Social Networking Helps You Find Solutions

Other ways you can grow your network: Repeat your address-book scan periodically, not just because you add new contacts, but because people already in your contacts database will eventually join these services. Also, you can rewrite the generic greeting, "I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn," with something a little more personal. It'll result in many more accepted invites.

After you've begun to grow a network on Facebook, you should check the "People You May Know" option on the front page to look for people with whom you may have friends in common. Repeat this step periodically, as   the results   will likely change every time you try it. LinkedIn has a similar "People you may know" option that scans for people you may have worked with.

Lastly, if you think someone you're inviting may not remember you, send a personal invitation explaining how you know each other. Don't rely on the blanket invite.

Once you're all set up, you should begin to get out in the real world and use both your social network's calendar and the listings in event sites likeUpcomingandWorkitto find events of interest to your business. Facebook will also help you   find pertinent events with alerts on your feed about parties   that many of your friends are attending.

Most people don't follow up when they exchange business cards. You should. Get through them quickly by purchasing a business card scanner--such as one fromCardScan--that will import contacts straight into   the contacts database you maintain in Outlook or other client. Write a follow-up note via traditional e-mail or through an invite on one of the social networks. Lastly, think like an e-mail marketer and   set up or hold   your e-mail messages to be sent the next morning (at 9:30 or 10, say)   for the highest probability of being read.

Manage the Flow of Information

Your next step should be to sign up with RSS feeds, so you can stay on top of hot industry issues and know when someone is talking about you. This is the key to discovering solutions for your business needs.

Using a   service such asGoogle Reader, you should subscribe to some of the following feeds:  

You also might want to set upGoogle Alertsto receive e-mails for mentions of hot industry terms and your company name in the mainstream news.

Naturally, this will generate an onslaught of information that will you have to sift through, and many users can get bogged down plowing through all that data at the expense of actually participating in any networks. Over time, you'll discover which of these feeds you need to follow and which ones you can delete.

To build your own personal brand online, you should keep in mind your objective of broadcasting your ability to provide answers to others' questions, and stay focused on providing value to your community. At   first you'll be giving a lot more than you'll get back, but be unstinting, advises Chris Heuer, cofounder ofThe Conversation Group, a social media consultancy. Over time, your audience will acknowledge your contributions, and you'll see returns.

To start the process of contributing, begin by watching and listening to the conversation on Twitter using theTwhirlapplication. Twitter is an outbound communications tool that can quickly morph into a conversational tool not unlike IM. When someone asks a question, jump in and provide recommendations. If certain users start clogging up your feed with useless non-business-related information, don't hesitate to stop following them.