SOCIAL NETWORKING

Facebook and Twitter:

Socially network
yourself to success
By Dr Angela Lewis

The social networking tools

However, ignoring the social media

is the dominant social networking tool

movement wont make it go away.

in Australia and the second most visited

Marketing consultant Clare Lancaster (Nett

website in the world. Facebooks statistics

Magazine 2009), writes that social media is

page quotes more than 300 million users,

very important for any business and that its

with the fastest growing demographic the

changing the way people use the Internet

35-plus group. There are also slightly more

worlds. Should we be using

and their expectations of websites.

female than male users.

them? And how can we use

At its simplest, social networking describes

Facebook was originally created for

them productively?

how individuals use online technologies and

American college students to keep in touch

practices to create content such as opinions,

with each other, and while most Facebook

insights and experiences and share it over

users maintain personal pages, businesses

Facebook and Twitter are the new

social media on the Internet. At its most

are now staking claim to Facebook as a less

communication tools. If we choose to use

powerful, it can be (in the words of Clare

formal way of keeping in touch with clients

them, what should we write about? How

Lancaster) a modern day form of word of

and customers.

often should we write? Will it really add

mouth marketing on steroids. In fact, a

any value to your professional life? And the

2009 study by media research firm Nielsen

big one for many of ushow do we find

reported that that two-thirds of the global

the time? If this sounds familiar, you are

Internet population visit social networks.

Facebook and Twitter are

rapidly infiltrating our
business and personal

probably not alone. While GenY probably

doesnt ponder these questions, adults

Facebook

trying to run a business or earn a living are

Social network sites such as Facebook give

more likely to consider activities such as

people the ability to maintain a page online

writing a regular online update as just one

for keeping in touch with their network of

more thing on a long list of to dos.

friends, family or customers and sharing

information, video and photos. Facebook

| 08 | FEB 10 | TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA

Facebook has two aspects: the Facebook

profile, which is the personal page, and the
Facebook page, intended as a business or
professional platform. People who follow
or join a profile page are known as friends,
while those who follow a business page
are known as fans. Without fans the search
engines such as Google will not rank your
page very highly and neither will Facebooks
business page directory. You can only invite

SOCIAL NETWORKING

If you only add news or updates

sporadically, theres nothing to keep
readers engaged

Twitter
Twitter is what is known as a Microblogging
tool. Twitters annual growth-rate in
Australia in the past 12 months is said
to have been 3,200%, with 60% of users
35-plus years of age. It is regarded as

existing friends to become fans, so in order

One thing that I cannot stress enough is

to attract more fans to your Facebook page

that there is a very big difference between

you need to think of other ways to promote

having a Facebook page where you and

it, such as using the free Facebook badge

your friends share photos of you passed

link which you can include on your website

out after a bottle of wine, and maintaining

When you set up a Twitter account

or in your emails.

a Facebook page or other online space

you can then post up to 140 characters

which showcases your business, brand or

of information in a similar way to a

service. People confuse the two media.

text message, so users tend to adopt

Of course there is nothing wrong with

a fairly casual style. Tweets, as these

having a Facebook page where you and

communications are known, can be read

your friends say silly things and put up less

online or via mobile phone. Once online

than flattering photos. However, you do

with Twitter, the recommended strategy is

The Facebook page has what is known as a

wall. This is the space where people can write
comments or messages and where your own
communications appear. Your Facebook page
needs to be active and engaging and provide
something of value to those who visit it. This
could be achieved by posting newsletters,
hosting discussions that provide links to
articles, videos and websites or writing tips
relevant to your industry or business.
Ideally, your page will work on the principle
of a two-way conversation between yourself
and your fans or followers and must be
based on interaction and not just pushing
out your message. As well, the Facebook
page must be regularly updated. If you only
add news or updates sporadically, theres
nothing to keep readers engagedand
worse, it makes it look like you are not that
invested or interested in your business or
product.
Small businesses without a web presence
may consider setting up a Facebook profile
or page as a no-cost way of connecting
and advertising online. A personal profile
page should be set up prior to a business
page, as, the search engines wont rank the
business page unless you have a personal
profile set up first. If you want to use your
own or your business name, register it
under the username link in Facebook before
someone else beats you to it. Consult the

an excellent source of word-of-mouth

advertising, but the flip-side is that it can
also generate negative press.

not need the rest of the world to see this,

especially not your customers or potential
clients, so it is best to keep these two worlds
separate.
It is becoming more and more common
for would-be employers or customers to
search the Internet for information on folk
they may consider doing business with or
employing, and while you cannot control
what your friends post on their social
networking sites, what you make public
should only be what you would be happy
for a potential client to see. See Staying
private on Facebook below.
I have a Facebook account but I have set it
up so that only my close friends and family
have permission to access my profile. For
business communications I maintain a
website, and a blog, and I am establishing
a separate Facebook page to promote my
business. My blog is open to the world and
it focuses on my professional achievements,
work and interests and my Facebook page is
about my businessand I try not to let the
(very) personal me and the professional me
become confused online.

settings and help files in Facebook for more

information.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA | FEB 10 | 09 |

SOCIAL NETWORKING

to locate people who are associated with

Facebook that allows you to follow

However you look at it, maintaining a social

your profession, industry or causemarket

language trends and usage of words and

networking presence takes time. While you

leaders, those who work in the industry,

phrases on its profiles and pages. In

may enjoy using Facebook to catch up with

those having conversations around the

Twitter, use the provided search tool.

friends and swap gossip, it is completely

issues that interest you (eg, learning and

Have a clear reason for using Facebook

different to the time, effort and thought

development, resource management,

or Twitteris your primary motive

needed to maintain a professional social

e-learning), and to make a link to them

selling, engaging customers or raising

network. With that in mind, it is important

awareness?

to choose a tool that that you are likely

(known as following).
Just like posting in Facebook, Twitter works

Do some research, thinking and

on engagement, so to become a part of this

planning first to establish what people

online community and build up your own

will find valuable.

following you will need to make comments

on what others have said, respond to
remarks and engage in conversations
and exchanges of information with other
Twitter users interested in the same issues.
Twitter has a tool called Tweetdeck that
can be downloaded to enable filtering and
searching of messages from like-minded

If your purpose in doing this is to drive

more traffic to your website, you will
need to research some tracking tools
to measure the effect that Twitter or
Facebook has on your websites traffic.
Twitter has one and there is always
Google Analytics.

people, to make it easier to link to them.

And think about:

If you are consistent, useful and interesting

Are you prepared to spend the time

you should eventually build followers;

to maintain a Facebook page or tweet

however, it can take between 612 months

daily?

for this occur. Professionals say that a

person needs to tweet 45 times daily over
this period, as any less than this will fail to
foster engagement with other Twitter users.

Are you ready to dialogue with

customers/clients on a regular basis?
Do you have the resources to make

to enjoy using. You may also not have the

resources to participate in all of them, so
pick what you feel works best for you. Ive
chosen to use my blog in a certain way and
my Facebook page in a certain wayand
while I have set up a Twitter account, I
dont tweet at the moment because I dont
have the means to use Twitter the way it
should be used.

Blog, dont blab

As this media become more pervasive,
debates surrounding security and
privacy continue in the face of sensitive
information and private photos appearing
on social networking sites the world over.
Remember the old phrase Loose lips sink
ships and be careful not to give away
critical or inappropriate information about

a commitment to your chosen social

your clients or employer when tweeting

network? Doing these things takes time

or posting. While many organisations

and once you begin you need to keep

in Australia routinely ban any form of

The best strategy for gathering and keeping

updating, posting or tweetingand it

social networking access, they cant stop

followers in Twitter, and fans or friends

must be regular. It is not something

individuals posting sensitive information

on Facebook, is to have fresh and creative

you undertake for a brief marketing

from their homes and personal computers,

output. This can include discussion or

campaign.

so the onus shifts to the individual to think

Strategies for using social

media tools for business

proactive tips on issues related to your

How will you engage with people?

about issues related to the confidentiality of

industry, statements and information on

On Facebook, you will always need

others.

what your business is doing, links to other

to respond to comments. As well you

useful and relevant websites and blogs in

Learning and development consultants

can host discussions around your

your industry and links to articles. The key

should remember to keep names and

customer interests, spend money on

words to keep in mind are sharing and

identifying data out of posts if discussing

offering coupons, give out guides

adding value.

case studies or situations encountered

and useful links and content, make

when working with clients, because even

exclusive offers, set up contests or give

if you think you are making a seemingly

out free applications and widgets (eg,

innocent comment, it may be damaging

logos, badges). On Twitter, respond to

people are saying about your business,

to the individuals or business concerned.

comments and engage in conversations

brand, industry or issues (accreditation,

Earlier this year the US Marines banned all

and exchanges of information with

e-learning, resource management).

forms of social networking sites including

other Twitter users who are interested in

Use Lexicon, a free tool provided by

Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, as they

the same issues.

consider them to be serious security threats.

Some useful strategies:

Search for, and check up on, what

| 010 | FEB 10 | TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA

SOCIAL NETWORKING

The key points to keep in mind (whatever

medium you choose) are that your
communications need to provide something

Razor Fish (2009). Digital outlook report

References
Facebook www.facebook.com

<http://digitaloutlook.razorfish.com/
publication/?i=13617>.

of value (information, ideas, tips) and foster

Gallagher, C. (2009). Is your website ready

engagement and dialog with followers.

for social media? http://nett.com.au/blogs/

Richardson, J. (2007). Social networking for

People know when they are being sold to,

is-your-website-ready-for-social-media/98.

small business

and if your Facebook or Twitter posts are

html

nothing but a string of advertisements,

people will quickly lose interest. As the
Nielsen report (2009) aptly frames it,
Advertising on a social network is like
gate-crashing a party. However, if you are
helpful enough, your social networking
credibility can grow substantially, and will
help your professional profile.

Staying private on
Facebook

<www.successbox.com.au/online-

Nielsen Research (2009) Global faces and

marketing/social-networking-for-small-

networked places: A Nielsen report on

business/>.

social networkings new global footprint

Scoble, Robert: Blog

<http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/
wp-content/uploads/2009/03/nielsen_

<http://scobleizer.com/2009/01/12/if-you-

globalfaces_mar09.pdf>.

are-laid-off-heres-how-to-socially-network/>

Pesce, M. (2009). You cant pay for it

Twitter www.twitter.com

<http://nett.com.au/blogs/can-t-pay-forit/99.html>

Take the time to read and understand the

Settings link in Facebook to help you
customise your page, and avail yourself of
the free information provided in Facebooks
Help. To set who can see what on your

Mastering Training Design

S uppor ting Success in Le a r n i n g

Facebook profile page do the following:

1. Click on Settings.
2. Choose Privacy Settings. Click on
Profile, which takes you to the page
where you can choose who sees certain
information on your profile.
3. Underneath each section on this page
(such as basic info, personal info, status,
etc) you are able to designate who sees
that particular aspect of information.
For example choosing everyone makes
that information completely public,
while choosing friends of friends lets
your friends friends (ie, strangers) see it.
Angela Lewis, Learning &
Development Consultant, can be
found at www.angelalewis.com.au. I
blog at: http://angelalewis.wordpress.
com and my Facebook page can
be viewed by typing Angela Lewis

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