eNetworking 101: The Blog: Still preaching about the online social tools?

At the beginning of the year, Kelvin Ringold and I talked about doing a series about the online social tools. We're still talking. With so much "out there" on what the social tools are and how to use them, we're wondering if two more voices are needed? Given that Alison Miller and I are talking about the social tools at the PRSA Conference in Rochester, NY on Oct. 8, I guess the preaching about the value of online social media is not yet done.

I think we're still talk about -- and preaching about -- the online social tools because many people have not yet decided to use them. Why? People complain about the lack of time, need, and ability.

The Lack of Time -- We all have time constraint. Yup, even me. So what should you do? Carve out time to create a complete presence on tools just as LinkedIn, Plaxo or Facebook. That means creating a complete profile and then connecting to some people you know. That's a great activity for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Once you have yourself setup, then you only need to spend a few minutes per week on maintenance. Maintenance include connecting to more people, tweaking your profile, and interacting with others. The benefit is that you have now put yourself in a place where you can be found and where people can see information on who you are. That is vital in moving yourself forward in your career, no matter who you are.

The Lack of Need -- People who don't feel that they have the need believe that their current network is perfect. They might also feel that they don't need any additional help or information from others. While that may be true of today, what about tomorrow? The best time to build and expand your network is before you need it. If you do it before you need it, then you can do it methodically and perhaps slowly. It will not be an activity born out of desperation.

The Lack of Ability -- Yes, it does take time to learn about these tools. Select 1-2 tools to begin (e.g., LinkedIn and Twitter) and concentrate on them for a period of time. Then apply what you have learned to a couple other tools (e.g., Facebook and SlideShare). You will be surprised at how quickly you can learn and improve your ability. However, it won't improve unless you activity begin to learn. Standing on the sidelines doesn't work.

Finally, I would encourage to keep in mind that just like in your face-to-face world, your online networking is never complete. Just as your are continuing to learn how to networking better live, you'll continue to learn how to network better online. And s your network will never be big enough. So go ahead...get started!