Maybe you’re already a member of LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace, or any one of the myriad of social networking websites. You’ve heard people talking about “Web 2.0” and how everyone is online. You clearly don’t want to miss the next wave.

Perhaps you’ve heard about the student artist who posted some of her pictures online, and the next thing you know she’s a millionaire, has hired her friends to help her market her art, and she’s the next “big thing”. When will it be your turn for online fame?

The key to networking effectively is to concentrate your effort to be part of the community. This means that you need to be involved: reading others’ postings, commenting, asking questions, and sharing information about yourself (or business).

Common Online Networking Mistakes

1. Not showing up. Online, if you don’t write, you’re invisible. Make sure that your “voice” is heard (and you read others’ postings).
2. Wrong network. Are you the proper demographic for the network (or are you targeting the right network)?
3. Wasting time. Because the communities are so large, it’s easy to get distracted online. Focus on why you’re a member, and limit your time online to prioritize your activity.
4. Self-importance. If you’re a member of MySpace, you’re 1 of 217 million. If you write online, will anyone care?
5. Words are words. Online people communicate (mostly) by text. While you may try to intuit the mood or psyche of the writer, it’s just text. At an in-person networking event, you can at least watch the person’s body language during conversations.

Join a network if it appeals to you, but realize that becoming an expert in that network is hard. It’s even harder to make any money as one in a crowd. Instead, leverage your online marketing effort to improve your marketing message, and get people to contact you directly. It’s much better to have someone’s undivided attention.

You also might be interested in: I’m On LinkedIn – Now What??? and FaceBookAdvice.com for more tips on how to make better use of your social network.