Social Networking for Pessimists

Social Networking for the Pessimist

It seems that everyone is doing it these days—so much so that it begs the question, “Do you even exist if you’re not online?” The world of social networking, social media, and digital communication seems to be infinite, and every day these online communities are growing. Although sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace have attracted millions of users (and more are joining every day), there are still plenty of pessimists out there who feel that online social networking is just not for them. You may even be one of them. But Social networking and online communities can benefit everyone, regardless of age, location, or occupation. Interacting with social media and social networking sites gives you opportunities to build new relationships, reconnect with old friends, expand your business’s online presence, and find new and interesting outlets of communication. As an avid online social networker myself, I thought it would be interesting to look at the five most common excuses pessimists use to explain their lack of an online presence and debunk them.

1. I don’t even know where to start
The plethora of social networking sites may seem a little daunting at first, but each site is unique and serves a distinct purpose. Don’t feel pressured to join every social networking site available. The first question you should ask yourself is what, if anything, you would like to gain from social networking. Are you looking for a way to connect to your customers and grow an online following, or are you just looking to connect with like-minded individuals with similar interests? Are you looking for a creative outlet to express yourself, or are you just looking to stay in touch with your friends and family? Experiment with a few different sites. Most sites offer a video tutorial or a tour which explains how the site operates and what it offers. Instead of joining the most popular site, join a site you will actually use, or the site your friends use the most. Or, if you don’t want to join a specific social networking site, try starting a blog with any one of the many blogging sites available and share the link with just your family and friends.

2. It’s too complicated
The intricacies of Facebook and the lingo on Twitter may seem intimidating, but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to set up an account, create a profile, and start contributing. Depending on the site and the amount of information you’re willing to provide, setting up a profile or “About You” page takes an average of ten to fifteen minutes. Different sites offer varying levels of profile customization and if you don’t feel like customizing your profile, that’s completely your decision.
Twitter is an excellent site if you are looking to connect with other people without sharing too much information about yourself, as it only allows you to share 140 characters per tweet. Facebook and LinkedIn offer over a hundred distinct networks based around businesses, schools, and regions making it easy to find existing and potential friends, and both sites offer a simple layout and easy navigation as well as a number of unique and fun features.

3. I won’t know anyone
In order for social networking to be successful, users need to create a dialog with each other. Many users feel the need to accumulate friends like it’s a popularity contest, but accumulating friends purely to raise your “friend count” defeats the purpose of social networking. Search out and connect with people you know, people you want to stay in contact with, and people you may have something in common with. Using the site to stay in touch with just five friends on a regular basis is more productive and beneficial to the online community than a user who never interacts with the 5,000 strangers they are “friends” with.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t befriend people outside of your network. Everyone is there for the same reasons you are—to expand their network, meet new people, and stay in touch with the friends they already have. If you find someone on Twitter who has the same interests as you don’t be afraid to follow them. Most likely they will follow you as well.
LinkedIn is another social networking site for professionals and career-minded individuals looking to stay in touch with past and present colleagues, business acquaintances, and personal contacts. Joining a specific group within a network is also a great way to meet people with shared interests. Many groups host local events in the area where members have the opportunity to listen to speakers or just mingle with other members.

4. I don’t want all of my information all over the internet
Like everything you do online, you have to be careful about the information you are sharing. Only provide information you feel comfortable giving, and make sure that you become acquainted with the privacy settings. Every site allows you to customize your security options.
Facebook allows you to make your profile public to everyone on the site or visible to only your friends. Twitter allows you to block your profile and tweets from anyone you are not following, and all of the sites allow you to block anyone and everyone you don’t want viewing your profile. But increased privacy settings don’t always guarantee privacy.
Many sites host third party applications which, once downloaded, have access to far more personal information than they need to run the application. Use your best judgment and never post or say anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother, boss, or potential employer knowing about. You don’t want to end up like this unfortunate Twitterer.

5. I have nothing to say
Compared to the users who endlessly update their statuses and profiles, you may think you have nothing to discuss or offer, but chances are that if you think it’s interesting, someone else will think it’s interesting as well. It’s about quality not quantity. Start out small—post a link to your favorite website on your profile page, or tweet about an article you think other people might enjoy. Create a Yelp account and write reviews about your favorite restaurants and stores. Liken it to reading the newspaper and discussing the most relevant headlines with your friends in a casual setting. Once you become more comfortable with the site, your network, and your friends, you’ll want to contribute to the conversation more often. If you need inspiration look at what other people are posting and discussing. Twitter is an excellent forum for discussion (albeit brief), and has become a Mecca for sharing ideas, starting conversations, and discussing relevant issues.

Participating in social networking and social media is an experience and you will get out of it what you put in. Just like any other community, online communities thrive when everyone contributes. You can participate as much or as little as you wish, but your experience will be a direct result of your efforts. For the pessimists out there, there is no harm in dabbling with social networking. If you don’t enjoy it all you have to do is delete your account.