Not long ago I received an invitation to join a social network called Naymz. I had actually never seen or heard of this particular network before the invitation (which came from someone I didn’t know). I have spoken to this person only once before, and he only had a vague understanding of what he does professionally, but he asked me if he would recommend the work he does. Since I didn’t know her or her work very well, I couldn’t recommend anyone in good conscience, so I couldn’t accede to her request.
Why, you might ask? Well, when I followed the link you gave me to join Naymz, the first question I was asked from the site was whether or not I knew this person. Well, as stated above, I didn’t. Another question that came to me was whether or not I would recommend it. Well, again, I don’t know her or her work very well, so I couldn’t recommend any yet.
It’s all a matter of integrity for me. I guess I could have been a very nice person and answered “Yes” to the two questions above. But then I wouldn’t have kept my integrity, I think. I don’t think it would have been real either. Also, it would be misleading to other people who might be counting on what I recommend and suggest.
When you create a social network on any given platform, you need to make sure that it is in integrity. What I take this to mean is that if you’re suggesting someone who other people might hire, you need to make sure you’re being honest about your recommendation. Don’t make things up and don’t be a pain. Most likely you are not fake. Be yourself; be real. If you do these things, the integrity of the network will be much stronger.
So back to the person who sparked this post. What could he have done differently by reaching out to me? Well, he could have called me and invited me to talk or set me up somewhere. We could have met in person and started building a relationship. So you could help me better understand how your service helps people. She could explain to me how she is different from everyone else who is in the same field as her.
After all that, I could have made a fully informed decision on whether or not I would recommend it. It will be interesting to see how he deals with my choice not to join the social network through his invite. I am totally willing to meet and interact with other professionals, but I need to know them before I can recommend them.
A social network can definitely make use of its ability to create and build relationships with people. I personally am a fan of LinkedIn, for example. However, I don’t spend much of my time on social media, because most of my business comes from word of mouth and personal introductions.
Educate yourself and make sure you live with integrity when building your social network.
