Social networking has become a big part of our daily lives.
People log on to keep up with friends and family, share news and simply make comments about their daily activities.
Businesses too have become a part of this online network of open communication, and many businesses have their own pages on social networking sites like Facebook.
Within their business website they will include a link to their Facebook page or Twitter account, for example, and when people log on to their social networking page they can follow what is going on within your company and be linked to any relevant domain names.
Benefits Having a business page within a social networking site can help your business in many ways.
You can create a loyal following of people and keep them updated with what is going on within your company.
You can inform them of any new products about to be launched, let them know of any sales or special events and inform them if any thing is about to be discontinued.
You can also receive their direct feedback which has many benefits.
Knowing exactly what it is your customers want will help give you a competitive edge.
If you produce what they want then you are going to have a definite demand for your products.
Free advertising Sites like Facebook do not charge you a fee to create a business page, and neither does MySpace or a social networking site called LinkedIn, which is more of a business networking tool than a social chat site.
These social networking sites can offer your business fantastic marketing advantages, so it is wise to jump on board and create your business page.
You are better off to choose one of these sites, rather than try to spread yourself too thin and have a page on each.
This type of advertising is free but it will cost you in time.
Be realistic about what you can achieve as it is about quality not quantity.
You need to be dedicated to the upkeep of it and visit it everyday.
Don't leave customers in the lurch if they leave a post.
You need to reply to it as soon as possible.
Keep the page regularly updated and include things like photos to keep it interesting.
Customers will be seeing the more 'human' side of your business, and this has its advantages.
Your audience It is likely that your business will produce a product or service that is for a particular market, so when joining the social networking world make sure you are targeting the right audience for your product.
Do some research into finding where your clients are.
There may be certain blogs or chat rooms that potential customers use so tap into these resources, rather than wasting your time putting yourself in front of those who are not going to be interested in what you sell.
Be open minded Joining a social networking site will put your business up for scrutiny and you are allowing people to give their feedback.
Be open to their suggestions or criticism, and accept it without getting defensive.
You don't have to agree with what they say, but make sure you don't make any negative comments online.
Thanking people for their feedback, even if it is negative, is the best way to handle this.
The other thing is to keep your business page strictly for business, so don't post any political, religious or personal opinions for example.