Social Networking for Small Business

By James Richardson

Social networking is the latest craze.  It is the new way to connect and keep in touch with family, friends, work colleagues and business associates in our highly mobile world. And there are opportunities abound for the savvy small business.

If you haven’t yet received an email from a long lost friend inviting you to become their “Friend” on Facebook, MySpace or Bebo, you’d have to wonder why. Because almost everyone is on to it. With its exploding popularity among millions of users around the world, the benefits for business owners who wish to connect with a tech-savvy, highly-connected, and mobile audience have never been more compelling.

So, how does it work?

In general, social networking services such as MySpace, Facebook or Bebo allow users to create a profile of themselves. They can then upload pictures or logos, provide relevant information, build a network of contacts and interact within the community.

Businesses who use this media are in a unique position to actively engage customers in their own environments, and become an important member of their community. Think of it like an online networking session, only it is on 24 hours, you don’t pay for finger food and everyone’s wearing pyjamas!

It’s informal, intimate and people are there with mainly one thing in mind - to connect with a community whose members they have chosen.

There are endless possibilities with social networking. Some of which have not yet been attempted. The savvier among us who embrace this new channel will be in pole position to reap the benefits.

So, where does one start?

Generally, there are three main players in the Australian market: MySpace, Facebook, Bebo. Whichever one you choose to sign up with – and you could very well choose to participate on all three – here are some general guidelines to make the most of social networking.

* Create a profile for your business and brand it using company logos, colours and content.

* Promote your social networking site by adding links to it on your website and vice versa.

* Actively invite current customers or potential customers as a “Friend”.

* Join “Groups” that are relevant to your business and post useful information for the users of these forums. If you are helpful enough, your social networking credibility should grow substantially.

* If someone “messages” or leaves a comment on your profile, be quick to respond with a useful and insightful reply. Remember, most social networking services allow everyone to see this reply so be sure to place links back to your website to enhance your promotion.

For those who have started experimenting in this new medium, we invite you to share some of your experiences. A tip or two may help the rest of us avoid some of the pitfalls in social networking.

Best of luck!