Invitations and Social Media

Social Media Etiquette: When sending invitations in social networking add a personal message. Someone wise once said that if you were at a conference you wouldn’t go around handing out your business card without talking to the people. Sending a personal note with the invitation is like talking to people when you pass out your card. 

I get all kinds of invitations to connect with folks. Mostly, I’m an open networker, so I accept most everyone’s invitation. However, I know many open networkers who will ignore an invitation to connect if there isn’t a personalized note attached with the invitation. Just the default message is often considered bad form. 

For me, I like to know how I can help the person I am networking with. So if we’ve not met face to face, or even when we have, I’ll ask for a meeting to get to know them better. Networking is all about relationships and relationships commonly occur through utility. What I mean is this; going back in history to ancient Greece and Aristotle it was understood that friendships often began as two people worked together on a project of some kind. 

Getting to know one another is in part getting to know what the other person is good at and what they are not and how you can be of service to each other. When I “network” with people it’s often about how I can help them and/or can I introduce them to someone who can assist or help them. 

Social Media is a bonanza for helping people connect and keep track of their connections. It helps networkers network better. I appreciate the updates I see about my connections through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.  I can drop a quick note to say hi, congratulations or ask what’s up. Easy and quick, and it reminds folks that I’m out in the world especially when I’m not just next door.

I read an article recently that argued against the comment many people make that they aren’t any good at networking. Social networking and networking share this in common, people say they aren’t any good at it. In fact, most people would be fine with social networking if they just applied simple etiquette. Saying “Hi” and “Thank you” and taking a second to acknowledge someone with a smile or status update. Smiles work great in face to face networking and a smiley can makes a person’s day as well. 

Another great tip is to give before you receive. Social networking utilizes the trust economy. Asking for help via a social network like LinkedIn or Facebook, but if you’re always taking and never giving people will see that and identify you as a user and not a giver. Answering people’s questions on LinkedIn is a great way to increase your presence in your network. (Remember these are the people you’re connected to and the groups you are part of.)  And if your answers are good, you’ll rise in people’s esteem and they’ll remember you. 

One last tip is if you want recommendations, give recommendations. In LinkedIn you need three recommendations to have a 100% complete profile. And the easiest way I know to get a recommendation is to write one for someone in your network. When you do that, LinkedIn then points out that it would be nice if they returned the favor by writing you a recommendation. Or you could just ask a person in your network if they would be kind enough to write you a recommendation. Remember someone wise once said, “... ask and you will receive.”

Connecting with folks is as easy as saying hi! Growing your network is as easy as saying, would you like to connect with me? Facebook makes it even easier, there we can be friends. :-)