Social networking sites all believe that they are the best and that they can provide the best service, but the truth is that they all have their own unique qualities. LinkedIn allows you to connect to other professionals, MySpace and Facebook allow you to link to your family and friends and Twitter, YouTube and FriendFeed allow you to post videos, photos and add comments to your page. All of these can be linked together and used simultaneously if they are all used properly.
Some individuals use social networking sites as a fun and creative way to keep in contact with friends, family, co-workers and people from their community (i.e. church). Websites, like MySpace, let you tell people your interests and hobbies while also linking other individuals to you via the “Network” page. This is a page that you can choose businesses and link yourself to others. MySpace and Facebook allow you to update photos and “Become a Fan” of businesses, politicians, and even ideas and emotions (i.e. I hate liars and I love naps). Twitter, as well as MySpace and Facebook, allows you to update your status. This lets all of your online friends know what you are doing, how you are feeling, or when you are feeling inspired.
Organic Marketing is a relatively new concept for me, but I understand that it is marketing that you do not purchase. For instance, when you are on Facebook and you see a banner for a t-shirt and click the link because you see one that you might have wanted. Even if you do not buy the shirt, you now know about this site and may go back to buy at a later date. Personally, those banners have already pulled me in. LinkedIn lets you build an online webpage where you can discuss ideas in online forums, look through job listings or even becomes a resource to your sales team by creating leads. YouTube and Twitter allows you to let fans of your page or just people interested in certain topics see what you have to offer. For example, you could make a video describing what you have to offer different individuals interested in your products and post it on YouTube and then create a link to the video via Twitter or Facebook.
All of these sites are important because they help you to gain contacts by adding people that you already know to also join the website. If these sites are used successfully then you will be able to gain potential clients and also add them as contacts. You are able to increase the public awareness of your business, which will also help generate traffic to your website. Last, if all goes well, you will be able to increase sales and profit based on the traffic and the promotion of your website and business.
