The social networks most commonly used by small businesses are LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Each of these websites has a different format and ways to interact.
LinkedIn is an online, international group for professionals, representing more than 170 industries and 200 countries. Using LinkedIn you can find, be introduced to, or collaborate with other professionals who have related businesses. When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your education, experience and expertise. Your network consists of who you have made connections with and the people they know, linking you to a wide variety of experts. You can use your network to find potential clients, service providers, and subject experts; work together on projects and solve problems; find business opportunities and potential partners; and post job openings. One good way to establish your credibility on LinkedIn is using their Answers tool to answer posted questions.
Facebook is a more casual venue that has thousands of special applications that give you the ability to share and make connections all over the world. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with customers and vendors, share links, pictures and videos, and learn more about what others are doing. Facebook allows you to establish "Fan" pages, which can be a great way to draw attention to your business. Members of Facebook can become "fans" of your business. You can then use the fan page to keep them updated on special events and other information related to your business. The best part of fan pages is that they are visible even to people who aren't registered on Facebook, meaning that search engines can index the page - a great way to get yourself known across the Internet. Facebook is popular with all ages, although there is a trend towards it becoming the social medium of choice for those over age 50.
MySpace has a lot of similarities to Facebook in that it is interactive, connecting friends with user-submitted information including personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos. However, it is much more social and less business-like in its approach. MySpace is more commonly frequented by the younger generations. What demographic your business appeals to might be a factor to consider in choosing which service you may prefer to use.
Twitter allows you to express your thoughts on a variety of topics that might be of interest to your customer on a real-time basis. Twitter only allows for brief comments. Your whole thought must fit in 140 characters, seriously limiting what you can say. It does allow followers to be updated instantaneously about what you are doing and to respond back to you immediately. However, it does not allow for extensive discussion and the comments are usually organized in order by time, so being able to find a response to a particular topic is limited.
In addition to the general public networks that are available, many specialized associations have their own social networking groups. Everyone from the AARP to the National Association of Realtors provides social networking to their members. If your business is focused toward a specific niche, it is worth exploring what groups there might be those you could participate in.
Whatever form of social networking you use, the important thing is that in this "instant communication" world, you demonstrate that your small business is on the forefront of what is happening. Not only will it give you a foot up on the competition, but you may also discover new markets you never considered.
