Social Networking for Your Business

First off, what is social networking? And how does it involve our business?

From wikipedia:
Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base. These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services. Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads. Since businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world.

This is easier said than done though. New social networking sites are popping up on a daily basis. Just this week, I was introduced to Qassia. But as many online small business sellers, I also battle with time contraints and the confusion as what sites are the best. Which ones will bring me not only the traffic but potential customers and sales?

I came across this link to the Top 100 Social Marketing Sites. I figure if I am going to create a worthwhile social marketing campaign, I should focus on the more popular sites and provide a quality effort instead of hundreds of thrown together social pages scattered throughout the web.

One of the easiest ones I have been able to create and keep up with on a regular base that has provided me with steady traffic and sales has been Squidoo. I only have three lenses and one group but I have found it very easy to go in and update the content and links each month.

Another good article that helped me prioritize and focus on social marketing was this article from SiteProNews, "How To Start A
Social Marketing Campaign" by Jack Humphrey. I also found the author's website, Friday Traffic Report, to be absolutely LOADED with important and useful information complete with video tutorials!

This is by no means a complete how-to on social networking and marketing your online business but visit the links and you'll be off to a good start.