Social media is an ever-growing marketing platform. With new users joining daily and new marketing angles emerging all the time there are so many possibilities right at your fingers tips. The most exciting part is really connecting with your target client and making meaningful connections that you wouldn't have had to opportunity to do so otherwise. So with all the changes going on all the time and new possibilities how can you continuously grow you network effectively? We'd like to share 4 foundations that ring true in any network you join and no matter what changes they make.

1. 4 Must Have Foundations to Grow Your Social Networks
Social media is an ever-growing marketing platform. With new users joining daily and new marketing
angles emerging all the time there are so many possibilities right at your fingers tips. The most exciting
part is really connecting with your target client and making meaningful connections that you wouldn't
have had to opportunity to do so otherwise.
So with all the changes going on all the time and new possibilities how can you continuously grow you
network affectively? We'd like to share 4 foundations that ring true in any network you join and no
matter what changes they make.
1st Foundation: Always be yourself and represent your branding.
In reality this means two things. First, stay true to your branding. This means colors, logos, pictures all
that fun stuff. You want to have a consistent appearance online, this helps people remember and
recognize you across multiple platforms.
Second, be yourself. We have a saying we like to use "Be Personable, Not Personal." You want your
interests and passions to shine through at all times so new connections can see who you are and get to
know you more.
In being personable you can still keep your personal life private. Let's give an example, if you went out to
the movies with your kids and during the movie you had light bulb moment use this in your content.
People will love it! This creates a connection point between you and your readers, gives them something
to relate too...and often times the message you're teaching is conveyed much easier.
To keep your family private you could say something along the lines of "This weekend I wanted to a
break from the busy office with my family and watch a good movie! Lo and behold during the movie I
had break through. Doesn't it seem like when you relax and let loose that the best ideas come to you?"
That is a great introduction or lead in for a blog, your readers will connect and want to hear more.
2nd Foundation: Give credit where credit is due.
This is so important. Doesn't it feel really great when you log into to Twitter and see that people have
shared one of your blog posts with their audience? Everyone loves having this feeling! One key to
growing your social media presence is by sharing useful content from thought leaders, or others, with
your community. In doing so you'll also build your relationship with that person. We share our mentors'
content all the time. We learn a lot from their content too! Here's a few tips to make the most of sharing
other's content:

2. Give them credit:
On Facebook, tag their Facebook Page name. Your post will then show up on their page and their
audience can see your post.
On Twitter, @mention them. Your post will now be right in front of the person so they'll see you're
acknowledging them - and more often than not they will acknowledge you, great exposure!
Leave them a comment:
If you're sharing a good blog with your audience post why not leave a comment on the blog? You can
share how you relate to the post or your opinion on the topic. This will also help your visibility with their
audience.
3rd Foundation: Always seek out new connections.
Social media is online networking. When you attend networking events in person you walk around and
introduce yourself. You might comment on their business card and ask questions about their business to
get the conversation going. The same thing happens online. If you find someone really interesting that
you want to spark a conversation, check out their website. Then send them a Tweet or post on their
Facebook page. Start the conversation.
One of the most popular questions we get is "How do I find new people to connect with?" We have
created a really effective process for connecting our clients with their target marketing. Let's look at a
few things you can do every week to grow your network with valuable connections:
Facebook:
Visit communities where your target clients "hang out" Think of thought leaders and networks that you
can go to and start connecting with people. Join the conversation and share your insights. Be sure to
post from your business page if you have one. This will greatly increase the awareness of your page.
Twitter:
Use tools like Twellow and ManageFlitter to find people in your niche. Another key activity is to monitor
who your connections are talking to and check out those people. Common interests are key in
connecting!
4th Foundation: Nourish existing relationships.
Building new relationships is an important piece, but don't forget about everyone you're already
connected with. Keeping up with people is really important and without a good system in place this
could become a full time job. It's a really good idea to think long term when growing your network. Here
are some ideas to put into place right now and keep your networks clean. Your schedule will really
appreciate these!
Create Facebook Lists:
The lists we see most helpful are Family, Close Friends, Thought Leaders, and Industry News.
Create Twitter Lists:
Here's some ideas to organize your Twitter followers: Retweeters (people you want to Retweet),
Thought Leaders, Colleagues, and Inspirational.

3. We have lists on our personal accounts and honestly we would be on Facebook and Twitter all day if we
didn't have these in place. We reserve time on our calendars every day to visit our lists and engage. We
have focused engagement time without having to worry about digging through the entire social feed to
find exactly what we're looking for.
By putting these foundations, and a few of your own too, into place you'll be ready to build your
networks no matter where you're at.
Have fun and happy networking!