Top 7 Reasons Why Having a Powerful Profile is Important to Your Success

May 30th, 2009

You know the importance of social networking and you’re actively engaged in the world of Web 2.0. Congratulations! You’re playing in the big league. Social networking is becoming more and more a critical part of your media mix for taking your message to YOUR world.

There are lots of social networks where you could already be a member. The top ones I’m in are LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

You may be a member of one of the many more niched ones, like these for professoinals, business owners and entrepreurs: Think Big Revolution, Biznik, StartUpBiz, to name a few.

And there are thousands of others to choose from. For example, CollectiveX and Ning are the popular platforms for creating your own network. Each has their place in your media mix.

Your presence on any and all of these sites is only as powerful as your profile. Here’s why:

1. Your profile is where someone gets to know you and discover what you have in common.

• Maybe you are interested in the same subject, you have friends in common, you live in the same town, city or state.
• You could have gone to the same school, be a member of the same organization, or be in the same or complimentary businesses.

The richer your profile, the more likely someone will discover what you have in common. This is a great starting point for building relationship.

2. Your profile includes your picture, right?

You’ve heard the saying your eyes are the windows to your soul.
You’ve had the experience where at first glance you know you like someone ~ this could be from seeing someone in person or looking at their picture. This works both ways.

So choose a picture that captures and shares your special energy.

3. Once someone knows about you, they can choose to reach out and engage in dialog with you. At first, this may only be via emails on the social network. That’s okay. This conversation builds trust.

4. Trust is the prerequisite for taking the conversation to the next level. The next level might be sharing private email addresses and writing without having to go to the network’s site.

5. Many online asynchronous dialogs on social networking sites and email will lead to phone conversations.

6. And guess where some of these phone conversations lead? To face to face meetings, of course!

“But we live thousands of miles apart.”

Who knows! You may travel to each other’s location on business or to attend a conference. And if the connection is strong enough, you may plan a trip just because you have to meet!

7. Once you know, like, and trust someone, you’re ready to explore how you might help each other.

• You could become a client of theirs or visa versa.
• You might have a referral for them and they for you.
• You could cross-promote each other’s products, programs, or services to each other’s lists and communities.
• You could comment on their blog posts or retweet their tweets.
• You might even create a joint venture project together.

These are real possibilities. How do I know? I’m doing all of the above with people I’ve met in the strangest of ways… on these new and unusual social networking sites.

So here’s my recommendation, my ‘Call-To-Action” for you:

If you’ve joined a social networking site and have yet to create a profile and upload your picture, do it ASAP!

Even if you created profiles when you joined your groups, I recommend you revisit and update them on a regular basis.

I’m always amazed when I read what I posted earlier. I’ve gotten clearer, more concise and compelling in the way I tell my story. I’ve got a new picture, or I’m just ready to see a different one, so probably are others. Each picture tells a different story all by itself, doesn’t it?

And be sure to be active in the communities where you’re a member. That doesn’t mean every day. Show up and partipate on a regular basis. Maybe rotate among them and spend 15-30 minutes becoming part of the buzz.

• Answer a question or ask one.
• Comment on someone else’s good news or information they’ve shared.
• Share a link to a resource you found helpful.
• Lend support and encouragement to someone in need.

And of course, mix in an update about what you’re working on and what you’re offering that might be of interest to them. Just don’t get pushy or self-centered. People will unfollow, un-friend, unsubscribe, and delete faster than you can say just about anything you could say

People want to spend time with and do business with people they know, like, and trust. In the world of social networking, this starts with your profile. So make sure yours is powerful. It’s the key to the city. It’s the invitation to your party. It’s your song from the mountain top.

Tags: Information Marketing, Marketing for Professionals, Social networking, Web 2.0

Entry Filed under: Information Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing for Professionals, Social networking, Uncategorized