Old school social networking – recognize!
There is no hotter topic today, than the importance of social networking in business. The influence of social networking is evident in the media, on the public and how all business is reaching their customer base. No other movement has made an impact more quickly than social networking has in recent years.
There are numerous social networks, but each has differing advantages, disadvantages (so be careful!) and uses in the business world. Some of the more prominent social networks by companies are also popular with the public, here are some examples:
- MySpace (*cough*)
- Google+
Each social networking website listed above is widely used, but also has it’s own unique niche market audiences. This is one reason social networks are so popular, because they cater to individuals and their social groups in the virtual world.
Social Networking and the Public User
The public has been quick to embrace social networks like Facebook and MySpace, but for very different reasons. Each has it’s own specific type of users and they have their own agendas online. Facebook has allowed a platform that allows instant communications, building followings, self promotion and to meet people with privacy options. This is probably the most fast growing social network, but still is not the choice for some users. It depends on what they want, Facebook is for the very socially interactive user.
MySpace has been a long standing platform that lets people access gaming via social forums, interact with users of similar interests, listen to music without downloads or fees, but also allows the user to interact with their favorite artists as part of the social network itself. MySpace is generally for users seeking entertainment value from their social network choices.
Social Networking for Professionals
For the professional world today, it is LinkedIn and Google+ which seem to be the close running favorites. Again, each has it’s own uniquely loyal following and for very different reasons. LinkedIn has a reputation of being the social network for business people and similar professional world users. It is a great place to promote your business, resume, work information and to network with other professionals interactively. It is also very user friendly.
Google+ is still new to some online users, but is the fastest growing of all social networks. It has become the most used social network by many businesses, because it has simple format and allows the creation of circles. These circles are groups within groups that have common interests, at least ideologically.
Social Networking for Everyone
“Stupid autocorrect – I said go out to lunch, not prepare for delegating a haunch. Uggg.”
Twitter is the middle ground between these various worlds. Social networking with Twitter is social and rapid fire interactive, but the communication method is more geared towards advertising or marketing information.
With a Twitter account, it is possible to give instantaneous updates and tell users relevant information as it happens. The same can be done with your friends, family, clients, customers or any other grouping of followers. This makes Twitter greatly gratifying for fans or more closely related social groupings.
In the realm of social networking, Twitter is a landmark achievement that works like perfection for users of mobile devices, smartphones, Androids and iPhones. This is where Twitter truly shines, but it is the exception in social networking currently. Although that maybe quickly changing, as new social networks are evolving everyday.
Tying It All To Your Business
It is clear that the importance of social networking in business is growing. It is not a mere fad or fashion trend, but a very real phenomenon with an enormous impact on how modern business is being done globally. Taking this into consideration will help improve the quality and profitability of any business. And at the end of the day, you either yell at your employees for spending too much time on Facebook, or you learn how to make it part of the business plan.