Social Networking: Part of Your Marketing Strategy

© Duchess O’Blunt, 2010; all rights reserved.

It's hard to believe there are still people out there in business who cannot see the significance of social networking, or understand the direct impact to the bottom line.

The numbers on social networking sites is growing faster than anything I have ever witnessed. The number of businesses advertising should be growing right along with it.

Social networking should be built into your business plans.

For those who have been around the social networking world for awhile, I don't mean to insult your intelligence. This is for the newbie, who is wondering why building a fan base is so important.

It's a numbers game, the more traffic you receive the better your scores. If you are here to make money, read Rebecca_E hubs. You'll soon come to love her like we all do, and she will walk you through how to make money on HubPages.

If on the other hand you are using HubPages as a Social Networking site, to build relationships, traffic to your hub is still important. Building that Fan Base will help you with that.

This is not rocket science, but it does take your time.

• Visit other peoples Hubs
• Read and make a constructive comment. Don't use generic comments because they are just annoying. Leaving a comment should be a productive activity for both you and the author of the article. Don't waste everyone's time with gibberish that anyone can write. Your comments will be noticed by other's who read the same work. This is often how others notice you.
• Rate their hubs up and share them whenever possible. You will find those options at the end of every hub. Don't be afraid to tell the author you thought their work good enough for you to do so.
• Bookmark the ones that are worth a second read, or are helpful with something you are working on, and return to them later. Don't be afraid to rate them up a second time. It does not hurt.
• Share the really good ones on your blogs or websites and send the author a note with a link so they can check it out.
• Return the favor. When someone comments on one of your articles, take the time to acknowledge them.
• If someone starts to follow you - check them out and follow them back.

It's easier if you set up a schedule and stick to it. I say that from experience. It is very easy to get sidetracked in any social networking site. Set yourself a goal and a schedule, determine what you want to accomplish.

There are some great benefits to this type of networking and one of the largest is the sheer volume of opportunity. If you're going to tell your story or sell your brand in a world of blogs and streaming video, you better be able to communicate digitally.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Would your business benefit from more connections?
• Do you feel your company has growth potential?
• Are you open to new ideas?
• Do you need more exposure?
• Would you like to expand your borders?
• Are you able to adapt to other cultures?
• Do you have something of value to offer?
• Can you contribute information, content or opportunities?

Effort, common sense and the spirit of cooperation can generate some of these opportunities on the right social networks.

Best Social Networking Sites for Business and Entrepreneurs

I believe that many people in business have either overlooked these benefits or are uncomfortable with this type of technology. Not because they don’t know about them necessarily but may be leery about venturing into unknown waters.

Social Networking is a gateway to getting your name and brand out there. BUT, this is not a quick fix or a free ride. The key word here is “networking” and the biggest cost is time.

To effectively use the Networking opportunities in Social Networking you need to

• Be a productive participant
• Provide value and benefits
• Cultivate Relationships

Once you have chosen the correct Networks to participate in and have spent some time building your reputation within that circle, you have provided yourself a gateway of opportunities.

These are more subtle and perhaps not immediate, but you will begin to develop a reputation that will follow you back into your business. If you offer something of interest people with want to check out what you "do", or what your business entails.

Word of Mouth is still a powerful marketing tool. Building a good reputation within the Social Networking communities that pertain to your area of expertise uses that same principle

Think about what you do when you attend a trade show, conference, seminar or even a cross departmental business meeting. You introduce yourself, smile, shake hands, make small talk and generally get to know your “connections” from these introductions. You may not walk out of there with anything that will benefit you or your company immediately, but do not discount these introductions because they often prove to be significant segues to ideas and ventures you may never have imagined.

The time you spend visiting social networks will directly relate to the benefits you can receive.

Going back to the idea of attending a trade show, first, you have to attend to make those initial connections. The same goes with Social Networking, you have to be a part of the social networking world to make those initial connections. If you approach networking with the concept of open boundaries, you will be able to generate additional contacts creating opportunities for mutual benefits.

Social Networking has quickly taken off and if managed properly can prove to be a productive addition to your current marketing structure. Because our age is the age of technology, it is a good idea to learn how to use it effectively.

Learning to use these tools will require the development of cooperation. That is social networking in a nutshell. No brow beating, no harassing and no sales pitches. It is a new way to do business and it's probably a good idea to adapt.

If you are new to Social Networks, you couldn't have picked a better place to start than right here at HubPages. This is Social Networking at its best. You can quickly learn what to do and what not to do while cruising through some of the great material of other hubbers.

HubPages is a Social Networking site built for writers. The entire set up has been built to encourage writers to write. The Social part of building a fan base provides the perfect opportunity to be a productive participant.

© Copyright to this article and photographs on Hubpages is owned by the Duchess O’Blunt and may not be copied without express permission from the writer. Payment for use of any photographs or articles written by the Duchess O’Blunt is by negotiation

Interested in sharing your stories, your point of view, or your talents?

I invite you to join us, it's one of the best social websites I have seen and offers opportunity to generate revenue. Sign up here.

I look forward to meeting you and doing what I can to help you