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Synopsis

Dr. Misner is recording this podcast early because he’s going on Safari in Africa this week.

Here are some suggestions on how to use social media effectively.

• If you have a social media expert in your chapter, talk to them.
• Schedule your time with social media and make it part of a strategy.
• Find the right social media for you. Facebook is not the only network.
• Respond to comments. Retweet. Social media is a dialog.
• Use non-productive time (when you don’t usually work) for online networking.
• Use tools like Ping.fm, HootSuite, and Seesmic to save time.
• Remember that V/C/P still applies. Building relationships on social media takes time.

Here are five common mistakes businesses make on social media:

1. Spending too much time on sites you enjoy without evaluating their value to you.
2. Visiting a site for work and getting distracted by interesting posts.
3. Not recognizing when it’s time to delegate certain social media responsibilities.
4. Not providing consistent fresh content on your blog.
5. Forgetting that social media is about engaging in a conversation, not about selling.

Brought to you by Ask Ivan Misner.

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