I see Joe every morning at Body Dynamics. Each weekday he starts his workout at 5 a.m. He's a retired professor, plays finger style Blues as a hobby, and hangs out on Facebook. This morning Joe was lamenting the lack of originality in Facebook profile updates, "It's nothing but cut/copy/paste anymore." Joe is something of a Renaissance Grandfather, he takes his granddaughter fishing, helps his kids with their homes and projects, and works out at the gym. If you're a vendor catering to consumers like Joe, you need to up your game. It's going to take more than urgent promotions for cheap goods or inspirational quotes from deceased pundits to get Joe's attention. Joe shared with me his idea of an inspiration post, " I'm inspired by the story of a 12 year boy who is bravely fighting to recover from a lung and heart transplant". The mother writes about the challenge of getting sleep in the hospital and how tough her son is as he faces each day.

Social Networking Engagement

Making social networking work requires more than visibility, it requires engagement. It requires talking with, not at, those who follow you. Success is measured not in the number of posts you publish, but in the number of comments from your peeps.

Making Sense of Social Networking

If your organization has embraced social networking, congratulations. If your effort is little more that warmed-over marketing tactics, it's time to get engaged. Here are some tips for leveraging the power of social networking to get involved with your prospects, fans and loyal customers. Choose Wisely - Facebook is for consumers, LinkedIn is for professionals, Twitter is for Journalists. Find your audience. Focus your efforts and engagement. Go Deep - Even if you think you know how your social platform works, take time to reintroduce yourself to the features of your chosen platform. There are more features, tools and opportunities that ever before. It's no longer enough to publish a page, or simply hang out as a member of a discussion group. Speak With One Voice - Everybody has an opinion, but it's essential that your team speaks with one voice. Especially if your organization has a LinkedIn presence. If the purchase decision for your product or service requires more than swiping a credit card, everything about your company is under scrutiny. Be Real - Publish real stories about real people to engage real prospects, like Joe. Customers can smell fake right though their screen. Be Present - Software tools that automate the publishing to multiple social networks carry the promise of making social networking easy. Technology can expand your market, extend your reach, get you there much faster, but it doesn't make business easier.

Evolving Trends in Social Networking

You can't take your eyes off  social networking for a minute. It's all about user generated content. After content, what they generate most is innovation. How about you? What's changed in your social networking strategy in the last year? I invite you to engage in a dialog about the challenge, either by posting a comment or sharing with your network.