The most effective networking relationships are reciprocal. Both individuals gain substantial benefits from the relationship. Unfortunately, some professionals view networking from one of two extremes, either they cynically ignore the effort, or they pursue their goal with Machiavellian tactics.

 

But what of the majority of us that fall between the extremes? We show up for the dance, but spend a fair amount of time observing from the sidelines. Of course there is nothing wrong with some observation.

Building your personal brand requires tenacity and dedication. If you’ve been focused on developing your personal brand you also know it takes time and money. It takes time to engage your audience and it takes even more time to create content that will get noticed. The last thing you feel like doing is working overtime trying to monitor your results. Fortunately there is a quick, easy, and free method that you can use to gauge your efforts.

 

This is where “Twitter Lists” can help. Get in your Wayback Machine because Twitter released this feature in November 2009!

The warning signs were everywhere.  But like a bull facing a red flag I charged forward because I can’t resist a challenge, or revenue for that matter!  The small nonprofit organization, funded by city tax dollars, indicted that they were looking for a marketing change.  But I suspected the odds of success were a long shot.

 

Resistance to change, by executives and workers alike, is considered a central problem of most organizations.  And LinkedIn provided plenty of evidence on why a social change initiative would be difficult.

Free white papers and eBook’s, free seminars and webinars, free assessments, free consultations, free demonstrations, free software download, free, free, free.  It sounds great, after all, why pay for business advice and knowledge when you can get it for free?

 

But it’s not really free because every choice has cost.  What we don’t spend in dollars, we spend it time, attention, and effort.  There is also “opportunity cost” to consider.  When you pick one path you are losing the opportunity to explore another.

 

It appears to be a friendly welcoming, offering help to the receiver of the message, but it’s not.  In fact, if you are using those ten words at the front end of your lead generation campaign then you are actually damaging your brand.  Here is why:

 

1. You delivered it through a direct message automation application didn’t you?  I thought that was the case.  Sorry, but most people delete those messages without ever reading them.

No, probably not.  In fact, I’m guessing your company doesn’t even interview them for fear of the following:

 

1. When more experience and skills are obvious from their LinkedIn profile or job application it naturally brings the perception of added value.  And added value brings the perception of higher pay, even if the salary range hasn’t been disclosed.  If that perceived higher salary is higher than your budget for the position the application goes into the “overqualified” file.

It’s easy to spot self-absorbed brands on social media.  What do they look like?  It’s not what they look like; it has to do with how they communicate.

 

· Learn more about us at blah blah blah.

· Be sure to “Like” our Facebook page!

· Did you catch our latest post?

· Hope you enjoy our tweets and posts!

· Please RT!

· Don’t miss our latest blah blah blah.

In addition, they rarely follow-back their audience.  Which means it’s impossible to start a direct message conversation with them.

In the early 90’s three Pennsylvania college boys with too much time on their hands decided that every actor living or dead could be linked to Kevin Bacon.  Although never a big box office draw, Bacon has been in a significant number of films and the boys discovered that if you use Bacon as an end point, you can link him in six degrees or less to almost any other performer.  So, from that humble beginning The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon was born.

 

For example, Alfred Hitchcock and Elvis Presley can both be linked to Kevin Bacon.

My prime prospect is showing me their child pose.  That’s code speak for “I’m not paying attention now, so don’t bother me.”  The silence is deafening.  What are my options?

1. Get busy with some loud broadcasting activity? You know, blast them with all the channels including the phone, email, texting and social media.  Sure, I can wake them up and force them to engage with me!

2. Hoover over them and watch to see if their current position shifts in the slightest.  At that point I could quickly swoop in and hijack their attention before they nod off again.

The process, or more fitting, the mindset I recommend to individuals who want to start a business should actually be implemented long before they hang out their shingle.  Before starting a consulting firm or business that depends on your personal reputation it’s to your advantage to make sure your personal brand is already known, carries influence, and inspires trust.  That means building and nurturing your personal brand and network must be top-of-mind from the very beginning of your career, even while you are still working for someone else.