The Savvy Gal Blog

Online Networking Tip: Peruse before you post

Savvy Gal Networking Tip: Peruse before you post.  Each different platform, whether it’s a message board, blog, listserv, or social network has its own unwritten rules (although often on message boards, they’re even written down).  Spend some time seeing how others operate, and you’ll be able to blend right in!

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Online Networking Tip: Resource boards are a great resource

Savvy Gal Networking Tip: Resource boards are a great resource.  If you want to know how to reset your BlackBerryTM, just type “How do I reset my BlackBerryTM?” into a search engine and, sure enough, several of the links that pop up will lead to a resource board.  This also works for coupons and discounts if you're about to make a purchase.  Just type in the product name and the word “coupon” or “discount” and you’ll be directed to any special offers available.

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazone or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Online Networking Tip: Pick an appropriate online alias

Savvy Gal Networking Tip:  Pick an appropriate online alias.   If you’d like to remain anonymous, choose a username that is not easily identifiable to you.  However, if the message board is directly related to your business and you would want people reading your comments to locate you, it's O.K. to use your full name.  Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you would feel comfortable putting your comment in the letters to the editor section of your local paper or business journal, then use your real identity.  When in doubt, leave your real name out.

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Online Networking Tip: Effective blogging requires creating a schedule and sticking to it

Savvy Gal Networking Tip:  Effective blogging requires creating a schedule and sticking to it.  Most people will assume a blog will be updated daily, unless you have a news blog and that is updated frequently during the day.  However, if you want to post weekly articles, that’s fine too.  Just make sure your readers expect that to be the schedule.

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Online Networking Tip: Good bloggers befriend the competition

Savvy Gal Networking Tip:  Good bloggers befriend the competition.  Stop thinking of these other blogs as competition, but instead, bookmark them as more resources to link to…and network with!

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Online Networking Tip: Meet the experts…online

Savvy Gal Networking Tip:  Meet the experts…online.  If you hear a great speaker at an event, check to see if he or she has a blog.  We’ve found that people who run their own blogs, no matter how popular and famous, are often very free with their answers and responses when someone comments on their blog.

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Online Networking Tip: Know the key to keywords

Savvy Gal Networking Tip: Know the key to keywords.  Most people looking online for service providers search by keywords, whether in a search engine like Google or within a social network.  Make sure you come up with as many keywords as someone might use to find you and then include these somewhere in your profile description.  Check out keywords of someone in your industry for ideas; there are no copyright laws on keywords (yet!).  Or, ask a friend what keywords they might use if they were looking for someone with your skill set and services.

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Happy 232nd Birthday to Jane Austen

Happy birthday to you.  Happy birthday to you.  Happy birthday dear Ja-ane.  Happy birthday to you.

In honor of Jane's birthday (12/16/1775), you can get your copy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) by joining the Downtown Women's Club (www.downtownwomensclub.com) and using the code "JANEAUSTEN" to get $10.00 off the $49.99/year DWC Faces membership (membership includes a goodybag mailer with a free signed copy). Offer good through 12/31/07 or you can always purchase from Amazon

Latest review of the book:

"Here's the dish - it's fun, it's informative, and you can read it in one sitting. The book takes the confusion out of online networking using "Wendy" - a "thoroughly modern executive, whose diary... oh, excuse us...blog)" is the basis of the book. Wendy shares email tips and tactics, and why "you need to pay attention to social networking sites," and more. There's a lot of fun between the covers of this book...fun that will have you laughing while you learn."

--Yvonne DiVita, www.lipsticking.com.

Online Networking Tip: MySpace ignorance can hurt your career

Savvy Gal Networking Tip:  MySpace ignorance can hurt your career.  If you are a recent graduate or twentysomething, it’s possible that your MySpace or Facebook page could hurt your job prospects.  Yes, employers are on there (especially the ones who have kids!).

• There are privacy settings for profiles: learn them and use them. 
• Avoid guilt by association.  While you might have appropriate images or content, monitor your friends’ pictures and comments that appear on your page, or if they “tag” (i.e. caption) a risqué photo on their own page with your name.
• Demonstrate that you know the difference between personal websites and professional websites by having a professional online profile that the employers can easily find.

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.

Online Networking Tip: MySpace ignorance can hurt your child.

Savvy Gal Networking Tip:  MySpace ignorance can hurt your child.  If you have a child 14 or older, you need to register for MySpace (which is free) and check to see if your child has a webpage up there.  Not only will you be able to monitor whether it is safe from online predators, but if you take a constructive approach, you also will be able to share an experience with your child as well as learn a little bit more about technology.

This tip courtesy of The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) available through Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club membership.