Networking on Ten Minutes a Day: 5 Tips for Online Success

Online sites like Facebook and LinkedIn provide a fast and easy way to keep your networks active, even when you take a break from the workplace. Here are some tips for maximizing those tools:

1. Use LinkedIn for business contacts and Facebook for personal friends: Keeping the two separate makes it easier to decide what to post where. Of course, if you have business contacts who are also friends ( a pleasant problem in my line of work) you might opt to maintain connection to them on both sites.

2. Several times a week, respond to status updates that merit attention: Congratulate people on promotions or offer suggestions of useful resources to people who post work or job-search related questions.

3. Post links to useful articles: Almost all of the major online news outlets now offer the ability to easily connect to their articles on your Facebook or LinkedIn profile. Maintaining a steady stream of useful content on your profile helps reinforce your image as an expert in your field.

4. Update your status on a regular basis: Sharing projects you're working on or books you're reading keeps your network aware of your "continuing education" and accomplishments in a subtle way.

5. Don't wait until you are in active job search mode to nurture your network: The worst time to build a network is when you're out of work.

Comments

[Holly - The Work at Home Woman]

Number 5 is a really great tip! Especially in this economy people should always be prepared for the unexpected. I use LinkedIn for my professional contacts, Facebook for friends and close associates and Twitter solely for networking and marketing.