How to Use Social Networking

If you are trying to figure out how to use social networking in today's age, then look no further! Below you will find a simple step by step guide to get you started in social networking.

You don't have to own a business or be marketing a particular product or service to use social networking sites. Most sites (like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and LinkedIn) are actually designed for the regular person who just wants to socialize with friends online.

Things You'll Need

• E-mail
• Computer or Smart Phone

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Instructions

• 1

  Pick one site to start with. Learning how to use social networking can be extremely overwhelming for people in the beginning. So to start, pick one site that you would like to concentrate on for now. Below is a basic description of a few of the sites and what they offer:

  Facebook - A friend based social networking site. You can share as little or as much information as you would like. Networks are formed based on your school, neighborhood, and work groups.

  Myspace - Another friend based social networking site, but this one offers many benefits for musical groups. Myspace allows music to play on your personal page, you also can upload pictures and other personal information.

  Twitter - A short 140 character based platform. You use these short "tweets" to discuss current events, social topics, your life or business, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

  LinkedIn - Used more for business connections. This social networking site helps get your business known in more than 200 countries. You build a virtual contact network to help increase your business contacts.

• 2

  Sign up for an account. Once you have decided on the first social networking site you would like to use. The next step in how to use social networking is getting your account. This is usually very quick and requires you to set up a username and corresponding web address for you social networking page. You will need to use your own email to verify the account before you can proceed to use your new social networking page.

• 3

  Set up your profile. Depending on which site you choose to start your social networking with, this process could be extremely short or much more difficult.

  It is best to keep things simple in the beginning. Add a profile picture and some brief information about you or your business. If you are using Myspace or Facebook you may also want to add your school, hometown, and employer information to help you connect with old friends.

• 4

  Increase your friends. The key to how to use social networking is to continually grow your friends lists. This can be done simply by adding a friend when you are on their page. Here are some general tips to growing your friend base in these four social networking sites:

  Facebook - The easiest way to gain friends on facebook is by finding people you know. As you continue to update your page you will likely find more and more people you know or who are in your network of friends.

  Myspace - This social networking site is more flexible in who you become friends. You don't need to be friends with one of their friends to add people on Myspace.

  Twitter - It is more important to have others following you than to have you follow hundreds of people on twitter. The key to gaining followers on this social networking page is to continually have useful or entertaining updates. It is also important to interact with your fellow 'Tweeple'.

  LinkedIn - Is based on the principle "It's who you know". You have to actually know a contact or be introduced to a contact before they will be added to your network.