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A month ago I was thinking social networking is going crazy.  What do you think?

At that time I had received a number of invitations to attend new networks that have been established.  I must be on everyone’s invitation list – it’s getting out of hand!  And perhaps it is.

However, just recently I relented and decided to join a couple more networks, actually about 3 or was it 4?  Ning.com really seems to have lent itself nicely to brand new networks on an almost daily basis and it’s so easy to set up and use.  And you can create your own templates or use one of theirs.  Many applications to add or build onto the network makes it easy for those who just don’t have an IT person in the background to install and set up software for them.

So I’ve joined 3 author’s networks (as learning from my peers is a great way to improve myself as an author as well as promote my books) and another business group called Sta.rtUp.biz.  Over 20,000 members at that one and if you consider joining, be prepared to be bombarded with lots of comments on your page within a short time of joining – they encourage people to welcome all the newbies.  To me it amounts to spam but you can delete the comments on your own page and leave what you want there.  And there are some excellent forums there for people in all types of businesses.  I’ve already made some worthwhile connections and only been a member a very short time.  And somehow I’ve gained a lot of points although I haven’t yet fully worked out what they’re for. Some kind of ranking system for active networkers I think.

Anyway, if you check the menu to the right you’ll see a list of my social network pages under the “Connect With Me” blogroll category.  Feel free to pop in and pay a visit if you desire!

social networks, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ning, Authors, Christian women, business groups

Tags: Social Networks by Kathie Thomas
6 Comments »

My Virtual Assistant forum was having a discussion about the benefits of using Facebook for networking.  Some were of the opinion it was just for family and friends and couldn’t see the benefit and others were using it for business or both family & friends and business.  I joined in the conversation as I recently found it very useful for a family matter and don’t know what I would have done had I not had Facebook to assist in this matter.  This is what I posted and I’d love to hear how Facebook may have assisted you in a time of need.

I didn’t want to bother with it earlier this year as I thought it was just a young person’s networking tool and many still see it that way.  However, when the Pastor (in his 50s) at my church started encouraging members of the congregation to join and connect with him I did so out of curiosity.  I began connecting with others in our church and developing friendships because I could see their daily comments on what was happening in their lives and could join in the commenting.  And I’ve been able to have direct contact with my Pastor rather than going through his secretary which means I can have personal email discussions with him via Facebook.

I connected with my daughters and although at first I was concerned they might think I was ‘spying’ on them, I’m so glad I did.  One of them was Miriam, our beloved daughter who recently passed away. If I had not been connected to her in Facebook I would have had no idea how to contact her friends to tell them of her death or her funeral.  She never kept an address list – Facebook was it. It gave me an opportunity to let them know daily what was happening by posting messages on her wall and it made my husband and I aware of friends we didn’t know she had. Some were overseas and only found out about what happened because of their Facebook connection with Miriam.  I will not underestimate the value of a tool like this any more.

I am more connected with other family members of mine and Graham’s – our brother-in-law, nephews and cousins in other states.  And some friends I’d lost track of I’m now reconnected with. It is a very powerful friends tool and I don’t use for acquaintances at all – but close family and friends.

So, just on a personal level Facebook has had an effect on my family in a very important way and now I’m exploring it for business I’m also finding that it’s been useful for connecting with others and staying in touch with what they’re up to.  What about you?  Has Facebook helped you?

Tags: Facebook, Social Networks by Kathie Thomas
1 Comment »

Over the past 12 months I’ve written about the use of various tools for networking.  I did a series on LinkedIn and also on Yahoogroups.  And now I want to do one on Facebook.

As time passes I find that my own thoughts on which are worthwhile tools for business to use online changes considerably – perhaps because the tools themselves change and evolve and become more popular amongst the very networks that I spend time with.  At any rate, I finally succumbed to joining Facebook several months ago and used it only for personal contacts – family, friends, people from my church.  But then one of my clients told me about Mari Smith and the use of Facebook to develop Fan Clubs and promote your business and so, in doing the research for her, I ended up creating a new Facebook profile for my business contacts.

So, I plan to share with you my tips on setting up a Facebook profile for your business.

First – there is a difference between a regular Facebook profile and having a Facebook Page.  My business one here is a Facebook Page and if you scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on Advertising you’ll actually find on the right-hand column that you can set up a page.  But you’ll note the address is still a bit cumbersome and too long to give out to people, so what I did was purchased a domain and then forwarded it to the Facebook page address.

So why not go experimenting to see what you can do and I’ll give you more hints and tips soon about setting up Facebook for your business?  Once you do I’d love to be given your address so I can become a fan of your Facebook page.

Facebook page, Facebook profile, domain registration, social networking

Tags: Facebook, Networking, Social Networks by Kathie Thomas
2 Comments »

I received an email yesterday advising me that a profile had been set up for me by xx xx and that this was my invitation to join their network.

I was immediately turned off. First of all, I didn’t even know the guy who had set up this ‘profile’ for me – how dare he do that? No previous contact, no introduction and his name is not familiar to me. Second, the address the invitation had been sent to indicates which network this guy supposedly knows me from but when I check my connection list he is nowhere to be found. He has just proven himself not to be trustworthy.

I contacted the people at Mash and asked them to remove the profile – as yet no response and it’s well over 24 hours ago. I’ve had to do it myself after I spent some (wasted) time exploring.

I think just this one thing has proven to me that Mash is not a network I want to participate in. And if the responses from my colleagues in a business network are anything to go by, neither will they.

Interesting, when you search Yahoo’s Terms of Service it actually states that you can make your page modifiable by others in Mash. What the? And so doesn’t the ‘owner’ get any say in the first place as to whether they want a profile? I think they’ll have problems with this – it’s an open door to trouble. What do you think?

Tags: Networking, Social Networks by Kathie Thomas
3 Comments »