No, this is not about stalking your ex on Facebook. Well, most of us have all been there and done that. This is about the common mistakes networkers make on social media that might be damaging to their image and could drive potential business partners away. Are you guilty of any of these, too?

1. Hard Selling
This might sound like a weird advice, but don’t sell on social media. Don’t keep selling and spamming your audience with multiple products and opportunity posts. Strive to educate and inspire.

2. Failing to offer value
Know your audience and give them good reasons to engage with you. Share useful tips, inspiring stories or even silly jokes. Don’t underestimate the power of laughter, that’s often the reason why people are on social media. Taking it a level higher, on Facebook, you can consider dividing your audience into different lists. For example: family, friends-who-hate-my-selfies, work, prospects, hot list, homepure fans, my potential Gold Stars, my potential Diamond Stars. Tailor-make your posts to suit different audience list, give them the most relevant content. Your list of prospects or new joiners ideally should see different things from your list of Gold Stars.

3. Overpromising
We understand that your ultimate objective is sales – be it product sales or sign ups. However, don’t over promise. Don’t promise that your direct referrals will earn a lot of money or be a millionaire, or that the product you are selling can cure cancer or is equivalent to a mobile hospital. Overpromising will only come back and get you into trouble later on. Get to know your products through product trainings, webinars, marketing materials in your Virtual Office, and follow the guidelines provided.

4. Not treating audience with respect
Sometimes you might notice posts that dismiss others who have different opinion from the person who posted them, such as: “Only losers do a 9-to-5 job.” Arrogance isn’t cool and it could put people off. Treat your audience with respect, appreciate differences and try to communicate your message in a more positive manner. Perhaps you can share articles or short videos that illustrate the benefits of doing your own business and being your own boss instead of taking a jab at others with different opinion from you.

5. Being too negative
You may have that one friend who always writes negative things on Facebook, complaining endlessly about everything under the sun, or writing passive aggressive things without really pointing out who he or she has problems with. While social media is a free space where one can express their thoughts freely, keep posting negative things will lead your audience to think that you are a negative person. Since being an entrepreneur needs a considerable amount of self-motivation and positivity, negative posts reflect negatively on you and that can drive prospects away from joining you.

6. Having no personal voice
Keep things personal. People are connected to you on social media because they are interested in you. So, go easy on sharing products and opportunities, and when you do, give it a personal touch. Share your experiences with your products, how the product or business or your new lifestyle has changed your life, skills you’ve learnt, the people you’ve met. Add your opinion whenever you share something online.

7. Not engaging
Don’t post and run. Don’t ignore comments and messages. Reply them. Build relationships and trust before getting down to business. Sometimes you might get negative comments or messages. Don’t be discouraged and don’t engage in public online arguments. Always be gracious and be the bigger person – online or offline.

Have fun and let social media be a platform where you can touch hearts and help create better lives.

Do you use social media for networking? Share your experiences in comment space below.