So you think you can Social Network?
Posted on: September 2nd, 2009 | Written By: Paul Sepulveda
What’s the funny-sounding term you keep hearing? Social networking? That doesn’t even make sense, right? How can you be social when you’re trying to network for your business? You’re not trying to make friends; you’re trying to get sales!
Well, if that’s what you’ve been thinking all this time, then I’m surprised you’re still in business. Of course, you want to be social with your prospective customers! After all, wouldn’t you much rather give business to someone you like and trust, as opposed to a complete stranger? I already know you would.
Many people have false pre-conceptions about social media. They think: It’s just for teens. It’s just for large companies. It costs too much. It’s too difficult to do, or you don’t have the time. WRONG! Every business can have a place in the social media world. It’s very easy to do and it doesn’t have to cost anything more than 15-30 minutes a day to be effective. Whether you’re a retail store, service-based business, or a major corporation, you need to market your business, and social media just might be the answer! So, where do you get started? For those of you who are new to this concept, here is a list of 5 of the hottest social networking / media sites.
- Facebook - Great way to connect, advertise and promote events.
- LinkedIn – Popular site where alumni, business associates and professionals connect online.
- Twitter – Microblogging site for short 140 character bursts of personal & business updates.
- MySpace – Great way to connect with the younger crowd.
- YouTube – Video is a great way to promote your business! Upload your commercials, videos, tutorials and how-to’s.
There are literally hundreds more like: Biznik, Reddit, Technorati, Digg, Yahoo Answers, StumbleUpon, Furl, Mixx, Plaxo, Hi-5, MeetUp, Orkut, Flikr, Bebo, Wordpress, Blogger, etc…
Remember, your goal is not necessarily just to push your product or service on these sites, but to offer advice, share knowledge, engage with members, grow your online presence, and highlight your products and/or services. Don’t just sign up to these sites; set up your profiles, add information, pictures and links back to your Website and then become active in the communities.
