As the title implies this guide is a basic introduction to managing your website while incorporating social networking into your business methodology. Social networking is being part of an online community and creating social networking connections. It should be part of your regular business regimen to manage your website and manage your social networking on a daily or semi-daily basis. In a simplified form this means updating content on your website, adding content to network portals such as Facebook and Deviant Art and making status updates at Twitter and Digg amongst others.

The Website Update

The first stage of this model will be your website update. This may be updating new images into a photographic portflio, adding new items to your online catalogue, or writing a new article for Wordpress.

The actual change to your content is important, but the fact that you are changing and updating content is more important. This is not to say that quality has less weight than quantity, but a lack of quantity doesn't show visitors to your website anything fresh. You need to keep people inspired with your new additions and have them coming back for me. More importantly is you want them to Like, Digg and Tweet your website to their own networks.

Consider that when you have new content to add to your website don't add it all at once, but stagger new content to be released over a timeline. This staggering of new content can be broadcast via social network channels with pre-update and post-update status changes. In effect let people know that something is coming soon, and let them know what it's arrived.

Updating Portals

If your content is visual in nature, for example folios, galleries or catalogues, then you should strongly consider a Facebook or Deviant Art page for example. These portals add a mirror for the content that you're providing on your website. Having said that however you should avoid uploading exactly the same content to your social network portals that you provide on your website. Consider your website your primary delivery medium representing your best content with network portals being secondary in nature.

A similar process can be undertaken for websites that provide resources or written content. At sites such as Evernote you can provide examples or your work, your thoughts or references via Digg to the resources provided at your website.

Updating Status

Once you have updated your website, and uploaded some new work to your network portals its time to update your status. Remember though that you can follow the process of updating status prior to making changes to your website and again after those changes have been implemented.

The benefit of updating your status is that you are able to provide a quick message to your audience informing them that you have some new content at your site. Including a link back to the new content is very helpful as it will save your visitors trying to manually locate your new additions.

Facebook and Twitter have the option of synchronising your accounts so that when you update your Facebook status your Twitter status is updated as well. This also works with certain other networks. You have to be aware that you you must have a Facebook Page, which is different to a Facebook Profile. You can read more about Facebook pages here.

Should Everything Be About Me?

The system of social networking works in that you are taking part in a community of information sharing. This sharing benefits websites you visit when you Like, Digg or Tweet to your own network things that you consider worth spreading. It also benefits you by providing you with a) new links to your audience and b) by providing you the option to link back to your own website.

So the next step of this methodology is Linking and Commenting. This process is actually quite natural, in the same manner that a person might read a magazine or newspaper. The bonus about the content being online is that the ability to share your discoveries with your own audience is readily available.

Visit websites that have similar interests or tastes as yourself and each time you stumble across an article, an image or other content you enjoyed, see if there is a social link available that you can click-and-broadcast to your own network.

Where there is the option that you can leave a comment this is a chance for you to not only provide appreciative feedback to the website author, and who can argue with encouragement, but when the option is available, to provide a link to your own website. I will be the first to say that this system in particular should never be abused. Consider it a chance to say 'Hi, I like what I saw and this is where I live.'

Should Eveything Be Businesslike?

Not at all. Yes you may be running a business and yes you want to provide relevant information to your audience, but also remember that your audience are human beings. When you are undertaking this process don't forget to provide general, humorous or simply less corporate style events to your network. Again this can come very naturally.

This whole process can be quite enjoyable as you manage and distribute your content, explore new websites, and spread your discoveries to your audiences.

So having said all of this lets break it down into some good old fashioned bullets points. Take this as a guide and refine this process for to your own needs.

• Pre-update - update Facebook/Twitter advising new content coming
• Update new content on your website, stagger new content to appear gradually
• Upload/update portals with new content (Facebook, Deviant Art etc)
• Update Facebook page status/Tweet, Digg etc. Link back to your content
• Browse relevant websites, and Like, Digg, Tweet content you want to share
• Comment to website authors, and provide link to your site if provided

Version 1 of this guide is now available in the Livestate Downloads area at http://billing.livestate.com.au/downloads.php.