As most entrepreneurs, small business owners and non-profit managers know, getting started with social media can seem overwhelming. The important thing to remember is that it’s critical for the success of your business to find ways to use social media. So don’t get intimidated, instead, start here. Follow these links. Start learning today. The good news is that there are tons of resources available to help you along the way.
Constant Contact, an email list provider, has created Social Media Quick Starter, which includes tutorials and step-by-step directions, along with blog entries on best practices, suggestions, a few podcasts, and other instructional materials. The materials are free and available without any commitment to sign up for their services. This site has chapters on Facebook, Twitter, QR codes, YouTube and more.
LinkedIn, an online network focused on your professional connections, has 100-minute-long weekly webinar that is designed for beginners. You can visit the LinkedIn Learning Center and click on Training Resources to find out when the next session will be held. Particularly key to begin creating your online presence is how you will present yourself in the various profiles you create. A LinkedIn profile is useful not only to be found in the LinkedIn search feature, but it’s a great way to create an online resume that you can link to from anywhere.
The next important step to venturing into the social media world is to understand the process of finding your way. There are a series of steps that are recommend by almost every source on the subject and they are:
- Listen to What People Are Already Saying
- Participate in the Conversation
- Create, Share and Build Your Presence
- Stay At It, Remember it’s Important to Keep Meeting People in the Real World
This blog post by Jared Goralnick, Founder and CEO of AwayFind, a web startup that helps people to stop checking their email, walks you through these steps and gives you helpful hints along the way.
I am interested to hear your thoughts on this post. Was it useful? Where are you on the Social Technographics Ladder? What other information were you hoping for?
