What’s a social media zombie? It’s a term I affectionately use for someone who has profiles on social networks but uses them at about 10% capacity. Here are some ways to determine whether you are a social media zombie:

• You have a LinkedIn profile but less than 10 connections
• Your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter profile has no photo
• You have a Twitter account with only one update that says “Trying out Twitter”
• You reply to LinkedIn messages 6 weeks late with the apologetic message “sorry, I should check this more often”
• You blog once every 6 months
• Your LinkedIn profile is at 80% completion and has been for months
• You never comment on anyone else’s content
• You have a Facebook profile but your profile photo is a tree, nature scene, or your cat
• Your LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter status has not been updated in weeks
• You never share links or articles
• You don’t answer questions because you don’t know they have been asked

Though I am obviously poking a little bit of fun here, the point I am making is that it’s not enough to just “be” on these networks. You only start to get value from social media when you contribute. Joining a network does not mean that you will magically start making connections and growing your business. You must provide value to your community. This can include:

• Blog about topics in your area of expertise
• Complete your LinkedIn profile and make connections with people you meet in real life
• Share interesting content on Facebook
• Make introductions for other people
• Post photos
• Post videos
• Publish your blog post via Twitter
• Ask questions
• Answer questions

The same rules apply in social media as in real-world networking. Give first before expecting to get. Remember, people want to do business with people. They are more likely to want to do business with interesting people. Lack of participation = uninteresting.

Don’t be a social media zombie. Go contribute something!