We must be too old or set in our ways because we've been unable to get with the 21st century's obsession with social and business networking, try as we might. Our members have gone beyond the call -- creating accounts for the Justice of the Peace Association on facebook and on twitter and on linkedin. It's not their fault that none of the accounts has gone viral with hundreds of followers.

      So the least we can do is cover the territory for our JPs. Here's a testimonial for online networking from Massachusetts JP Carol Merletti: “Facebook and Twitter have really boosted my clientele! They are the best FREE advertising there is. I follow all Massachusetts restaurants and hotels, which is extremely helpful to get noticed. After every wedding that I officiate, I post about them on both accounts. You will be surprised at how many people start following you. It is crazy not to do it.” Carol's findajp listing includes links to wherever you can find her on the web. On Twitter, she's BostonWeddingJP. Carol admits she's "writing all the time -- but I have fun doing it!"

      That's important. To be successful at online networking requires regular -- at a minimum, several times a week -- updates. If you don't enjoy it, you won't last. Twitter is like keeping an on-line journal; actually, it is an on-line journal. Instead of jotting down their inspirations in a notepad as in days of olde, tweeters key them into their ipod or ipad or smartphone and share them instantly with the world. Facebook can serve the same purpose. But here's a caveat: surely we all know by now that what we say about ourselves online is accessible to anyone seeking information about us. So if you must write personal stuff about yourself on Facebook that won't endear you to potential clients (or is none of their business), don't link to it from your www.findajp.com listing!  

      Seems to me you need a strategy for posting to make it easy on yourself. Norwalk CT JP Don Burr keeps track of the weddings he performs on facebook. So does Laura Minor whose Facebook page includes a link to a YouTube video of a wedding she performed. "I didn't know it was out there until a couple who had seen it contacted me to do their wedding." (Reminder: www.findajp.com will post your wedding videos too. As most of you know, findajp gets a lot of traffic!)

      And here's a recommendation for any JP who considers himself/herself a wedding professional. The posts by Dina in her blog PositivelyWed.com are packed with insights and advice on how to succeed in the wedding business. Some of her posts:

• Social Media Stats for your Wedding Business
• Is Twitter a Waste of My Time? (Guess what her answer is? Read this one!)
• Why Aren’t I Making More Money?
• Understanding Your Bride

Dina says, "Think of Twitter as a cocktail party; Facebook as a dinner party and LinkedIn as a business meeting." So how 'bout we all join the party!  Comments?

Barbara Jay