Social Media: A Business Essential

For any business, using social media, whether it be Facebook or Twitter is an excellent marketing strategy. Since social media websites have come about, businesses everywhere have taken advantage of the great opportunities that can be found when reaching out to a broader audience. Social media websites like Facebook and Twitter are free of charge, and through your posts you can advertise your business without spending money on expensive commercials.

Using Social Networking Websites to Promote Your Online Website

Do you own or operate your own website?  With the rising popularity of the internet, there is a good chance that you do. A large number of internet users run their own personal websites, but others run their websites as a way to make money.  Of course, any website owner wishes to promote their online website, but those who rely on their websites for income are more willing to. Whichever type of website you have, did you know that you could help to promote it with online social networking websites?

If you are wondering how and why you should use social networking websites to promote your online website, you are not alone. A fairly large numbers of internet users arenít even sure what social networking sites are or how they work.  Online social networking websites are like online communities. They give internet users an easy and fairly safe way to come together.  Many social networking websites are designed to make it easier for you to search for and make contact with other internet users, especially those that you have something in common with.

350 Social Networking Websites

350 Social Networking Websites from dir100 

 

Books

Americabookshelf.com – One of the largest book exchange clubs across the US.
BooksConnect – A book sharing community site connecting readers, authors, publishers, librarians and booksellers.
BookCrossing.com – A community of users from over 130 countries who exchange books with each other at public places like cafes, parks etc.
Bookhopper.co.uk – Free community for UK residents to share used books with each other.
Bookins.com – Book sharing website that enables members to exchange used books with each other in real time.
BookMooch.com – An interesting concept where users can exchange books with others through points. Users gain points when they give books to others.
Booksalescout.com – Online community of users allowing them to sell books in the US.
Bookswim.com – Book borrowing service with free shipping for registered website.
ConnectViaBooks – A social networking site connecting book lovers and enabling them to discover other similar interests.
GoodReads – GoodReads is a book reader’s community enabling members to review, share books they have been reading.
PaperBackSwap.com – Users can share books amongst each other and only pay for the delivery charges.
Pazap.com – A book trade engine for students to buy and sell old books.
Read It Swap It – A free service that allows users to exchange books with others.
Revish – Revish is another community for book lovers, letting them review their favorite books, group up, or simply tell the world what they’re currently reading.
Shelfari – Shelfari is a popular social networking service for book lovers.
Socialbib – Book swapping network between students.

Business Networking & Professionals

AdvisorGarage – It is an online directory of advisers who are willing to assist budding entrepreneurs.
ArtBreak – ArtBreak is an artist community for sharing and selling artwork.
Blogtronix – Blogtronix promotes corporate social networking, enterprise 2.0 and wikis.
Commutal – Commutal is an online sharing platform for businesses to create media rooms, participate in domestic groups and share event happenings with each other.
CompanyLoop – An online co-working community for global businesses.
ConnectBeam – Connectbeam offers social networking specially designed for corporate users.
Decorati – An interior designer community enabling users to post items for sale and for exchange.
DoMyStuff – A good site for working professionals looking to find online assistants.
Doostang – An invite only career community for professionals.
Fast Pitch – It is a quickly growing business networking community in corporate world. Its online provides users with a one-stop shop network to market their business.
iKarma Inc. – iKarma is a specialist in providing customer feedback for organizations and professionals.

Cnn - Does your social class determine your online social network?

Does your social class determine your online social network?

Like a lot of people, Anna Owens began using MySpace more than four years ago to keep in touch with friends who weren't in college.


But soon she felt too old for the social-networking site, and the customizable pages with music that were fun at first began to annoy her. By the time she graduated from the University of Puget Sound, Owens' classmates weren't on MySpace -- they were on Facebook.
Throughout graduate school and beyond, as her network began to expand, Owens ceased using MySpace altogether. Facebook had come to represent the whole of her social and professional universe.


"MySpace has one population, Facebook has another," said the 26-year-old, who works for an affordable-housing nonprofit in San Francisco, California. "Blue-collar, part-time workers might like the appeal of MySpace more -- it definitely depends on who you meet and what they use; that's what motivates people to join and stay interested."


Is there a class divide online? Research suggests yes. A recent study by market research firm Nielsen Claritas found that people in more affluent demographics are 25 percent more likely to be found friending on Facebook, while the less affluent are 37 percent more likely to connect on MySpace.


More specifically, almost 23 percent of Facebook users earn more than $100,000 a year, compared to slightly more than 16 percent of MySpace users. On the other end of the spectrum, 37 percent of MySpace members earn less than $50,000 annually, compared with about 28 percent of Facebook users.


MySpace users tend to be "in middle-class, blue-collar neighborhoods," said Mike Mancini, vice president of data product management for Nielsen, which used an online panel of more than 200,000 social media users in the United States in August. "They're on their way up, or perhaps not college educated."


By contrast, Mancini said, "Facebook [use] goes off the charts in the upscale suburbs," driven by a demographic that for Nielsen is represented by white or Asian married couples between the ages of 45-64 with kids and high levels of education.
Even more affluent are users of Twitter, the microblogging site, and LinkedIn, a networking site geared to white-collar professionals. Almost 38 percent of LinkedIn users earn more than $100,000 a year.


Nielsen also found a strong overlap between those who use Facebook and those who use LinkedIn, Mancini said.

read original article from CNN here

Social Media Marketing Plan Example

 

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Social Media - Welcome To Reality Online

The use of social media encompasses a broad range of online media types. While some might only think of a social network like MySpace there are actually several social media formats that contain significant marketing potential for online business.

While others may think you are simply enjoying the multiple aspects of social networking, the truth of your interest may likely be tinged with a business focus.