This week I was fortunate enough to be asked to speak at ASA in regard to a Social Media workshop. The topic of discussion was Social Media – Where’s The ROI? Within that discussion what I heard that was glaringly apparent is people need help with what the key things are they should know about Social Media and what can be expected.

Well, there is not an exact science (I know, not what you want to hear, right?). I can tell you like everyone else to get on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. OK – great! (You might be thinking.) Then what Jenn? What can I expect, what do I do? One of the keys (and there are several of them…) to a successful Social Media strategy as an individual is to be comfortable within the networks you choose. You can’t conquer the world if you are not even sure how to get there and forget about the fact that you are already there but didn’t know... With that being said, here’s the 10 things you wanted to know to use Social Media, but your Mom never told you (because she didn’t know)…

1. Be comfortable in the network(s) in which you select. This means:

a. Know how you are going to position yourself within the network.

b. Be able to be your authentic self. Do not select Facebook if you only use it for personal and there are things you post/say that you do not want to share with the world. (You can set controls, but people know that you have filtered things out for them).

c. Think about your Social Boundaries. You can read my blog about setting social boundaries… http://ning.it/bNghFW to get what I mean when I say boundaries.

2. Don’t feel like you have to do something just because someone else is. Does it make sense for you? Yes, I said YOU… Social Media is all about the individual.

3. Ask questions and share, share, share. Everyone has questions, some have answers. Get the dialog going…. After all, Social Media is about sharing, right?

4. Start thinking about Social Media as a conversation, not a transaction. You will get REALLY frustrated if you think it’s an immediate fix. This is not mining resumes with that instant result, it is building relationships that last (awh how special.., huh? Hah!).

5. Set-up your bio(s) for optimization. Use key words that will attract the type of people that you want to connect with.

6. Social Media is instant communication. Have a plan for managing requests/connections/comments.

7. Be upfront and honest. Don’t take information (contact/resume) you can never do anything with or are really not going to forward on. Candidates will respect you more for it in the morning J

8. Don’t try to do everything at once. Take it one Social Network at a time. Social overload is such a thing. In Japan they have a term called Mixi Fatigue (Mixi is a social network there). Mixi Fatigue is the psychological state of a Japanese youth experiencing a sense of tiring from using Mixi and voicing a desire to discontinue using Mixi and finally deciding to terminate the Mixi account. So do not get Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or whatever other social network(s) you decide to use “fatigue”.

9. Treat connections with respect. People are so important in social. Go figure, right? Did you know you have a great reach across the internet? People want to connect with people. Go to the places where there are people you want to connect with and don’t constantly e-mail blast them, etc. Be courteous of other peoples “social” time.

10. Always Remember…It’s not about the most connections when it comes to Social Networking, It’s about having relevant connections. Do what works for you…

Social Media is all about being you. Did you know one of the major reasons why candidates follow jobs on twitter is to find contact information? If you are not in places where your candidates are trying to find you then they will just find someone else… Now that’s no good, is it?