits Separation of company/personal information Don’t think short-term – building an opportunity network is a long-term, incremental process

Google never forgets – think twice about what you share/upload

Transparency with care – learn to be yourself, with limits

Separation of company/personal information

Don’t think short-term – building an opportunity network is a long-term, incremental process

So….Let’s START! Answer for yourself…. Who are you? Where do you bring the most value? What are your professional goals? What kind of network would you like to build? Note: use the Personal Branding exercise (Appendix in free Getting Started in Social Networking e-book – see next slide)

Answer for yourself….

Who are you?

Where do you bring the most value?

What are your professional goals?

What kind of network would you like to build?

Note: use the Personal Branding exercise (Appendix in free Getting Started in Social Networking e-book – see next slide)

Resources http://bit.ly/getstarted ( free , step-by-step e-book to help you get started with social networking, full of helpful links and instructions for using the most common platforms)

http://bit.ly/getstarted

( free , step-by-step e-book to help you get started with social networking, full of helpful links and instructions for using the most common platforms)