Back in the day, I got on this new thing called Facebook that some friends were talking about.

I didn’t really get what I was supposed to do or say. With a little observation, I figured it out.

Over the years, I’ve bumped around in MySpace, LiveJournal, Twitter, flickr, LinkedIn, and probably a dozen more properties in the social media landscape. Each has their own niche and posting quirks, but overall they’re about one thing: getting involved.

commonsku is no different. Our objective is to unite the promotional products industry and bust through the walls that keep our supply chain silo-ed.

Our ammunition: the commonsku newsfeed.

If you’re new to commonsku, or heck, to social media, we have some tips to help you get going.

1. raise a topic for discussion

ProTip: Ask a question.

2. share a great product idea

ProTip: Post a Photo to make the content more eye catching

3. share an interesting article

ProTip: Share a weblink

4. ask for advice

ProTip: Tag or @mention people so they will see the content

5. post a product sourcing question

ProTip: Give as much information as possible so the community can respond quickly

6. share a story about your company

ProTip: Inject a little levity into the conversation. People love feel-good content.

Quick Tips: How to be a great member of a social network community

• Share more than you ask
• Suppliers, don’t oversell – 1-2 product suggestions per day is a good rule of thumb
• Comment and Like others’ content
• Consider how your post will help educate, inspire, or even give your followers a good chuckle
• Consider sharing content with different audiences – public vs company network

Most of all, be genuine. Be yourself. Reach out and connect with other distributors or suppliers that you’ve never heard of.

And, if you want a little more information, check out one of our upcoming webinars.

commonsku helps you strengthen relationships and grow your business. We marry a social network with powerful crm and order management to connect the supply chain. You can read more information at commonsku.com or stop by to say hi on twitter , facebook , or pinterest .