Using Social Networks for Business Networking

Business networking is a time honored method of growing your business. You can use business oriented social networking to deepen relationships and form closer bonds. Online Networking is a concept that connects people together on a global social media community. Social networking has expanded our opportunities to meet and interact from our local neighborhood to the international scene.

10 business oriented social networks

1. Biznik: Biznik is a business networking site that has the unique feature of publishing articles by the members. This is an online community of entrepreneurs and small businesses.
2. Ecademy: A social network for business people. Ecademy provides networking opportunities through a combination of online and offline events. Create contacts and share knowledge.
3. Entrepreneur Connect : The social network for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Participates in groups include starting a business to women entrepreneurs.
4. LinkedIn : A business oriented social networking site. With over 100 million registered users worldwide. Members interact in discussion topics on LinkedIn Answers and a large searchable directory.
5. Networking for Professionals: Business networking for owners, network marketers and managers looking to expand their client base. Combines online business networking and real-life events.
6. Plaxo: An online address book and social networking service. This allows you to keep up contacts even as they move jobs.
7. Ryze: A free social networking website designed to link business professionals, particularly new entrepreneurs. The site claims to have over 500,000 members worldwide.
8. StartupNation: a community focused on starting up and growing businesses. They provide an exchange of ideas between entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners.
9. Young Entrepreneur : An online forum based website for entrepreneurs worldwide. A great resource for start-up CEOs, founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, mentors and investors.
10. Ziggs: Similar to LinkedIn. Create a professional online presence for yourself and increase your online visibility. An online brand management resource.

 

Thanks for the list of 10 business oriented social networking sites.

 

its very nice post. i really like it. I am sure by following these sites one can boost up their business as well.

 

1. What are the needs of my business? Hopefully, you're not putting your company name on a social networking account just to send messages back and forth to former high school classmates, so there has to be an impetus. Figure out what your needs are. Are you short-staffed? Is your advertising budget running thin?

2. What am I using the site for? After you've established your needs, consider the primary goal of your social networking strategy. Do you want to recruit employees for a certain department? Do you want to market a new line of products? Do you want to connect to more people in your industry?

3. Whose attention am I trying to get? Okay, so you want to market that new line of products, for example. You still need to know your target audience for that product, and with more than 300 million users on Facebook, you'll need to narrow your focus.

Got those answered? Good. Now, consider these questions:
1. Which sites do I want to take on? If you have enough staffing power to handle multiple social networking sites, that's great. If not, it's important to focus on one or two, or you could spread yourself too thin and fall victim to the 'gaping void' perception, where you end up going days without activity. Your followers will notice.

2. Who's going to manage my page? Would your social networking activity fall under a current employee's responsibilities, or do you need to bring on new talent? If you ever find yourself without the staffing resources to manage your page, don't stick your head in the sand, says Safko. 'Find some interns,' he advises. 'In most cases, they'll do it for free.'

3. Who has access to my page? What type of trust level do you have established at your company? Will all of your employees have access to the social network account, or a select few? Take the time to assess the skills and character of those who can log into your page, or you may run into unsavory situations down the road – especially when dealing with former workers.

4. Who's going to be the personality of my page? Does your company already have a public representative that usually handles speeches, press, etc.? It may be beneficial to rein in that person as the voice of your social networking site. 'People buy from other people, not from other companies,' says Safko. 'In order to solidify trust, pick someone to represent your brand.'
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If you are looking for promoting a business then I think this marketing model would be more helpful to reach online audience.