There are numerous small businesses, organizations, and groups trying to cultivate an audience online. Many of these business owners are using social networking sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to develop an online following.
For now, setting up business pages and accounts on these sites is free and relatively easy. If membership and visibility on social networking sites are a priority, friends and contacts are also a major hit.
Like any social activity, participating in the conversation is critical to gaining friends and becoming popular. Therefore, the more relevant the “talk” posted on social media accounts, the greater the interest in your company, organization or group. Posting regularly is important to nurture the contacts you already have.
It is also possible to increase the popularity of friends on social networking sites through some proven methods. These days there is a lot of cross-pollination between email contact lists and social networking sites.
Q. What is buddy seeding?
A. It’s geeky language to increase the number of friends and associates on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Q. What is the most effective way to make friends on Facebook?
A. The main way to get more friends is to allow Facebook to see all the email accounts and contacts associated with that account. If you have multiple email accounts and one is reserved for business correspondence, use business email. For business pages, generate friends from the email addresses of other employees. Facebook will automatically generate friend requests from you through email contact lists. Facebook is currently set up to work with Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, Comcast, SBCglobal.net, Verizon.net, and even Skype. It will also work with other email services.
Also, Facebook encourages options, called ‘Other Tools’. It will track resident email programs on the computer, such as Eudora or Apple Mail. Facebook will also search for contacts already on Facebook, from previous high schools, colleges and universities, and past and current employers. Facebook has stored this information in your individual or business profile, so it simply compares you to others with parallel information in the list. Typing an email address into the Facebook search bar is one of the easiest ways to find someone.
Q. What is the most effective way to make friends on Twitter?
A. Twitter has developed a different spin on friend seeding than Facebook. You can view Twitter suggestions. In these selections, Twitter tries to link you with the friends of the people who follow you. On Twitter, you can also search for interests by broad categories and get more specific with keyword searches. Find Friends will search for email contacts and generate automated messages for those contacts inviting them to follow you on Twitter. Find Friends will also search for a LinkedIn account, if one exists. Twitter, like Facebook, allows you to grow your following by typing in your email address.
Q. What are some ideas about networking on LinkedIn.com?
A. LinkedIn allows members to import contacts from the email account connected to the LinkedIn account. Trade references are a common practice. LinkedIn encourages this type of business networking and provides an online forum for it. LinkedIn allows the member to invite connections from their own network by contacting others through existing connections. LinkedIn groups are also a great way to expand contact lists. Join LinkedIn groups related to a profession or industry and start actively conversing and posting in groups instead of just “snooping.” Often group members will be interested in what you are saying and will want to connect with you.
Q. Are there other ways to find friends besides private email contact lists?
A. Yes. If you have a strong email list built for your business, try uploading this list to Facebook or Twitter. Check individual sites for proper file formats. Using an effective email list of customers, business contacts, and prospects will go a long way in expanding business in the world of social media. These lists can be uploaded to the sites and automatic friend or contact requests will be sent out.
It is quite obvious that there are many ways to expand your friend and contact lists on social networking websites. If friend seeding is done correctly, a business or organization’s presence on these major social networking sites can dramatically increase.