Should you be my friend?

YES. You should be my friend - unless you are selling acai berry products, porn or MLM schemes. Otherwise, I have found tremendous value in expanding my networks on Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter.

I manage networking on each of the 3 social media slightly differently:

Facebook is primarily for friends, family and acquaintances. I try to keep my status updates on less business oriented, however, I have created a corporate fanpage for Automation Service that is maintained by my Marketing Coordinator. Our goal for the fanpage is to maintain a very clean, customer-centric fan base that we can use as an outlet to carry on a more casual dialog with our customers.

I manage two Twitter accounts; @missy5ft2 and @reman_controls. @missy5ft2 is my personal account and I focus on tweeting about personal interests which include Automation Service , remanufacturing, the process controls industry, marketing, social media, hobbies and special interests. @reman_controls is Automation Service's corporate presence which is more focused on industry related news, process manufacturing, and interests of our customers which include hunting, fishing, sports, and food. We do follow the 80/20 rule that most social media experts suggest - 80% posting about your audience's interests, including retweets and 20% posts related directly to company promotion.

My networking theory on Linkedin is basically as I stated before: Please connect with me, unless you are selling acai, some crazy MLM or work-from-home scheme or are in the porn industry. I work diligently on expanding myLinkedin network, primarily by joining groups that match my interests and pursuits. I have also started my own group - The Process Automation Social Media Club - geared toward those who are in the process automation industry who use social media. I find linkedin to be a tremendous asset, and am now networked with people that I would normally not be able to reach due to time or lack of access.