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Manage Yourself Smart: Ten Guidelines for Making Smart Choices in the World of Social Media

Just like in the ‘real world,’ there are things you should and shouldn’t do in the virtual world – especially if you want to be respected and taken seriously. I call this ‘managing yourself smart,’ and here are some guidelines to help navigate social media.

Operate with integrity. Just as you would in your office, when you’re online make sure to hold yourself accountable. Own your mistakes and always tell the truth – no exceptions. Sure, it can be easier to ‘hide’ and ignore unpleasant situations online, but behaving in this manner will reflect negatively on you.

Inspire and motivate. Whether through blog posts, comments, posted videos, or other methods, it’s easy – and prudent – to use social media to give others an extra positive push. Think about the needs of others – don’t just promote yourself, your accomplishments, or your organization. Listen to, and do your best to inspire, others with whom you’re interacting.


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About the Author

Barry Libert is the author of Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business. He is Chairman and CEO of Mzinga®, the leading provider of social software, services, and analytics that improve business performance. Barry has published five books on the value of social and information networks. He is a regularly featured keynote speaker at industry associations and for leading companies on the power of social media. He has been published in Newsweek, Smart Money, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and he has appeared on CNN, CNBC, and NPR. Barry currently serves on the Board of Directors at Innocentive and The SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Barry, click here.

Minding Your Manners Online: Eight Lessons in Netiquette That Will Help You Succeed in Social Media Charm School

Social networking provides companies with a user-friendly, fast, and far-reaching way to connect with employees and clients. But as with face-to-face meetings, there are certain rules of etiquette that must be followed to achieve the desired outcome.

The Internet is a big, limitless place where the rules of everyday life don’t always apply. You can be whomever you want to be and say whatever you want to say…right? Well actually, no, you can’t – or at least, you shouldn’t. Especially if your online presence is connected to your professional image. The fact of the matter is, just as there is proper etiquette in the ‘real’ world, there’s a right way and a wrong way to behave in the online world, too. In fact, how you choose to communicate can have a very real impact on your relationships with employees, customers, and partners.

For some reason, many people seem to think that using social media gives them a pass to leave manners and etiquette behind. They don’t realize that social media can actually be a critical vehicle by which to engage customers and inspire employees.


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About the Author

Barry Libert is the author of Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business. He is Chairman and CEO of Mzinga®, the leading provider of social software, services, and analytics that improve business performance. Barry has published five books on the value of social and information networks. He is a regularly featured keynote speaker at industry associations and for leading companies on the power of social media. He has been published in Newsweek, Smart Money, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and he has appeared on CNN, CNBC, and NPR. Barry currently serves on the Board of Directors at Innocentive and The SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Barry, click here.

Top Ten Pitfalls to Avoid When Going Social in the Business World

Businesses can gain a lot from building a “Social Nation,” but only if you’re networking smart.

If you were to make a list of up-and-coming business trends, social media strategies would probably be near the top. Actually, scratch that “up-and-coming” part – social media is already here. However, thousands of companies are rushing headlong into the profile-creating, news-tweeting, blog-posting frenzy…only to find that their valiant efforts are not getting the results they had hoped. If you’re looking for fans, followers, and friends to build a Social Nation around your business, don’t panic. There is simple advice that will help businesses avoid the pitfalls and make a strong online impact.

It’s true: there are countless benefits to joining what I call the Social Nation revolution – but just like any strategy for growth, social media isn’t foolproof. If you don’t want your company’s social strategy to fall flat, there are some guidelines you’ll need to follow.

As the Chairman and CEO of Mzinga, a company that provides social software to businesses. Quite literally, it’s my job to be social media savvy. And before you start building your own Social Nation, you need to have a well-researched game plan.

When it comes to building a successful social network for your company, you need to understand that there’s a lot of prep work to be done. You can’t just set up a Facebook profile for your company, tweet once or twice a day, and expect public interest in your company to shoot through the roof. Far from it, actually.

Think about it this way: if you were in charge of your company’s booth at a trade show or conference, you wouldn’t just slap your company’s logo onto a piece of poster board, place your business cards on the table, and hope for the best, would you? Of course not. Yet that’s exactly how some companies approach social media – and that’s why so many of these initiatives fail.

If you want to become a meaningful part of social conversations and interactions, you’ve got to know who your target “fan base” is, where they spend their time online, and what sorts of content and programming is valuable and relevant to them, and will foster their continued interest and participation. You also need to make sure you have the wherewithal to commit to growing and sustaining your Social Nation, and you’ve got to make sure that you have buy-in from within your company. And that’s just for starters.

Sure, it may sound intimidating, but don’t give up yet. Half the battle is knowing which mistakes not to make:


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About the Author

Barry Libert is the author of Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business. He is Chairman and CEO of Mzinga®, the leading provider of social software, services, and analytics that improve business performance. Barry has published five books on the value of social and information networks. He is a regularly featured keynote speaker at industry associations and for leading companies on the power of social media. He has been published in Newsweek, Smart Money, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and he has appeared on CNN, CNBC, and NPR. Barry currently serves on the Board of Directors at Innocentive and The SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Barry, click here.