Social networking sites have become big business because of the sheer traffic volume many of the larger sites are bringing in, including MySpace.com, FaceBook.com, LinkedIn.com, WetPaint.com, MerchantCircle.com, and YouTube.com. What is very appealing to many businesses is the typical demographics of these sites; young with lots of disposable income. So how, or can, your business take advantage of these social type site?
First, know your target market, which you probably already do. Not all social networking sites cater to kids. Linkedin.com for example is directed towards professional networking. If your company’s market is other businesses, Linkedin and MerchantCircle are great places to start. You may even find some groups within the big sites that are directly related to your product or service.
Second, get involved. It is important to understand how these sites function and what is deemed as acceptable behavior. Be yourself. Promote yourself first, then your business. Make friends. Many of these sites are based on individuals, not companies.
Third, Link your social profiles with your main company website. Link your different profiles together. Create a network between our various online profiles.
Lastly, continue looking for new avenues to market your products or services through. There are currently many, many social networking websites and the number continues to grow.
Tags: social networking business, small business networking, marketing business online, web 2.0 promotion