This entry was submitted by one of our community members, Laura Carbonell. If you are interested in submitting a social media/blogging related article, email assistant [at] thenicheparent{dot}com with subject line “Guest Author Submission.”
I’ve learned a lot in my two years in the blogosphere, not only from attending conferences and listening to social media gurus, PRs and other bloggers, but especially from observing and interacting with people both online and offline. Here are the tips I’ve gathered for being authentic, that I feel will help you build a solid and real network of bloggers and social media junkies.
- Be genuine. If others are attracted to who you really are, you will be in good company. If they are not, don’t mind them, they are not supposed to be in your world. I’ve met a few social media gurus in real life who I could tell were not even looking me in the eye, although their words told me otherwise. They wouldn’t give me five minutes of their time because I was a blogging newbie. I could tell they were measuring my worth by what I could do for them, which, in my very early days was … nothing, in their eyes. Those people, to me, are not worth the handshake. Seek out those who will try to connect with you even if it’s for two short minutes. Gravitate towards those who are actually interested in a real exchange of ideas and a human connection. In the end you attract what you exude, so be wary of what you convey.
- Connect with everyone. Don’t only seek out those people in social media who you think can help you get ahead. You might not share the same interests and be on the same page as certain individuals, but I’ve received invaluable help and knowledge from people who are playing in a different field. And, I found I had something to give to them too.
- Be selfless. Don’t always think about what it’s in it for you. See how you can help others. Even if someone is not in your league but you find their work intriguing and they need a hand, help them out, mentor them. Tweet and retweet them. Share their content. It’s a win-win. Besides being fulfilling, you will create a network of friends and team-players.
- Be a team player. Think of social media as team work. Even when you’re invited to Twitter parties that apparently don’t have a theme that interests you, do your best to chime in. Twitter parties are a great way of making new friends, connections and joining in team efforts. When you need those you once supported, they will usually be there for you.
- Don’t take it personally. If people don’t respond as you’d hoped, move on. It can be a selfish jungle out there. Competition is fierce, but if you are selective and support the genuine folks, you’ll be rewarded with a strong network of friends and colleagues who think like you!
Laura Carbonell is a bilingual and bicultural language teacher at Casa Hispana in San Francisco, the place she calls home. She is a foodie and enjoys cooking and sharing her abuelita’s recipes. Born into a family of writers, she enjoys sharing her vision of empowerment and motivation in blogs and articles, having successfully overcome serious addictions and life challenges.
Her work has been published in various online magazines such as Mamiverse.com, VOXXI, About.com and Spanglish Beauty.
Follow her on Twitter @Lauralcb.
