I know what you guys are thinking.
Oh great another article telling me to "Be authentic".
Yeah, I feel like barfing every time I hear a guru saying those words in regards to social media and twitter.
However, they are on to something.
By the time you finish reading this article you'll not only understand what they mean, but learn how to achieve this realness without seeming like a phony.
First of all what does authenticity mean anyway? People keep throwing this word around without giving an explanation of what they mean.
Here's my definition of authenticity.
Basically in a nutshell, it means that you should be yourself.
In other words, the people that you network with online should be comfortable with you when they meet you in person because you act the same way online as you do in real life.
That's it.
That's what all of the gurus are talking about when they say "Be authentic".
Darn I said it again! But why is this important you ask? Great question! Authenticity is important because people buy from other people they know, like and trust (yes I know another buzz word you hear over and over again).
People can't get to know you if you don't give them a chance too.
I know it seems uncomfortable, but you've got to give people a chance to see the real you.
Okay, I understand that I have to be "authentic" and show my personality so people can get to know the "real" me.
What are some things that I need to do in order to accomplish this feat? First things first, please add a picture to your profile! I don't care if the picture is from when you were in the 12th grade.
You know what I look like, I should be able to know what you look like.
Think of Facebook like a dinner party.
What would you do if you were at a party and you did not know anyone? Well more than likely you'd listen to a few conversations and then join a group of people talking about something you find interesting, right? You'd probably introduce yourself and then add to the conversation.
Well you can do the same thing in online networking.
You can join groups where people are discussing things that are interesting to you.
Another good thing about Facebook is the games.
Once again, I know what you're thinking.
How can playing games help me with my business.
When you play games on Facebook with your online pals they get to see more of your personality.
Also you get to meet people that you wouldn't otherwise meet.
Only start promoting yourself after you've promoted something someone else is doing.
People on social media hate getting sold too.
A lot of people only use social media for recreation.
It's great to post links to your blogs, but don't overdo it.
It takes some time to get some momentum going on Facebook, but once you do, you won't be able to stop all of the traffic and sales that you'll get.
Now what are you waiting for? Get busy networking!