Len

That’s what social media is for… It’s all about building relationships and the beauty of the Internet is that all these communication tools allow us to reach more people faster than ever before.

Thanks for sharing and great cause you are supporting!

- Charles

Rebecca Holman
Branding The Power of You

You are who you surround yourself with. SO, after attending on of Ken MaArthur’s JV Alert Live(!) events back in June, I can honestly say that I have made and built quality online friendships.

In fact, three of the internet marketers I have met since June are actually contributing to our blog-driven, charity-based site which honors our brave men & women of our (U.S.) Armed Forces. These IM-ers had served in the military and are taking their time to write a testimonial for the blog: http://www.for-the-troops.com

Now that I have some more stories to share, I am asking for more submissions and stories of thanks and gratitude to our military. Having theirs will help increase exposure to the site.

Best,

-K

One of my companies provides Social Media Management & Reputation Management services for our clients. It’s interesting that Social Media has become such an important facet of the online experience that such a service would even be needed (who would have thought you’d need someone to manage your Myspace 5 or 6 years ago?). Part of what we do falls right in line with your O.G.R.E.S. formula. We take the time time truly monitor the incoming friend requests, and we actively seek out connections that will be most beneficial, both for a client’s reputation and business interests. Part of the monitoring process is looking not only at the person who requested a friend connection, but looking at they types of friends they have connected with. It goes so many levels deep, but it’s all very necessary.

Choosing friends wisely can also be an important part of the personal branding process. If you choose to connect with friends that are truly relevant to what you do, are active in the Social Media community and who take care to monitor who they connect with, much of the web traffic and perception will rub off on you - in a good way. On the other hand, allowing anyone to be a friend simply because they requested can cause others to question your brand and relevancy, and how serious you are about what you do. I make it a point with our companies to connect with those of “higher” status, the big-wigs of the industry, so that as I build our brands people will start to associate us with those big guys.

Great post all around!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
Debra Morrison

I have never seen this concept explains so succinctly, great job. One things I have started doing on my Facebook account is to create different *friend lists* that represent to me (no one else sees this) what that person is to me. A networking connection, a real friend, an inner circle friend, a vendor with services I might enjoy using, etc.

In this way, I am able to address my messages to the right folks, rather than a giant *broadcast* where everyone gets the same message.

Thanks again for your post and for all that you do in the BetterNetworker.com community as well. (That’s how I found this post!).

Cenay’

I like the way you broke it down into a formula of “here’s how you scratch their back and then they’ll scratch yours”. Very helpful

This is a GREAT post.. You shed light where there was none for some..

You reminded those who “get it” and that never hurts!

I love the easy broken down formula O.G.R.E.S

Thanks for mind-sharing!!

Peace,
JoAnn

Micheal Muse…. spam twwets? “I need coffee”

How is that spam, if you follow someone and dont like what they say, UNfollow.

Simple, think about it this way it is a USER driven thing, those who really spam will end up with NO followers.

Those who use it well will have followers.

Simple really.

Rob

I have often had the priviledge of going to a seminar and people walking up to me and saying: ‘Hi we are friends on this media or that one!”

It,s always a cool feeling of connecting in real life with friends and it is a nice ice breaker when attending a seminar where I know nobody.
Nathalie Fiset,M.D., C.H.

http://viniciusvacanti.com/post/50657737/your-twitter-followers-arent-real

I also have doubts about Twitter. The point I have been making about Twitter is that its business model is pending and just focusing on growth right now, but there are two real problems with growth and no revenues: (1) How replaceable is this technology? Is it possible that other social networks havent focused on it because it is a service that will only ever be used by geeks and self promoters? (2) What is causing this service to grow? As tweets increase, is it more useful content creation or SPAM posts like “I need coffee!”. Similarly, as more people connect, are these meaningful connections or are they being diluted by the “courtesy follow”? I am wary.