Social Networking - What is it and why your business needs

Social networking. The social marketing. Web 2.0.

You may have heard these terms bandied about and wondered what exactly are and (most importantly) what they mean for your business.

So let's dig right in and get some answers. First, some definitions.

Social networking is actually a fairly broad term. It means basically any type of relationship-building among a group of people with a common interest (business or personal). However, this term has taken on a whole new dimension line, where the social networking sites (MySpace, Linked In, Facebook) are popping up faster than you can say "Will you be my friend?"

These Web sites are designed to help people network and build relationships via online, instead of the more traditional face-to networking events.

Which brings us to Web 2.0. No, not a technical update of the web (I can hear all the sighs of relief as people around the world realize that they need to be downloaded or learn a new software). Rather, it is a new way to use the technical aspects of the Web to build better relationships with people. So include blogging, podcasts, social networking sites, video, webinars, etc.

Actually, what it really is a change of mentality. Instead of using these tools because they are cool new gadgets, we are using them to bring a more human element to the web.

Now social marketing is used interchangeably as social networking, but is actually a misnomer (according to Wikipedia). Social marketing is an old term that refers to marketing for the good of society or to social causes and has nothing to do with all this.

Then, turning to social networking. This is wonderful news for business owners out there because it fits right in with what customers buy. That is, people buy from people they know, like and trust. Therefore, to develop relationships with the techniques of Web 2.0 is a fabulous marketing strategy.

And many Web 2.0 techniques are free or very low cost. All social networking sites have free accounts (some have paid upgrades, but still low). Podcasting can be free (or you can pay a very low fee to do the recording via the phone). Blogging can be free. You get the picture.

Now there's a downside. The downside is that it takes time. So if you're already feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, you might feel like another huge things to do on your list.

And that's why I'm saying at this moment not to go. There is help. Virtual Assistants (also known as SEA) can help with these social networking activities. Moreover, some marketers offer packages of social networking to do everything for you, so you do not have to manage or even learn much about it. In other words, there is no need to go alone!

And you do not have to spend hours and hours on these two tasks. Choose one thing to do, then spend 1-2 hours a week on it. Once it is learned, adding a second task. (O enter a system in order to outsource and thus lead to a second task.)

Obviously the more time (or someone on your team) can devote to social networking, you will see faster results. But I do not want you to beat yourself if you do not have a lot of time or money to outsource it. Do what you can and leave it go.

The other thing to keep in mind is that it also takes the time to start seeing results. None of these techniques is for immediate results or a rapid infusion of cash. These techniques are long-term strategies. They are very effective, but it will take time.

As for what to start first, which is you and what appeals to you (and what you think is aimed at the target market), but I'll give a brief summary of a few major ones with pros and cons:

1. Blogging.

Pro - This is a great way to build traffic to your site. My blog gets a huge amount of traffic and much of that will cover the rest of my site. In addition, I have a Wordpress blog, so it's integrated into my website and comes with RSS and table and everything else a good blog should. (Did I mention it was free?)

Cons - You need to do some 'writing. And it takes time. (. Whether you or someone on your team) You should plan to enter at least a couple of times a month - more is better.

2. Podcasting. (Podcasting is like having your own little radio show, but the audio is downloaded into an iPod, rather than broadcast).

Pro - This is a great way to add credibility and build trust with customers. Audio, especially when heard on a podcast, is very intimate. You end up building a stronger bond with customers via the read-only. Add audio to websites has proven to increase conversion rates. (Ie more people will buy when there's audio involved.)

Cons - time (you have to find time to do your podcast, and once you start, you must do it regularly). This is also a bit 'more technical blogging - you need to upload your site to directories of podcasts, etc. If the technology is really easy for you, I would suggest you find someone to help you (at least to start). And if you have a really scary voice would think twice before making a podcast.

3. Video.

Pros - Like audio, adding video to your site is large increase in conversion rates. It adds a level of intimacy and help your customers feel like they really know.

Cons - technical and time. For audio, all you need is a telephone. You need a video camera, a video editor, etc. Of course, once done, you can use a lot of places, but always done can be confusing.

4. Social networking sites. This is rapidly becoming a great way to find customers, relationships form and traffic to your site. However, before diving into this, there are some things to keep in mind. First, there are about 200 social networking sites out there and I'm sure that number continues to grow. But, MySpace enjoys a whopping 80 percent of this traffic. So it only makes sense that 80 percent of the time you are devoting to social networking sites should be devoted to MySpace. And I do not think that MySpace is just for kids! I just played around with it for a couple of weeks and I've made some pretty good connections, the more I noticed a spike in my traffic and sign-up for my newsletter. My friend Nancy has as a great primer on how to use MySpace for business.

The other two social networking sites are up and are LinkedIn.com Ryze.com. What I like about these is that they are more focused on business, in addition to not take a lot of time (in order to integrate well with 20 per cent of my time to other sites). MySpace can be a time sucker, so just be aware of this.

Pros - Great for building relationships and seems to be good at driving web traffic.

Cons - Takes time (Sensing a pattern here?) Is also very easy to lose a lot of time on MySpace as well.

My suggestion is to choose one of these techniques to start, do it for a while 'and see what happens. If you start seeing results and cables, stick with it and maybe add another one. If that does not seem worth it (takes too long and you're seeing results too few), try another .......