MySpace, my business

• Naomi Hulbert
• 18 February 2008
• Page 1 of 3 : single page

Photo credit: Naomi Hulbert

What’s the point of MySpace, unless you’re 12 years old or a member of a garage band in Ohio? What good is Facebook, beyond encouraging you and your employees to waste precious work hours ‘poking’ school friends you haven’t seen or thought about in 20 years? 

I’m not 12 (unfortunately), I have no musical aspirations (or talent), and I’m a busy small-business owner with not a minute to waste online. But I do maintain a MySpace profile (complete with around 1500 ‘friends’, most of whom I’ve never met), and I do stay connected with those old school buddies on Facebook (even occasionally ‘poking’ them), and from these two websites I’m turning a profit. You heard me, a profit. And said profit has nothing to do with getting on board Facebook’s new advertising opportunities: I haven’t even begun to venture into that potentially lucrative playing field yet. I’m talking about putting good, old-fashioned social media profiles to work for business. From these two sites I’ve found new clients; had my work referred overseas; sourced writers, designers and actors for my writing and production business; and was approached to edit this magazine!It took me a while to unlock the secrets of MySpace and Facebook, so I’ll save you some time and let you in on what I’ve discovered about these giants of the online social networking scene.

MySpace: the real me? 

I use MySpace almost exclusively for business, but my profile looks personal rather than professional, and that’s a deliberate strategy. I already have a website that serves a straightforward professional purpose, but that doesn’t reach all my potential clients. MySpace is all about networking, and to network, people need to get to know the real me. By keeping it personal, I can attract a new audience, build loyalty among my ‘friends’ (to the point of generating sales and positive referrals), invite feedback on what I do, and use my contacts to test what I’m working on before I unleash it on the ‘real’ world. 

Get personal

My profile page is relatively attractive (for MySpace) and easy-to-read, but deliberately looks ‘home-made’. Beware, it can be counter-productive to be overly brand-conscious and slick-looking on a social networking platform, because people will immediately assume you are trying to sell to them, rather than connect with them. However, I make sure that all the ‘professional’ stuff (in my case, information about what I write and where to find it) is clear and easily accessible.

Watch your step

Because I want my online social network to engage with me personally, I also post casual photographs on the site. These are your typical random ‘out at parties’, ‘travelling’ and ‘here’s my dog’ photos that may seem irrelevant, except that they help people (potential clients and customers!) feel like they’re getting to know the real me. However, while I give the impression of being open and vulnerable, I’m careful to never post words or pictures that may lower people's impressions of me!

Make friends

MySpace isn’t a popularity contest, so having 2000 friends isn't going to do you any good unless they're strategic friends. Search for decision-makers in your field, and potential customers, and invite them to befriend you. As a writer, I ask professionals such as editors and publishers to befriend me. I also invite friends of other writers with a similar style to mine, because I figure they might also enjoy my work.

Use short-cuts 

It's easy to get set-up to find either like-minded people or potential clients/friends. From your Home page, look along the list of tabs at the top, and click on ‘Search’. Go down to ‘Affiliation for Networking’, and select the type of professional you are hoping to befriend. Then, on the results page, you’ll also be given additional search options such as age, gender and location. A search will generate a list of people and information to help you decide whether or not you would like to befriend them. It will also tell you why they’re on MySpace (if they say they’re online for dating, they may misinterpret your overtures!); how long since they’ve updated their profile (an indication of whether or not they actively use MySpace); and their location (will MySpace members in Somalia really be interested in your business?).

Mean it 

When I was little, I had a Holly Hobbie plate that said 'To have a friend, be a friend'. MySpace is no different. Once you start inviting ‘friends’, be prepared to follow up. Show your new friends you are interested in their lives, their professions, and what they are doing online. If they write to you, respond. If they ask you why you befriended them, tell them! The whole point is to engage a new network, so if you ignore them, they will remain strangers (rather than clients or customers).  

So what?

Once you’ve made friends, give them a reason to keep coming back to your profile (and continue engaging with you). One of the best ways is to post regular blogs. Blogs can comprise writing, illustrations, photographs, videos… it’s up to you. I find the best way is to post a mix of blogs that are quite personal, and others that are professional. So when I have an article published, I write a blog ‘teaser’ and link to it. And if something profound happens to me on the way to work, I write about that and post it too. If you are genuine, people can and will interact with your blogs.

More about blogs

Whatever is in your blogs should be worth people’s time. Give them something that is either informative, entertaining, a giveaway, or something… a straightforward advertisement will not get people engaging with you or returning to your profile. Remember: online social networks are surprisingly personal communities, and nobody wants to be treated as marketing fodder. On each post, you’re invited to select a category: be sure to do this. Some people subscribe to a specific blog category, so even if they’re not your ‘friend’, they may still look at and respond to your post.