Five Ways You Can Build Your Reputation With Social Networking
By Bob Jenkins

Are you using social networks to build your reputation online? Whether you already are or you are just getting started with sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Ning, building your online reputation is your biggest responsibility.

Here are five ways to make sure you do it right.

#1: Be Proud Of Being You

The first thing is, you have to be yourself. You have to be who you are. Because although you can get away with being fake for a little while, as soon as one person realizes that you’re not who you say you are, your reputation is destroyed almost instantly because of the power of social networking.

So be yourself. And don’t be afraid of being yourself. Realize that you have some gifts and some knowledge that people need to know about, and those that want to learn from you are going to gravitate towards you. Those that don’t think you’re worth listening to are basically going to ignore you. And it’s at their peril, so don’t worry about them.

#2: Transparency – Never Hide From Your Audience

The second thing about your reputation is you should try to be transparent at all times. This means you keep everything real with your audience.

For example, over the last year, I used social media to show you my move from Maryland to North Carolina, including drama with the movers, picking the house, and getting it set up. I also pulled back the curtain to show what it takes to run a product launch.

When I did my last product launch, I was Twittering every day what I was doing to get ready for this site. Most of the gurus out there would keep everything under lock and key, and I was being very clear, saying, “This is what I’m doing to get ready for this launch.” It actually helped me have a better launch, even though I told everybody exactly what I was going to be doing.

They didn’t think that they had some surprise or whatever like most people teach; they just were excited to be part of it and part of the story. So be transparent. Let people know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, and they’re going to learn how to trust you.

#3: Be Positive For Positive Results

The third way to build your reputation is to be positive.

There are folks out there who generally can do a good job of being negative. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find that to be a very long-term profitable strategy.

It may get you some attention at first and spark some controversy, but that’s not the way to go. Be looking forward to the optimistic of your industry, of your business and what the results are going to be.

It would be easy for you to go onto Twitter or onto Facebook and talk about how you’re having a bad day or this product sucks or this week sucks or this relationship sucks. But you’re not really there for a support network, per se.

You’ll find some of that. If you have something bad happen in your life, sharing it with your followers will be very therapeutic for you and you will get a lot of support back. But when you’re just blasting negative things out, you’re going to get negative things in return, usually.

So try to be positive as much as possible and look for the opportunities that are out there and look at them from that positive perspective.

#4: Build Your Reputation And They Will Come

The fourth thing you must do is to be patient. This is because, initially, your reputation is going to be built only by yourself and the first initial people who get to know you. But as time goes on and you get more followers and you build a larger network of friends and peers, your reputation will solidify to allow your business to grow.

Once it hits a tipping point, your reputation and business accelerates at a very quick pace.

So be patient and let it happen. Don’t try this stuff out for a week and then come back to me next week and say, “Well, it didn’t really work. I didn’t really get any results yet.” You’ve got to let social networking play out over a few weeks and then a couple months and so on. A year from now your business is going to be tremendously different compared to where it is right now.

#5: Contribute To The Conversation � Every Day!

The fifth thing about your reputation is you need to be someone that people look to as a contributor, not as a leech, not as a mooch, as a contributor.

You have to be willing to be involved in the conversation, and you have to be willing to give as much or even more than what you’re going to get in return. The people who do that are growing so fast it makes my head spin.

I feel that I’m a pretty giving person but I see some other folks out there that just keep on giving, giving, giving and they just build up a huge following and that social capital is a real asset to your business. So you need to make sure that you’re contributing as much as possible to the conversation.

I don’t mean that as just go around randomly and try to help people. Within your specific task, your specific industry, the things you know well, you need to be at the forefront of letting people know how to do what you know how to do without charging them money at first.

They’ll come and find your site and your products and they’ll pay you for that as time goes on and their needs grow. With social networking you need to be building your reputation up first.

If somebody has a question, you should be one of the first people who answers and you need to answer without reservation not just, “Oh, I answered that in my eBook; go buy it”. They’re going to find your eBook if you just talk to them and give them solutions to the problem they are struggling with at that moment.

Give people your input, your encouragement for them to get better at what they are trying to do.

Any little quick free advice you can give, give it.

Actively Build Your Reputation With Social Networking And Reap The Rewards

You’ve got to be in this for the reason of having fun and really building that relationship. Dollars will come, there’s no doubt about that. But first, connect with people and really help them out. Understand that they’ll become loyal followers of what you do and see you for who you are.

Follow these 5 steps to building your reputation online and you’ll not only beat your competition, you’ll have more fun doing it!

Bob Jenkins teaches business owners how to use internet marketing strategies effectively to attract more customers and get more sales without spending a fortune on advertising. Get more free social networking lessons at www.DiscoverSocialNetworking.com.

I know this is supposed to be a blog about marketing online and marketing tips , and I will get to that in just a minute. I just have a heart felt passion that I want to share with you all after watching the Presidential debates the other night.

I was left feeling a bit confused and now I’m even curious about Governor Palin’s announcement that autism is an issue near and dear to her heart. Governor Palin has a nephew with autism , and that certainly identifies a personal connection to autism for the Governor, but other than that personal connection, what does she actually have in mind for autism programs ? What plan, if any, does she have in place for autism ? The answer, apparently, is none.

The Governor said:

“There are a lot of wasteful expenditures in the federal (government),” Palin said. “Let’s get rid of those and put them into strengthening NIH (National Institutes of Health) and these other areas where we can help our kids with autism .”

“Here’s the difference between John McCain and our ticket and Barack Obama and Joe Biden ,” she said. “We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. And that’s why in not just that first speech, but in every speech I give, I talk about being an advocate and a friend in the White House for our families who have members who have these special needs .”

I have not heard Governor Palin indicate what expenditures would be cut and what autism programs would be funded in a McCain-Palin administration. Stating over and over that you are an advocate for autistic persons appears to be a clear example of talking the talk, but does not demonstrate that Governor Palin is prepared to walk the walk as she claims. At this point, I don’t think Governor Palin even has an actual plan for how to help autistic persons and their families.

Senator Obama , on the other hand, has specified clearly what action he would take if he becomes President .

The elements of the Obama plan include:

1. Appoint Federal ASD (autism spectrum disorder) Coordinator to Oversee All Federal ASD Efforts.
2. Fully Fund the Combating Autism Act and Federal Autism Research Initiatives .
3. Support Special Needs Education for children with ASD .
4. Support Universal Screening .
5. Work Together .

Senator Obama , not Governor Palin , appears ready to walk the walk to help autistic persons and their families. I’m not a political person, and still not sure how to vote this year, but I know how I would vote on THIS issue.

This is where the marketing tips come in. :0) When blogging, you can’t just chat aimlessly about whatever comes to mind. You need to come prepared, like Senator Obama , with a plan and an end goal in mind. Get your ducks in a row, so to speak. Know who your audience is and write/talk to them on a personal level. Write what they want and need to hear/read, like you’re writing a letter home to Mom.

I can’t say that I’ve honestly been doing that very well lately, but (aka Bob the Teacher ) recently hit me over the head with that comment and it stuck. I know I could write and ask my Mom for her opinion and help too, so here goes…Bob Jenkins

I know and love several friends and family members who suffer from Autism . I know how these families suffer and what they go through on a daily basis, and it just seems to be getting worse every day. Autism is up from 1 in 10,000 less than 50 years ago, to 1 in 150 today!!!

Why? Where are the answers? What is causing Autism? What can We do?

I’m starting to put some answers in another blog. You can find it at Behavior Characteristics of Autism dot com. Please feel free to coment or ask questions as I want this to be a helpful site. I’m also going to have a free report by the same name up there soon.

Yesterday’s two classes on Discover AutoResponders by Bob the Teacher were once again way above my expectations. It was all about using Aweber for Advanced Communication Strategies .

We learned how to:

• Distribute our blog posts through email.

• Feed email through RSS Channels. (Like a Squidoo Lens .)

• Convert our Best Broadcasts to follow ups.

• Create a Buyer’s List.

• How to Personalize your sales letters. (Even some Secret Ninja Tactics to help convert better.)

• And Much, Much More!!!

Can’t wait to see what Bob the Teacher has on his desk for today’s class on Discover AutoResponders . The class is being video and audio recorded. If you want to see for yourself, CLICK HERE ! You won’t regret it.

Blessings from my kitchen table,

Carol

I left this post on Bob the Teacher’s blog and thought I’d share it here as well. This is really great help to me as I can now set up my auto responder myself. Yah!
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Bob,

I am learning so much on your Learn Autoresponders Step by Step course. Discover Autoresponders is the best investment I’ve made in a long while.

I posted this earlier, but the storm in the gulf reached Ohio Sunday and shut me down in the middle of replying. :0( (No power or phone till this morning. Towers down too, so no wireless.)

Anyhow, here I am late, but enthusiastic about the changes I’m making to my blog and social sites. This will really help me to monetize them. You make it so easy to learn, as we can just look over your shoulder and see exactly how you do it.

This class has honestly pushed me ahead eons from where I’d be trying to figure it out on my own. This class on how to Learn Autoresponders Step by Step does just that, helps you learn the simple, easy way to set them up. I had given up on doing it myself, but now I know I can do this.

I’d also like to thank you for the FREE ebook you gave us, IM Success Formula , to offer from our optin box. I had that almost filled out too, but here came the wind, 75+ MPH.

Well, I’m back and can’t wait for next Friday’s class, Sept. 19th at 4pm EST. For anyone looking for help to Learn Autoresponders Step by Step , the class was recorded so you can still get on board for this super training.

Thanks again and I’ll see ya Friday.

I just got off the second class with a ton more valuable marketing tips on autoresponders from Bob the Teacher . His Discover AutoResponders class is really churning out the info. I had to reload my pencil 3 times. :0)

What fantastic nuggets of info, and it’s all recorded for future reference. Is that Great Value or what?
Next class starts at 4 pm. EST so you have time to sign up yet. This is where you need to be if you need help with sending out the right message to your list.
Blessings from my kitchen table,
Carol

WOW! Just got off the first class on how to set up autoresponders with “Bob the Teacher.” This guy really knows how to Teach!

It was just nugget after nugget of information. I have been struggling for a while with autoresponders and how to get my sales funnel set up right, but I think I just found the Teacher to show me the steps. He really makes it so simple and easy and you just watch over his shoulder as he helps you Discover Autoresponders  live.

He is letting a few more people join the class (which is recorded and on video for your viewing pleasure, so you won’t miss a thing), so if you’re having some issues with autoresponders, click here and get signed up asap. You won’t get more bang for your buck anywhere else. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Hi Bob, I’m ready.