How to optimise social media networks

It is a common trend for some people on social media, primarily Facebook, to sneak-in solicitations for jobs or business under the comments of trending posts. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Meaningful networking is about creating and nurturing relationships, not transactions.
  • To optimise the benefits of social networks, be a giver, not a getter. You need to appear as a solution provider.

Social media apps present us with means to connect and interact with multitudes of people in the country and around the world.

These connections come from all walks of life, straddling social, economic and educational pyramids.

Although networks overlap, each of the individuals brings along their network, thereby creating a wide web.

The networks present an opportunity to reach many people for social, political or economic reasons.

Often, however, these networks are great at sharing humorous content such as jokes and memes, political or religious content.

These networks, however, are fertile grounds on which to farm economic benefits — but they require tact and effort.

RELATIONSHIPS
It is a common trend for some people on social media, primarily Facebook, to sneak-in solicitations for jobs or business under the comments of trending posts.

They imagine that, because there are many people seeing and commenting on a post, they will also read the job or business request, and respond accordingly.

Sneaky solicitations look suspicious and are at best ignored, often deleted.

The approach of soliciting for work from among your social media networks without first creating trust is downright rude.

Meaningful networking is about creating and nurturing relationships, not transactions.

In fact, there is no much difference in approach between off-line and online networking.

INTEGRITY
It is often said that networking is more like farming, not like hunting. A farmer is a patient person.

He ploughs his land, sows seeds and waters them.

He cares for his crops by giving them the nutrients they deserve to thrive, before he can harvest.

Likewise, networking that brings business, a job or a referral requires nurturing and patience.

It requires one to give more without expecting immediate returns.

Hunting on the other hand is a pitiless, straight-shooting occupation.

The hunter goes for the prey, and either kills it or returns home hungry. It is a game of chances, hit or miss.

TACT
When you join a new social network, don’t shoot straight by outright asking for a job or business from your contacts.

Don’t even start by selling anything. People generally frown upon being marketed for.

Seeking favours too early can turn off your contacts – and risk damaging any positive collateral you’ve stored up. You will look desperate or worse, predatory.

Instead, strive to know what other parties in your network do and what problems they experience in their work.

The better you know your network, the more likely you will find their pain-points and match them with solution that you can offer, whether as a business or your skills.

PROBLEMS
To optimise the benefits of social networks, be a giver, not a getter. You need to appear as a solution provider.

Think of networking like a bank account – you have to make deposits and shore up social capital before making a withdrawal.

One of the recommended ways of getting to know people is by asking them questions.

Asking questions is akin to giving members of your network a microphone to speak about themselves.

People like to speak about themselves, their businesses and the things they care about. You will come through as both interesting and interested.

When cultivated over time, social media relationships can become profitable avenues for business or a referral to other networks or individuals.

TRUST

Referrals require higher levels of trust. Someone in your network must trust you enough before they can refer you to their professional colleagues, relatives or business partners.

The frequency and depth of your interactions depends on the strength of the relationship.

The writer is an informatics specialist. [email protected] @samwambugu2