Newsletter
Volume 5
Issue 7

Social Networking and Your Business

Newbies beware! Much of the information you are given on social networking for your business is outdated. Like technology, social networking changes frequently and it is beneficial to stay informed.

My Space is one of the most popular websites available. They have not had a significant interface change in years. It is hard to navigate, even for the networking savvy. My Space helps you build a friend list. A site like Facebook can organize your contacts based on influence. Facebook is about community and My Space is about linear relationships. Looking for a date to go to the bar, visit My Space? When you look for a network of entrepreneurs in the Omaha-Metro area? Use Facebook.

Yahoo 360 shuts down July 2009. Many “experts” encouraged businesses to take part in that community. Your only option is to move your content to a new profile on Yahoo.

Plaxo launched over six years ago. I heard the rumors about the spyware, but assure you since Comcast purchased Plaxo, this is not an issue. Plaxo is basically a combination of Facebook and LinkedIn. What I like about the free version of Plaxo is the ability to synchronize phones, Outlook, and OS X Address Books. There is a calendar service and other proprietary services. You can link up to Facebook and share status updates. When you Tweet to Facebook, it will automatically post to Plaxo. 

When your business participates in social media, share your favorite sites with your clients, peers and potential contacts. Comment on postings, upload informative articles, and create a member profile that encourages traffic to your web site.

Here are a few sites to get you started: Digg, Nin, Squidoo, Ma.gnolia, Ecademy, Ryze, Yorz, Xing, Care2, Tribe, Tweako, Sphinn, HubSpot, Wetpaint, Frappr, 43 Things, Wikipedia, and Small Business Brief.

If you are unsure of what social networking sites to use, try using your favorite search engine and do your own research. Become your own networking expert