Listen to the director’s cut podcast version here
On a recent teleseminar with social networking experts, I shared a handful of my winning strategies for keeping a healthy-high level of online visibility. Because my focus is always on building relationships and connecting in a genuine way, I look for “out-of-the-box” ways to stay memorable. One strategy I use is to frequently upload new photos to Facebook and photo sharing sites like Flickr.
Sharing photos online has many advantages that pay off well, equaling nothing short of sizzling Sizzibility in the long run.
From a purely technical point of view, adding photos is great for your social networking visibility because it puts you at the top of “the feed” which is the timeline of activity on various sites. Each time you add new photos to Facebook, everyone in your network will see that you’ve added them. This gives your contacts the chance to comment on your pictures which puts them at the top of the feed. Those comments back and forth also work on connecting you even closer to your friends. You can also tag people in the photos to increase the exposure even more. See how nicely this works out for everyone?
From a relationship building angle, photos help your network see more of who you are and what you’re like behind the scenes. You can include photos of you working with clients, meeting people in person, conducting a workshop, or doing something that is related to your professional expertise.
But don’t forget the personal side too. Many successful social networkers use candid photos from time outside the office to deepen the understanding of who they are as a whole person. You might include pictures of your travels, family photos, or you engaged in a pastime or hobby. If your work centers around helping others create meaningful lives, then use photos of your life to prove you practice what you preach.
What’s even better is that you get to set the boundaries around what you’ll share. So if you’d rather leave your family out of this, that’s fine. If it’s something that you think would give your contacts more reason to be interested in you, then by all means include it.
That being said, you want to exercise wisdom and good judgment with photos. Vacation pictures are great, but that shot of you getting an upside-down margarita in Puerto Vallarta may not be the best to bolster your credibility… unless you’re in some kind of business where that would be a great selling factor. Once again, you get to decide.
When it comes to adding photos to your social networking pages, follow this simple rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t show it to a business contact at an in-person networking event, then best leave it offline. However, if it’s something you feel could help develop relationships with business contacts and find things to connect on, then by all means go for it.
Social networking is an artful combination of connecting with people and maintaining high visibility. By using photos, you speak to your contacts in a visual language that may be exactly what they needed to “hear”!
Would you like to reprint this article? You may as long as you include this blurb in its entirety:
Nancy Marmolejo is a PR, media, and social networking strategist who teaches women entrepreneurs how to generate more money and attention by positioning themselves in the spotlight. An award winning business owner, Nancy is frequently quoted in the areas of business, creativity, and social networking. Get Nancy’s 7 part free audio course by visiting www.VivaVisibility.com
About Nancy Marmolejo
