Benefits of Social Media

I have immersed myself in social media over the past several months to learn the tools and understand how they can be used to effectively market your business. I thought I’d share the benefits that I have experienced using these tools.

Developing Relationships with People You’ve Never Met

Although I tend to be much more low key than others, by using the tools of social media, I’ve connected with many people I’ve personally never met. I’m waiting for the event that I can attend where I will meet these people in person. For those of us who may not be outgoing with people we don’t know, social media has enabled us to “get to know” people through their blogs, profiles and Twitter posts that will make in person meeting a much more comfortable place. I highly recommend associating a picture with your various profiles to helps put your name and face together. I love seeing people come by my blog and leave behind their MyBlogLog image.

Expanding Your World Beyond Local

You might be asking why this is a benefit of social media. When I worked in corporate America, I traveled a lot and met many interesting people all over the world. When I quit my job to start my business, one of the things I lost was the ability to connect with people worldwide. Social media brings that all back with a lot less jet lag and wear and tear on my body! Different cultures with differing views add to your knowledge with a perspective that your local resources may not be able to. Take advantage of the ever shrinking world and “meet” people who can help you expand your horizons.

Increasing Our Ability to Learn More Things Faster

Subscribing to feeds of those within the community and using a feed reader that allows me to scan quickly, has enabled me to learn about the tools, practices and behaviors faster than if I had to research everything via a Google search. After watching Chris Brogan’s screencast of Google Reader, I decided to give it a try. Of course, that led to iGoogle, gadgets and a whole lot more learning, but it certainly made it easier for me to scan, star, share and save the information I wanted. I’ve embedded the video here, but here’s the link to the screencast posted on Blip TV for better viewing.

Making it Easier for You to Share

There are so many tools available that allow you to share your knowledge with others and give back to the community who shares their knowledge with you. Blogging and Twitter give you both the ability to share quickly and write more thought provoking posts. SlideShare helps you share your knowledge anywhere, not just through local presentations, by making your presentations with synchronized audio available for people to watch at their leisure.

How does this help you market your business?

The philosophy of BNI (Business Network International) is Giver’s Gain, the cornerstone of successful networking. The premise is that those who give unselfishly will, in the end reap the benefits of helping so many succeed. Social networking is built on the same premise - the more you share, the more you get back. Sharing knowledge not only helps the others learn, but helps the them learn about you - who you are, what you know, and what value you offer to your clients. Being authentic and transparent also helps people determine what you are like and whether they can trust you.

Social media has a major place in the marketing plans of independent professionals, entrepreneurs and small service businesses. It opens up a world to you that you would normally not experience. Social media - embrace it, use it and reap the benefits for your business.