and this was what my modem looked like... And if you know anything about how they've speeded things up you know... LOL
Now back then there were BBSs. Bulletin Board Services. The best you could get out of this was funny games where most of the characters were actually Alphabet or Symbols, not real characters like now. And I thought they were the best thing since smoked bacon! The day I actually had a chat with someone online I thought I'd stepped into the future for real! So now you know when my fascination with the whole 'World Wide Web' began. Before it was 'World Wide' LOL
Ok, back to the subject.... Now there is so much out there and so many directions to turn in when it comes to Social Media, Internet Networking, etc.... it can be scary. How do you determine which way to go when you are trying to make your presence known, but not your personal life? Ok so here are some lessons I've learned when it comes to 'putting it out there'.
1. Whatever you do, can come back to you! -Be Careful about what you post. Business or otherwise. I've seen personal stuff that made my skin crawl on some peoples pages. Example, the other day I visited an Artists website because he'd sent me a couple of pics so I could maybe post on 'Living In Color'. Well let me tell you, the first half of his first page talked about how he became an Artist because he was abused and it was an outlet and then went on to describe in graphic detail how. Me and my Cursor ran screaming from his site. I feel bad for him but my visit was about Art. I didn't want to see the Art after the sadness. Maybe a different forum for talking about that would work better. He did mention that he hadn't sold anything in a year :-(
2. Only post pictures of yourself that you would want everyone, including your children to see if you are posting them on your Business page. Someone told me they couldn't believe the goofy pics I posted of myself on my Facebook Fan Page.... here is my response to that...
Oh and...
3. Last and most important... Be thoughtful. Think things through before making them a part of Internet history connected with you and your business. Sometimes we learn this by Trial and Error but when you do, be mindful of it. There is so much out there that you can't take back!
From About.Com
Definition: Social media -includes the various online technology tools that enable people to communicate easily via the internet to share information and resources. Social media can include text, audio, video, images, podcasts, and other multimedia communications.
From Dictionary.Com
Definition: Networking -a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals andgroups having a common interest
From Merriam-Webster.com
Definition: Marketing -the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service
From Entrepreneur.com
Definition: Branding -The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products
From Encarta.MSN.com
Definition: Foolery -irresponsible behavior: irresponsible or playful behavior
**Tip: before you sign up on other services check the fine print at the bottom. Who is the site owner, what do they offer, what is their Info Sharing Policy?
I'm just saying! :-) Have a colorful day!
Steph