Digg For Newbies

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Getting Established In Social Media Networking

I got started on social media networking seriously several months ago. Up until then I had a facebook page to hook up with friends and workmates. It took a push from a business acquaintance to really get my business going. You have to start somehwere and I am going to help you get started on the right path.

If you are new to
social media and social networking and are already a hotshot in business or not you must move in the right direction by following these steps: 1. Find out who hte leaders in your niche are that are using social media marketing to build their business. 2. Find out what they are actually doing with the social media tools to do it. 3. Start hanging out on their blogs and other social media networking platforms and watch what they are doing. Start being social by adding helpful comments and asking questions.

I was reading an article by Neil Ashworth the other day about leading your tribe by watching kindergarten kids. I wondered what this had to do with
social media networking and got me thinking about my first blog and who my teachers have been.

One of them was certainly Catherine who was a middle-aged woman with downs syndrome. She had the body shape that reminds me of the potato heads, round with stick legs. She was one of those people who are often dismissed because of her disability.

Catherine was the youngest of a large family and had also passed through the human warehouses we called institutions. Most people would be demolished in these institutions but one of the gifts that people with disabilities have is perseverance.

You see Catherine had a unique gift, which she used to amuse, entertain and intrigue anyone who she perceived as the leader. She had the gift of celebration and made everything a party. In order to make it happen she had to get the leaders to buy in. Catherine always knew who held the seat of power and how to position herself to be next to it.

Her tag line has always been
"my birthday’s commin’ up" even if she just celebrated her birthday 2 days prior. What is more social than that? I mean who is going to pass up a birthday wish especially to a middle-aged woman with downs syndrome who has singled you out. Catherine was one of the greatest social networkers ever as well as a party in a box.

But Catherine wasn’t naturally gifted to be a star, in fact I’d say she wasn’t very good at a lot of things our society values. But what made her special was her dedication to having fun and seeking the center of attention by celebrating the leader. She did this shamelessly and without fault. Even if people shut her down, she never let them get her down.

She would find common ground with anyone. She always knew the value of herself and was unabashed at sharing it. She knew how to recognize greatness and would align herself with it, letting the others feel privileged that they were blessed by her light by acknowledging and celebrating their efforts. Catherine was authentic and worked from her strengths. Catherine stood out from the crowd. Catherine
was social.

When starting online with
social media networking, rather than making yourself sound like something you are not, find the leaders using social media, show up and be yourself. Be social. Help them celebrate what they are doing by being interested in them and those at the party.

Pretty soon you will be hosting one daily at your own blog. You will be the person people will look for.

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