As a newbie to the world of everything Web2.0, I decided to investigate how best to give myself a professional and friendly online image. I did a thorough search on what the experts recommend and this is what I came up with.

In the book “How to win Friends and Influence people” written by Dale Carnegie in 1936, the top tips to make people like you were as follows:

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Although this was written prior to the availability of online social networking, the rules still apply.

Online social networking for CRM

Firstly being genuinely interested in other people means that you need to understand that in the online world people are only looking for what will benefit them. If you do not state these benefits upfront they will lose interest. Your online profile is your opportunity to create a good first impression and present a good offering. It should therefore combine elements of yourself and your business in a holistic sales pitch and personal presentation.

Smile at people by letting your hair down

Smiling in the online sense of the word is about not being afraid to get a little personal. Your online profile should be like a mullet haircut - all business upfront and a party at the back. Don’t be afraid to connect with your customers. You should come across as a friendly real person. When you write to people, do it in the first person.  “I’ll be sure to get back to you with that information by tomorrow” sounds much better than “We will contact you when that information becomes available to us.” Who is we? Create a relationship with your customers.

Remember names and maintain relationships

Remember names! Social networking sites are about being social. Don’t put up a profile and then not interact on it. If you request to follow people or to start a relationship with them then it is expected that you maintain that relationship.

Become a good listener

Monitoring what is said about you and your company online by tracking mentions on the blogosphere can be very helpful to assess where you have gone wrong. The benefits of social networking sites such as Twitter are that you can immediately praise or follow people that have shown you appreciation, or you can publicly reply to people that have been negative about you.

Do not only talk about yourself and your business. Find out what customers want by following other people in the industry on social networking sites. Encouraging others to talk about themselves will give you valuable insight into how you can adjust your own offering to better suit their needs.

Talk about others’ interests

It is important to have the human factor. Have some interests outside of your particular field and show an active interest in other peoples interests (if that makes sense). Your updates can involve helpful extras like the latest football or cricket score. It could even relate to your own personal life, your wife, husband or kids. It is important to brand your profile page by using photos, backgrounds or company logos. This tactic will make you more real and credible to your customers. 

Tools and applications such as Twitter Search are available to allow you to find information that can benefit those in your social networking circle. It is important to provide answers to other peoples questions and ‘add value’ by being selfless.

Make the other person feel important

The way to make other people feel important is to let them know that what they have to say is important to you. Continually blasting one way messages will not win you much support. Social networking is about authentic conversation.

It is important to integrate multiple channels. Use various types of networks of communication so that your customers can reach you through whatever medium they are most comfortable with. If your email is down and the message is urgent, an informal response over Facebook could suffice. You can also get your blog to work with your Twitter profile.

So just to recap...what not to do!

Don’t blast people with one way communication – rather converse with people. Don’t only talk about messages that relate to you and your industry. Don’t only submit business information. Don’t refuse to answer anybody’s questions or help others out, even when there is not immediate or direct benefit for you.

Don’t be self involved online... give a little and we can all learn how to make friends and influence people online.