Networking

MySpace™ got the ball rolling; now networking sites are the rage, and popping up all over the net. MySpace™ started as a way for teens to meet other teens, and the concept was quickly snatched up as a networking tool by/for marketers and business owners. MySpace™ itself is no longer just for teens, as anyone paying attention to the news well knows; Internet marketers are using MySpace™ to do business too. However, MySpace™ is not the only networking web site out there anymore.

Social networking and business networking programs are where marketers have been going to hawk their wares. They are a great place to meet people: buyers, sellers, professionals, mentors, etc..

In choosing to utilize these types of programs for business development, one must keep an eye out for places of value. What I mean by this is that some of the programs I've checked out have either started out as business, but morphed into something resembling a Valentine's Day party for my son's fourth grade class, or they are more in tune with online dating. For example: I joined FaceBook™, under the impression that I would be able to meet and interact with network marketers. I deactivated my account after a couple of weeks, because I felt more like I was in a bar, being hit on by strangers. No one that I had met there, who I didn't previously know, had business on their mind.

Here are some Dos and Don'ts when it comes to participating in networking sites...

DON'T - spam people with advertisements in their comments location, or their inbox. That is the fastest way to alienate people.

DON'T - waste time surfing the net trying to find cute little graphics to place on other's pages. Wasting time is as profitable as doing nothing.

DON'T - set up your profile page to look like the newest video game. This distracts from your business, and makes it difficult to read your message. Crazy backgrounds and wild fonts and colors are kids' stuff.

DON'T - fill your profile page with audios, videos, or scripts. This makes the page load too slowly, and gives your visitor time lose interest and go somewhere else.

DON'T - Invite people to be your friend/contact by sending them an advertisement for your business. This sends the message that you are not interested in getting to know them, you are out to sign them up for something. People join people, not programs. When making invitations, be social; send a letter of introduction.

DO - Get To Know People! That's what you are there for. Meet people and develop relationships based on common interests. Share ideas, ask questions and learn. Tell people who you are, where you're from, what your experience is, then let them ask you about your business.

DO - Place of photo of yourself on your profile. People want to know who you are. They are not interested in a picture of your product. Save that for elsewhere on your profile.

DO - join internal forums and message boards. They are a great way to learn and share what you know. (It is not a way to advertise. In other words, these forums are not a place to post your ads.) They are a place for exchanging relevant information. Stay on topic.

DO - Stay focused. Remember that you are there to build business relationships. You are not there to play with gadgets or flirt.

BizPreneur Network ...market yourself.

HoverSpot ...connect with new people.

Lazzeo.com ...market yourself.

LinkdIn ...bringing opportunity seekers and professionals together

RateItAll RateItAll is the best place on the Web to find and share consumer reviews on any topic. Join Us.

Ryze Network ...business networking only.

Social Marketing Central The Friday Traffic Report : A Community with a Purpose!

Wink Where people find people...

Yuwie ...the world's first social network that pays its members.

MySpace

Tagged

... Come to MaMa

Hub Pages Build HubPages and share information with other interested people. Read Hubs of others and rate them.

Quikonnex Publish your content and syndicate it to the world. Web based RSS Content Management and Communication. Become a Trusted Information Provider (TIP).

Squidoo Become a LensMaster, and share your information with the web.

Social bookmarking sites are as popular as social networking sites, but they are not to be confused with each other. Social bookmarking is a resource for saving your favorite web sites in such a way that you can share them with other people. Granted, networking happens within social bookmarking communities, but, it is not the primary focus; sharing information is, and this is a terrific way to share what you're promoting, what you're interested in, and finding others interested in similar things. Not to mention, it is an awesome way to research your interests.

There are more social bookmarking programs out there than I can list. There are also bookmarking programs that can be joined that allow a person to bookmark something to multiple programs at once, reducing the time needed to get your links posted. The two programs that com to mind are:

AddThis.com and OnlyWire.com. You do have to join all the bookmarking sites, set up your accounts with them, but then you can submit to them all with a single link. Join these programs from right inside OnlyWire.com, or AddThis.com. And... if you're a FireFox user, you can visit mozilla.com and search the FireFox add-ons for bookmarklets and toolbars for these groups too.

Some of the more popular social bookmarking sites: