Hi  I don’t know about you but for me I was way behind getting into social networking sites, ‘Oh no that’s something our kids do’ kind of comment and then I used to get really mad when my teenage daughter’s phone would be constantly bleeping at her with Face book or Twitter updates.

But then when you read about just how many people use Facebook and everywhere you see Face book & Twitter buttons  – you just have to “wake up & smell the coffee” don’t you. So I reckon there’s many newish Internet marketers out there, hopefully reading this who feel just like Sam & I did not that far back – so here goes

You probably know that social networking sites offer a great way to promote your online business.  Before you get started making profiles, there are some things you should think about.  These considerations will guide your marketing efforts, from your profile creation to the types of messages and interactions you’ll be doing.

So how do you get started?  Here are some questions to consider to help you develop your social networking strategy:

1.  Which Website is More Appropriate?

Your choice of social networking strategy is important.  There are plenty of sites on the Internet.  However, not all are appropriate for promoting a business.  My Space, for example, is centred mostly on dating and the interests of young people.  If you were in the dating niche, then it would be very relevant.  However, most businesses won’t find it useful for their needs.  It can be tempting because there are a large number of members.  But the quality of the interaction will be much lower.

Face book is a very popular all-purpose site.  It can be good for updates, brand building, and announcements.  Face book allows you to include video, pictures, and all other types of media.  Another popular site is Twitter.  However, twitter only lets you send, or “tweet,” short messages.  It takes some work to construct meaningful messages in this short space, but don’t let that dissuade you.  Many people prefer Twitter because it quickly communicates messages without wasting a lot of time.

Another site, Linked In, is more centred on a business atmosphere and culture.  It’s not as big as the other two, but the quality of business leads can often be much higher.

Ultimately, you’ll need to compare the advantages of different sites and match them to your business and needs.

2.  What Is Your Primary Purpose?

Once you’ve targeted a site (or sites), you’ll need to know what you’re using it for.  First of all, it’s generally a good practice to focus the site for an intended purpose.  If you’re hiring employees, attracting customers, and networking within the industry, it will water-down your efforts in all three.  Instead, limit the site for one main purpose.  This will further target your efforts and give you a better return on your investment of both time and money.

3.  Who Is My Target Market?

The final hurdle is defining with whom you want to connect.  Do you want more customers?  Do you want more business connections?  Many times, your social networking strategy will include joining groups.  They are usually centred on a certain theme or industry.  Knowing your primary purpose will help you to identify the people and groups you’d like to join.

Once you’ve identified the site, purpose, and target market, you have your basic social networking strategy.  Then, you can move on to designing a profile and sprucing up the rest of the page.  The decisions you made here will help you know what to post and discuss.  The cool thing about these sites is that they walk you through the profile creation process; you just fill in your information.

Don’t be shy – leave a comment – Tell us how we can help you! Do it now.

Tony