Pointers on fully utilizing the SME Connect resource for communicating with other SME members

1. Quick Start Guide
Welcome to SME Connect – SME’s exclusive online community. We are so glad to have you!
Here are a few tips to get started.
1. Log in at http://connect.sme.org. Having problems signing in? Contact
smeconnect@sme.org for help.
2. Fill out your profile. We want to get to know you. You can either fill out your profile
manually, or you can import some of your information from LinkedIn. Be sure to fill out
your Job History, Education, and other areas – these will help your like-minded peers
find you. Uploading a profile picture and a bio helps add credibility, and studies have
shown profile photos increase your chances of getting any questions you post
answered.
3. Customize your profile settings. Start by finding the “My Account” tab on your member
profile. From here, you can set up how you want to receive emails from the community,
how much of your profile you want visible to other members, the signature area that
appears under your discussion posts, and more. If you have any questions about what a

2. certain setting means, please email smeconnect@sme.org.
PRO TIP: We recommend subscribing to receive emails as a Daily Digest – you will
receive a single email each day summarizing the hottest topics in your community. You
can also get emails in real time – perfect for the power users or anyone who likes up-to-
the minute alerts on what’s going on.

3. 4. Join the conversation. You can participate in the conversations by visiting the
community online or through your inbox.
• Replying Online
o To reply to a discussion online, click on the “Reply to Discussion” button next
to the post.
o To reply directly to the sender, click on the arrow next to the button and
select “Reply to Sender”
o You can easily attach documents to your post and the documents will be
automatically added to the community library.

4. • Posting via Email
o You can start a conversation in the community directly from your inbox by
adding the community address to your contacts. The community address for
the Open Forum is: SME-allmembercommunity@ConnectedCommunity.org.
For other community email addresses, please email smeconnect@sme.org.
o You can also reply to a thread from your Real Time or Daily Digest.
 Real Time email: simply hit “Reply” in your email client, write your
message, and press send. Your message will be added to the thread
on the community.
 Daily Digest email: You can select the “Reply to Group” button next to
the appropriate post to reply to the conversation thread.