Social networking sites can provide many advantages to building an online network marketing business (or any online business) if used properly; and if you have a website and you're not getting involved in these networks, you're leaving a lot of money and potential leads on the table. Here are 4 advantages of tapping into this internet phenomena:
FREE ADVERTISING
The internet is huge, with hundreds of millions of people online at any one time. Social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook alone have over twenty million users each; so you are doing some major leverage of your time and reaching millions of people all over the globe.
Unlike television commercials, which can cost thousands of dollars for thirty seconds, there is no cost to use MySpace or FaceBook. Furthermore, the benefits of online social networking can usually be seen quickly, making it a good investment of time and effort.
BUILDING A CUSTOMER BASE
A drawback to the vast number of people online is that it's easy to drown in anonymity. How do you get those millions to notice you? How do you know which people to target? Social networking can help on both counts. Build your friends list, join personal development and business building groups and make friends within those circles. You can then network to their online friends to reach larger numbers of people with similar interests. Suddenly, you have a targeted set of potential customers.
BRANDING
Most people would rather do business with someone they know and trust than a complete stranger. Interacting with potential customers online gives you the chance to establish a personal relationship. From these relationships, you can get feedback from your prospects about their likes and dislikes, the challenges they face and their suggestions to improve your business. By being responsive to this feedback, you can establish an online reputation as a dynamic name that values it’s customers and provides great service. Keep in mind that participating in social networking is for providing valuable information and service to your potential customers, not completing a sale—leave that to your company website and other forms of marketing. In this circle, it's all about establishing yourself as an expert in your industry and providing valuable information to others that will help them be successful.
INDUSTRY CONTACTS
Finally, social networking sites can be used to reach more than just potential customers. You can befriend and build relationships with other people in your line of business. You can use them as a resource to learn more about your industry and customer base, to make contacts with reliable suppliers and distributors, and keep current on the latest trends in the industry.
There are several different social networking sites besides the two mentioned here that can offer even more! Take ZENZUU for example: they're changing the way of wealth distribution throughout the world and even offering what they call "green pages" for online advertising in addition to many extra advantages for their active members who join for free.
Spread your networking out between a variety of social sites, get out there and make friends, and raise the level of discussions by actively participating in groups and forums, and you'll begin to establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
Katie Liljeberg
Author Bio
Katie Liljeberg is a respectable Internet Marketing and Small Business Consultant in the area of Rockford, Illinois. She teaches 100's of entrepreneurs how to ATTRACT people to their business, generate free leads, and make money online. For a FREE copy of the book that takes you step-by-step and shows you how to effectively build a business online and have leads coming to you on autopilot, visit http://katielive.com/blog
