February 23, 2012

Using Social Media for Networking

When times are great, the customers flood in the door and little thought goes into marketing. However, in lean times businessmen find themselves needing to practically drag them in off the street.

Although networking has always had its place in a marketing plan, today it is a part of making sure those doors stay open. Generating interest in the company’s product or services by using social media to spread the word is helping many companies increase business.

Businesses today need an Internet presence – that is not disputed, however it is not enough just to be out there. A website does little good if nobody finds it. This is where using social media is very beneficial. People on social media sites will take your message and send it to their friends, who in turn send to theirs, and so on – the true purpose of social networking!

Description: Social Networking Source: own wor...

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To be successful a business must add value to the lives of their potential customer. One way is to write informative articles and blogs. Post them on your website and then post links on social media sites. The articles should be interesting and useful. For example, a chiropractor posts an article about how to have a healthy back on his website. The link could then be used in various places on the Internet including social media sites.

When you consider that the incredible amount of time spent on social media, it is crucial to harness this audience. According to a national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, those between 8 and 18 spend over 53 hours each week. As this group enters their income producing years, where they spend their money is going to be greatly influenced by their time online.

The more your message is seen, the more likely your company becomes front of mind. This means you are the first thing that a person thinks of when looking for your type of product. Get your message out there and get it out there often and you will soon see those doors flooded once again regardless of the economic times!

 

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Will Myspace Survive?

Image representing MySpace as depicted in Crun...

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Sometimes a website is created with the best of intentions, but ultimately falls by the wayside when something better comes along. In some cases, a website can become so unpopular or neglected that it might as well cease to exist at all. In cases like that, it might actually be better for the owner to simply remove the site from the Web and let it be fondly remembered by anyone who cares to do so.

Myspace is a great example of a social networking site that has declined over time. While this was once one of the most heavily trafficked sites by people who have a social agenda on the Internet, today its use is primarily by bands and people who simply prefer it to playing Farmville.  While Myspace might not be going anywhere right this moment, one has to wonderwhat will continue to power the site’s survival, let alone a continued purpose. If a website serves very few people, how can it hope to survive over the long haul?

The most likely way Myspace, Friendster and other fallen social networking websites are probably going to be able to survive is through evolving into an increasingly niched existence. While being a general website is no longer as viable an option as it once was because a small number of hugely successful websites have dominated that concept, niches still do well. If Myspace can successfully repurpose itself as some manner of niched website and properly serve its visitors’ wants and needs that way, it may be able to continue onward, and it may even grow itself into something of a cult phenomenon.

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