Social networking websites are JUST ANOTHER MEDIUM for sharing, spreading and promoting news and information about you, your company, and your product or services. They are NO different than the use of newspaper advertisements, billboards, radio commercials, television commercials or attending networking events. Just like the aforementioned media, social networking websites offer companies the opportunity to reach an audience who may include their prospects.

It's that simple! Why then do companies still think that this doesn't apply "to our field"?

My question back to them when they make this statement to me in a sales call is "Are you looking for new customers". They look at me blankly and say "yes, of course".  If they are looking for customers, why don't think they social networking websites are applicable to their business? Ok, so perhaps there aren't that many people on Facebook looking for say "rubber hoses" or "fuel gages", atleast not yet. But they will soon because companies know that to reach a global audience, there is no cheaper, better, faster tool than the internet and there is NO other media that offers as global a reach and as instant a reach as social networks.

Living in "Automotive town" MetroDetroit, I realize that it's difficult to convince the benefit of social networks to tier one and tier two automotive suppliers who in the past had all their business coming from the Big Three. But the Big Three aren't buying enough anymore and it's time to diversify offerings and extend a more global arm to find new customers and prospects.

It's time to leverage social networks my friends and it doesn't matter what industry you are in, you need to showcase your company, your products, and your services on social networks so that you are visible when prospects come a-searching!

Every one of your employees' is a sales person. Every one of them needs to be not only know how to navigate social networks but also to advertise your company's offerings on it, whether they are at home on a personal computer or at work.  Blocking employees from accessing social networks is like biting your nose to spite your face. Instead, it is so much more effective to set up a corporate policy on social networks, train employees on do's and don'ts, monitor productivity and their online activity in a simple organized fashion, and leverage the power of having each one of your employees telling the world how great you and your company's offerings are. If you are still worried that not every employee can be managed or monitored or will behave appropriately online, select a handful of employees to do your networking in addition to having a dedicated team or an external supplier (like us).

But the bottom-line is this. If you aren't on social networks yet, it's not a problem yet. But if you aren't thinking of getting on social networks in the near future, it'll be a problem for sure. That's cause your competition is either already there or thinking about getting there. Don't believe me? Look around and drop me a line if you don't find ANYONE from your field somewhere online.

I remember joining LinkedIn way before Social Media websites were popular and when I was employed at General Motors. I don't even remember when I got my first invitation to "link in" but it has got to be a decade or so. Initially it was made up of the select few career professionals who joined it and then sent invitations to each other. Now of course it has grown to become one of the top professional networking sites for working professionals and business owners.

Although LinkedIn doesn't have as many users as Facebook's 500 plus million, there is no other network that offers you detailed information about professionals in every field you can imagine. The data is well organized, well-searchable, and easy to find and use.  LinkedIn's biggest advantage to you, as an individual or company, is that it allows you to showcase your profile with as much detail as you can possibly add. Your profile becomes an impressive presentation of your company, your skills, your education, your accomplishments and your connections. If you have a captivating profile, people are attracted to you and you'll find yourself being connected to others who become a valuable network for you.

The best way to create a captivating profile is by studying other profiles in your field and outside your field. Yes, even profiles that are not in your field can give you ideas to make your profile more comprehensive and interesting. Also, review corporate profiles of your competition and see what they are saying to make themselves look good. Don't copy but certainly use similar ways to create your own corporate profile so that you can stand head to toe in comparison to your nearest competitor. Testimonials are great for attracting attention of the one who may be tougher to convince simply based on your attractive profile. Testimonials from current and past clients, employees, and colleagues are a great way to let others know what people think of you.
 
Focus on building a network that is hand-picked with individuals whom you want to be associated with. Yes, you won't always be able to focus on who you want and may need to add people who don't appear to be "valuable" from a connection perspective but that's ok. You aren't getting charged for each connection you add so why sweat the small stuff?

Start building your network with the people  you already know. Do your research and connect others keeping in mind "givers gain". I'd say focus on quality of contacts and not so much the quantity because that'll bring more value in the long run. Also keep an eye on the suggestions for connections that the LinkedIn database offers (on the right hand side of your LinkedIn screen). These people are offered as possible contacts by the LinkedIn database based on the interests you filled out in your profile.
 
Update your profile frequently to keep it fresh. Send out notes to your connections letting them know if you have information that they find useful. Integrate your twitter feed to LinkedIn because it's a great way to gain the attention of others who may not be in your network directly. Make use of the Answers section to answer other people's questions and post some of your own in a way that engages other people's attention, not spams them.  Use LinkedIn's extensive database to search for company contacts or people whom you wish to reach to showcase what you do and what you sell.
 
And of course, make sure your profile includes links to your websites including your blog. Share a little bit of your personal information that is not "private" and that may interest others.
 
So if you've only been thinking of playing on Facebook and Twitter, perhaps it's time to give some attention to LinkedIn. Trust me, it'll be worth it.

More than ever before, people are using social media as a game changer to create major tremors across the corporate landscape. Whether it is to lobby Apple for its failure to respond adequately to the iPhone 4 product quality issues-which led to $9.9 billion being wiped off the company's value-or to ridicule BP for its ongoing problems in the Gulf of Mexico, social media's impact on corporate reputations and business strategy is increasing.

As a small business owner, isn't it time to jump on the bandwagon?
 

You can find which of your friends are on Twitter using the Twitter Facebook. You can follow them instantly or add them to a list. Of course you can also post tweets directly to Facebook's pages when posting to your Twitter profile.

Twitter LinkedIn shows you which of your Linkedin connections are on Twitter. You can follow them and also post tweets on Linkedin.

Ok so! If you are my friend, now I can be your friend also on Facebook, and connect on LinkedIn, AND follow you on Twitter.

Uh but why do I NEED to connect with my same friend everywhere???

However many businesses are still not able to see the value of Brandcasting.

Brandcasting on Social Networks has the following key benefits
•    You can reach more people through popular sites like Facebook & Twitter due to the sheer volume of users each of them has

•    You can continuously promote your services and company events without spending any money on printing collateral, direct mail pieces, etc.

(Note: Although social networks are “free”, social networking is not free, but that’s a topic for another blog)

•    You can brag about yourself and your products or services and no one will think less of you.
You can do "horizontal" brandcasting which is to everyone and everywhere across the board, same message, same positioning. In horizontal brandcasting, you would use common messaging to promote generic messages about your brand or products and services.

Then you can do the "vertical" brandcasting where you position different messages on different platforms. In vertical brandcasting, you use different methodologies to reach different audiences. You may choose to reach a specific age demographic or you may target market using geographic area, etc.

The other important aspect of Brandcasting is the need to balance quantity (number of followers, fans, connections) with quality (what you say, how you say, and the persona you create of yourself or your company online, etc.). Quantity AND quality matter and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Brandcasting is a powerful strategy and social networks are the vehicle for executing that strategy to get visibility for your company or products and services. Isn’t it time you got started on your Brandcasting campaigns?

Then there are other platforms which I off and on play on; Google Buzz, Digg, Stumble Upon, et. all.

But Twitter is my absolute favorite networking site. Twitter provides:

• total interactivity with multiple conversations all going at once
• access to those companies or people that I want to reach now
• global promotion of any content that I publish, period!

But know that I'm not "tweeting" just for fun! It's a business tool that we use to promote ourselves and our clients. Yep, you as a prospective client will love to hear about our "hassle-free campaign management services. But I digress.

What I want to convey here is that you as a business owner need to get on Twitter, now. 

Why?

Because Twitter allows you to:

• Brag/showcase/share as much information as you want: We'll prove to you that it is the most “COST-EFFECTIVE way you can generate global visibility for your company
• Engage with prospects and customers: If you have a customer service component, this is the best way to be “agile” and “responsive” to your customers. For all companies Twitter can be leveraged to reach those who are not as easily accessible through normal channels
• Streamline the business development process: I mean how often in the past could you have direct access to the local governor, the top celebrity, the top TV show host, or the CEO of a company?
• Identify alliance partners. Since everyone's talking about what they do and what they sell, what better way to identify alliance partners than browsing Twitter to find prospect alliances?
• Create a referral network: Let's not forget the need for referrals. When people interact and form a "trusted" relation, referrals are just a step away.
• Promote brand awareness: Yep, tell everyone who you are and what you do and why you believe in some cause and how you are a good corporate citizen. People want to hear this from you. By posting it on Twitter, everyone gets to read what you do and who you are.

Don't get me wrong. Facebook is wonderful. Twitter though is totally "now". Chat with multiple people all at once. Promote one message to thousands with just a simple click of the button. Request the forwarding of your message and voilà, several followers jump up to fulfill your request.
 
Twitter is fun; Twitter provides engagement galore; Twitter is good for business! It may be just my opinion but it's validated by millions!

It's ludicrous and totally pointless to "Buy" followers. What would the point be again? Does anyone really believe that growing followers inorganically by paying for them will provide any value?

The whole purpose of social networking websites is having the opportunity to network with others online. Leveraging your network to spread your company mission, product and service information, and bragging about how good you are, are all relevant only when there's someone willing to listen, engage, and take some kind of action. When you buy followers, you see a growth in the number of followers but the end benefit is completely missing.

You wouldn't "buy" networking connections in a face to face networking session would you? Well then don't do it online either. There's no purpose to it. Be a smart social networker. Engage and pour your sweat and blood (not literally of course) to get noticed organically. Establish credibility through dialog and an exchange of ideas. Then and only then social networking will make sense AND provide a return on investment.

I say that a website without Search Engine Optimization is like a car without gasoline. It's dead in the middle of the Internet superhighway, going nowhere, bringing no one to it, and doing nothing of much. When a website is optimized, it becomes the gasoline that allows the website to run on the world wide web.
 
Social Media Marketing on the other hand is a strategy used to share content, invite interactions, and communicate key messages about your company to get visibility. With Social Media Marketing you get a "buzz". Popular websites like Facebook and Twitter allow quick sharing of content which drives traffic and brand visibility.
 
To get succesful online, you cannot choose one or the other. When done properly, Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Marketing can help you maximize your online investment and increase your visibility.

Businesses doing only one or not doing anything with their websites have no chance of being found.

• Very good viral marketing tool
• Allows you to quickly share information
• Content can be found in Google's search results
• Increases brand awareness
• Drives traffic to website when links are used
• Distributes time-sensitive information fast and furious

Facebook

• Good for brand recognition, especially for recognized
• Allows sharing a variety of content including photos,  links, videos, and more
• Allows large number of followers and fans to market product and services.

A presence on both networks allows you to optimize your online presence. Don't settle for one or the other. Leverage both; Twitter and Facebook to get the biggest bang for your marketing dollars.

Along with Google, social networks like Facebook, popular blog sites, and others are taking the lions' share of advertising dollars that used to be spent on newspaper and magazine advertisement.

Google's CEO (at the annual American Society of News Editors conference) said that "newspapers are vital to democracy". I agree to that statement totally. I also feel that the pleasure of sitting at the kitchen table on Sundays with the papers cannot be replaced by sitting in front of the computer reading the online news. It's just not the same.

But what I don't see is how newspapers can revive themselves with the popularity of online media and the continued migration of more and more advertising dollars from print to digital media. Google's CEO thinks there will be a way for newspapers to survive with a new business model.

For the sake of my journalist friends and peers I hope that someone figures out a way to do so soon.