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This Weeks Discussion
The advantages and disadvantages of using social networking sites like MySpace, LinkedIn, etc are plentiful in either direction. So, my question is this…
What social networking sites do you use to promote your business and why?
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Image via: Violet
8 Responses to “Discussion: CONTEST - Social networking?”
I recently jumped on the Social networking self promotion bandwagon. So far, it is working, and working well. I been hunting out all my old school collegues and adding them on Facebook. I created a business page and made a group “Help Chris Become Self Employed in 6 months”.
So far, I’ve got one job, will be have jobs referred to me from the husband of another girl I went to school with, and hopefully that will keep growing.
Anyone thinking about doing it I say why not. What harm can it do? The more potential leads the better!
Hey Danny,
From a freelance (business) perspective, I see a lot of potential in LinkedIn. Already I have found clients and colleagues through this business networking site. In fact I started working with a past client once again after hooking up through LinkedIn.
However, I think my own blog has the best potential. That is, if you consider a blog to be a social networking site (which I do). I am still in the blog-building stages, but I see how some other bloggers have built their freelance business through blogging — in part, anyway.
I think that the best social networking tools are still in the future. It looks like Google Chrome may usher in a whole new way of interacting with the Internet — and therefore interacting with other people. Things like Twitter, Del.ico.us, and the like will give way to video messaging and better database interfaces.
There will likely also be more interactivity between websites and things like cell phones and Blackberrys.
Yes, Web 3.0 will be a huge step for social networking. After all, isn’t that what the Internet is all about anyway — connecting with one another? “Social networking” is just another fulfillment of that Internet dream. I know that I for one would not be able to work the way I do without it!
~Graham
I don’t use them a great deal for my personal work, but in my “real” job I do a great deal - connecting with alumni of an independent school. Both LinkedIn and Facebook are great - facebook especially - as it is almost pervasive. In many cases it’s far easier to get in touch via Facebook than any other medium with young alumni.
It provides a place for groups to affiliate quite effectively.
In my opinion, there are some important facts about social networking.
They keep collecting information in every detail they can.Privacy is beeing harrassed and damaged, and in the near future people can face with really serious problems… (not just simple spams, more serious than that)
Check out this article what I mean is really clear :
http://www.buraak.com/2008/09/16/is-your-information-safe-with-social-networks/
I’m mexican, so i’m gonna talk (write) my experience with spanish language bookmarking services.
I really don’t enjoy much of using this, since MOST visits are just bandwidth expense, and MOST of this visits last a minute or two and then leave. So I really would not call them *quality visits. It seems that some spanish language social bookmarking services are some-sort of used to vote, then going back to the social site and continue on voting, really sucks.
On the other hand it works kind of well with adsense, since lots of people will see the ads (therefore more prints) though most won’t click.
And english social bookmarking sites don’t work much good with non-english sites.
So, that’s what i think.
Wo! I’m sorry for my comment, i screwed up badly this time, I read Social Bookmarking not social networking, i really should get some sleep! Please, erase my last post.
Anyway, I haven’t used social bookmarking, i just closed my hi5 account, i’m lazy to be in those networks. I’m not so sure anymore about sharing personal data so easily as burak says in his comment.
I actually do all this stuff, because I own new, unknown blog and there are two most popular marketing techniques - social bookmarking and commenting technique.
I write about web design,graphic design, tutorials and inspirational articles so I use digg.com, designfloat.com, stumbleupon.com and designbump.com, delicious and twitter to promote my website.
I use those websites because I see in google analytics where I get my traffic and then I feel where I have sense to add my articles. I tried really many of social networking sites.
One more reason I use those sites are - I can get contact with many designers and that’s just amazing to enstablish contacts.
Each social network has its advantages and disadvantages.
Facebook is great for real life friends and to create brand pages.
Linked in is great for business relationships and networking.
Myspace is is like the old west for marketing. The amount of people you can reach is astounding. By adding a friend that has thousands of friends you can pretty much market to all those users with one comment. The add me game makes it easy as pie to get friends really quick.
It really boils down to who you are marketing to for choosing the right environment. I just stick with myspace as everyone has a profile even if they use other social networks.
I also use youtube and can get thousands of visitors off one silly video. It’s all just a game. If you know the rules you can use them to your advantage.