Understanding Web 2.0 and Social Networking

"...to succeed with an online business today you must have representation on social networking sites."

Laura Childs, Jun 18 2007

Understanding Social Networking

Social networking: A self-organized grouping of people with similar interests, skills, hobbies, opinions, or objectives.

In our communities and workplaces this is a natural part of life, as such the same is true to our online time although for most people the interaction takes place primarily on websites and seldom moves further into real face to face interaction.

Websites where people gather to read, discuss or interact with others are called social networking websites. These websites are reminiscent of the older styled forums but with many extra features for the users. 

At first blush spending time on social networking websites may seem like a waste of time, but when you consider the many benefits (such as gaining a deeper understanding of your target market, interacting with others in your industry around the world, or generating a loyal circle of readers who are interested in your opinion and will visit your website for more), it becomes clear that to succeed with an online business today you must have representation on social networking sites.

But which one?

Maximum Traffic and Exposure from Your Social Networking Efforts

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of social networking sites may exist on your topic or may captivate your target market. Since no entrepreneur has time to visit, create profiles and integrate with every possible community, you'll want to focus your energy and choose 2-4 of the best for your business and observe the results of your efforts monthly.

This is the strategy that most Web 2.0 marketers, social networking trainers and speakers, and entrepreneurs are missing.

Without a strategy to your Web 2.0 marketing efforts (social networking efforts) you'll be doing nothing more than throwing cheese to the ceiling and hoping one slice sticks. A lot of wasted time with very little to show for it. Causing many new to social marketing to shout, "This doesn't work!"

Of course it works, but the secret is in the strategy. It is most certainly not in scattered efforts across multiple (or worse, unrelated) social networking sites.

Social Networking for Business or Website Traffic

As you've read on "What is Web 2.0?" your potential customers or readers are spending their time on Web 2.0 or social networking websites. You've also learned above that "... to succeed with an online business today you must have representation on social networking sites." And, in the last section, it's clear to you that you need to devise a Web 2.0 traffic strategy to ensure your efforts deliver the traffic.

You've designed your strategy and it's time to put it all into action. Here are a few minor, but not to be missed, 'rules' of success with social networking.

1. Always read the Terms of Service for the Web 2.0 sites you've targeted in your traffic strategy.
2. Spend a few hours (at first) reading and watching how others are interacting with the site (this is not always conversational - it may simply be posts, organization of links, typical content length, etc.) - and 'fit in'.
3. Create a fantastic profile using one or more interesting photos, a link to your website or sales page, and keyword-rich text.
4. Be helpful, interesting and generous with your posts or content. Don't blatantly promote or over-inflate yourself, your products or your services.