Social Networking Blog

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5 Social Media Marketing Tips You Cannot Ignore

As marketers race to all things social these days, a lot of them go in with blinders on, assuming that they can learn it on the fly. All they see are the massive amount of numbers flocking to MySpace and Facebook and they want a piece of that. But before they jump in here are 5 things they better not ignore as they attempt to slice up the pie.

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MySpace Catches a Murderer

MySpace has played an important role in helping Oakland police apprehend a 19-year old man accused of shooting a San Leandro High School football player Greg “Doody” Ballard, Jr.

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7 Key Steps to Social Networking

Social networking can be a great connection tool--you can stay in touch with family and friends that may be far away, keep abreast of activities in an organization or group, or even use it as a marketing tool. Here are 7 key steps to using social networking as a marketing tool, although you could adapt it for other uses as well.

Key Step 1: Locating a Group

Find groups with interests similar to the concerns of your business as well as ties to similar businesses. Same with hobbies and other activities.

Key Step 2: Auxiliary Groups

Often you can find several groups that are related to yours, or have concerns that are similar. For instance, if you have a ceramic business and belong to a ceramacists’ group, you might also want to join an artists’ group and possibly even an archaeological interest group.

Key Step 3: Nurture Connections

The more you offer good advice or tips, the more people will remember you. Offer sound advice and offer it as often as possible.

Key Step 4: Sharing Connections

You will be getting connected with people from all over. Share reliable and worthwhile connections with others, and cross-connect people in other satellite groups. You will increase your exposure within each social networking group.

Key Step 5: Listen

Your social networking group can often become a Petri dish for new ideas. Listen to the people on them and act on tips and advice whenever it’s sound. You could come up with lots of new ideas for your business.

Key Step 6: Participate Regularly

You should show up often and at key times--usually when the group is busiest. Social networking can only work if you’re there--in this way, it’s like other web marketing. You can’t just put up the page, advertise, and sit back while it works.

Key Step 7: Promote the Group

Bring new members into the group. You can start with your business mailing list. These people have already done business with you and can promote your reputation.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Online Social Networking

Are you on MySpace yet? This has been a common question in the last couple of years, as more and more people are joining the popular social networking site.

Online social networking is a major activity these days, as it offers a more interactive, effective, immediate means of communication between friends within your social circle and a potential new circle.

These sites (especially MySpace) have allowed many amateurs to get their talents showcased, whether they are musicians, artists, filmmakers, photographers or designers. Online social networking allows these people to ingratiate themselves onto the busy world of the web and allows users of the sites to see and comment on what they have to offer.

Online social networking is the ideal means for people to remain in contact with one another; it could be seen as a more advanced, interactive and cost effective way of staying in instant communication between people when compared to mobile phone text messaging.

Certain networking sites allow you to join forums and groups, which allow you to engage in conversation and debate from a variety of people around the world. These groups work well together for people with vested and similar interests to share opinions and discuss a wide range of issues.

The main rival to MySpace in the UK is Bebo, which is a hugely popular networking site. The site works well for youths aged 14-17 and for students and young adults aged 18- 25. Bebo is ideal for local networking and staying in contact with your closest friends.

Other key online networking sites include YouTube, Flickr, Photobucket, and Facebook.

How Did Facebook Become So Popular?

Have You Heard Of Facebook?

By now, you are probably familiar with the popular social-networking website called Facebook.

According to Wikipedia, Facebook has more than 19 million registered users across 47,000 regional, work-related, college or high-school networks.

I Was Skeptical At First

Initially, I was very reluctant to embrace the Facebook phenomenon. However, my friends kept asking me “Hey Vincent, are you on Facebook?”…”Did you join Facebook yet” ”You need to visit Facebook.” This went on for weeks.

Surprisingly, when I checked my Hotmail account, I also received invites from dozens of friends including Andre, David, Trisha, Renee and Kevin

How Did Facebook Become So Popular, So Fast?

Finally, I decided to visit this website called Facebook. Once and for all, I wanted to discover why Facebook is so popular. I wanted to know how they managed to gain millions of members in a few short months? How did they become so big, so fast? I had to know the truth. I wanted to know their secret!

Facebook’s Secret Exposed

Aside from having an easy to navigate layout, the ability to keep tabs on friends, great content, and, amazing search capabilities, Facebook is utilizing one of the most powerful viral marketing strategies ever conceived.

It’s so simple, but yet extremely powerful.

Once my account was created, I immediately clicked on the friends tab. I noticed a drop down menu with several options including Invite Friends. Once clicked, I was taken to a page that allowed me to Import Email Addresses from my Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, and Gmail.

I was also greeted with the following message:

"Enter your email login info below and Facebook will securely import your contacts from

your address book."

I simply inserted my email address and password and instantly all 78 of my Hotmail contacts appeared before me. With one click of a button, I was able to invite all my contacts to join Facebook.

I Quickly Realized The Power of This Application After using this tool to instantly invite all 78 of my Hotmail contacts; I quickly realized the power of this application! What impressed me the most was how simple it was to import and invite all of my contacts. Unlike traditional tell-a-friend forms, it only took a few seconds to invite 78 people using Facebook’s PHP address book importer.

By implementing this viral marketing strategy, Facebook has become one the most popular websites online.

5 Reasons Why Traditional Tell-A-Friend Forms Are Obsolete!

• They forced your visitors to manually input email addresses.
• Your visitors must also manually type the name beside each email address.
• Most forms only have around 10 input fields. Remember, the average person, has over 100 web mail contacts. Why limit yourself?
• People are lazy. Nobody wants to sit around and insert dozens of email addresses into your form!
• Ongoing subscription fees.

Once you make the decision to upgrade to a PHP address book importer. You will need to implement a variety of marketing strategies to maximize your success. In other words, simply installing such a script is NOT good enough.

3 Viral Marketing Strategies You MUST Do In Order To EXPLODE Your Online Business

Strategy #1: Motivate Your Visitors!

Let's get real. We live in a very selfish world. I’m sure you have a fabulous website. However, nobody is going tell his or her friends about it without asking the following question what's in it for me? You will be surprised what people will do if you provide the right incentive! Offering Free Giveaways is a good place to start.

Strategy #2: Don't Hide Your Tell-A-Friend Link

Hiding your link is a huge mistake. This is very frustrating to me. Most webmasters will place their tell-a-friend link at the bottom of their web page. They place it in some remote area of their web page and wonder why nobody uses it.

You must add your tell-a-friend link to the main navigation of your website. For example, most websites will have "About us" "Contact Us" "Products" added to the primary navigation. Your tell-a-friend link must also be added to the primary navigation of your website.

Strategy #3: It's All In The Name

Here's an idea. Instead of using the same boring link title "tell-a-friend" Why not say "Free Ipod" "Free Coupon", "Free E-Book" This will cause your visitors to actually click on the link. At that point, you can provide contest details / instructions.

Viral marketing is not a fad or gimmick. It’s a real marketing strategy that can increase the profitability of your business. Adding a PHP address book importer to your arsenal will instantly provide your visitors an easy way of inviting others to your website.

Facebook is already utilizing the new technology, shouldn’t you?

About The Author:

Vincent Newton is the creator of Friend Inviter, http://www.friendinviter.com Friend Inviter a powerful PHP address book importer that helps webmasters to increase traffic to their websites.

How to Start a Social Networking Website

Okay, so you have decided to start your own social networking website. And it seems to be a pretty nice idea actually; why not? Everybody is visiting social networking websites nowadays! Well, this true; to be honest, this is very true. However, things might not be exactly as easy as you might have imagined them to be!

First of all you need to find a good script. With the exception of PHPizabi and Dolphin, the majority of the other competent social networking scripts are commercial and you will have to buy them and/or pay an annual subscription fee. At this point you might be thinking "great, where's the problem?". Well, there is no problem actually; however, since you will probably pay for your script, you should better make a good choice from the beginning(unless you have unlimited money and time to try each and every script available of course!).

Once you have your script installed, the greatest problem you are going to face will be to actually get people to know the address of your website. It's pretty hard actually to even get the group of people you are targeting to know about the existence of your website. This is a very lengthy and difficult task. The hardest stage will be the point where the registered people on your website will be you, your good friends as well as the good friends of your good friends. Then what? Well, that's pretty much as far as the reaction chain will go (from my personal experience at least) and after that point you will have to do many things to promote your websites. Sending lots of emails will help, make sure you do not do it in a spammish way. Exchanging links with other websites will also help, go for it. Finally, what will help the most is ranking good on search engines as well as getting people to spread the word about your website (this last one is a must).

That's pretty much what i had to say in the first article of my upcoming series about social networking websites. Have a nice time and work hard :)

Kurtis Miller has been a webmaster for several years and he enjoys sharing his experiences with new webmasters. One of his websites is http://www.albayoung.com

Social Networking - Get Started With Social Networking Now

The internet market is growing fast . It is inevitable because it is one of the easiest ways to sell products and services. The online advent has been the key to success of some entrepreneurs who have already tried it. There are so many strategies and steps to achieve targeted traffic. All you need to know is to have enough knowledge on the field and do your best to gain it. Some are into blogs and forums while some are into article marketing.

Social networking is also an efficient way to make more sales and to create awareness to your customers. People from different places will get to know the products and the services you offer. Moreover, it is not difficult to engage in social networking sites. All you need is a working web site and a social network profile.

Social networking sites are increasing every day. It is being more populated and there are so many reasons to engage in it. If you want to make your networking a success, you shall need an attractive and a working web site. Do not be contented with a cheap site. Make it more dynamic. Add pictures, media and make sure that the colors jive. Moreover, make reliable content. The content of your web site should complement with the web site.

If the web site is good enough, you should make good content out of it. Start getting visitors by joining social network sites. There are so many sites out there which you can engage into. The most popular ones are Friendster, FaceBook or MySpace. These are just some of the web sites you can check out. Once you register to these sites, make sure that you include a profile that is credible enough for other people to trust you. Once you gain their trust, you are sure to have a worthwhile marketing.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to social networking success, 'Secrets of Social Networking'

Download it free here: Social Networking Secrets

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

MySpace, Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites: Hot Today, Gone Tomorrow?

Popular social networking sites, including MySpace and Facebook, are changing the human fabric of the Internet and have the potential to pay off big for investors, but -- given their youthful user base -- they are unusually vulnerable to the next 'new new' thing. As quickly as users flock to one trendy Internet site, they can just as quickly move on to another, with no advance warning, according to Wharton faculty and Internet analysts.

MySpace, with 70 million visitors, has become the digital equivalent of hanging out at the mall for today's teens, who load the site with photos, news about music groups and detailed profiles of their likes and dislikes. Other social network sites include Facebook, geared to college students, LinkedIn, aimed at professionals, and Xanga, a blog-based community site. In all, an estimated 300 sites, including smaller ones such as StudyBreakers for high schoolers and Photobucket, a site for posting images, make up the social network universe.

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Social Media Marketing And Facebook - Why You Need A Profile

Over the past few years, social networking sites enabled by Web 2.0 technologies have dramatically changed the way we use the Internet. What was once a one-way connection has transformed into a dynamic connective medium, allowing users to share a wide range of content including blogs, photos, videos, and much more.

Yet how have social networking sites like Facebook changed the way online marketers advertise online? For one, they've made our jobs much easier. Facebook is the ideal medium for advertising within an environment that's viral by nature. These online social directories use an interactive format that allows users to create a personal profile, connect to other users, and share content.

In a sense, these users have already effectively segmented themselves, coming together through like interest groups and connecting through content. These behaviors, which are inherent to social media and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and specific demographic groups. Now more than ever, the "Net Generation" is becoming involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the chance to market to predefined segments of online users, positioning branded messages on sites where these users spend time online.

Moreover, these social networking sites are growing at an exponential rate, adding more and more users from more diverse backgrounds. Initially, Facebook was created only for college students, but last year, it was opened to anyone with an email address. According to Microsoft, Facebook is the sixth most trafficked site in the U.S., and now has over 73 million registered users in 40,000 different collegiate, high school, work-related, and geographic networks. This represents a 530% growth rate over one year alone.

The tactic through which advertisers communicate with these segmented online audiences is known as Social Media Marketing (SMM). SMM has become a popular tool for search engine optimization (SEO) thanks to its unique ability to improve website visibility, name recognition, and brand awareness among specific online audiences through the acquisition of a network of relevant links.

So what opportunities does Facebook present for targeted online marketing efforts? Among Internet users ages 18-24, Facebook placed first on the list of favorite sites in Youth Trends most recent survey. Over 70% of females ages 17-25 indicated that Facebook was their favorite site in terms of time spent online. For males, this figure was still a powerful 56%. These demographic is clearly technology-driven, thanks to their growing up in a culture that considers time online an integral aspect of daily life. More than half of those surveyed visited Facebook at least once a day, logging an average of 35 minutes on the site.

Furthermore, these users are familiar with online environments and are adept at seeking out and finding specific pieces of content they're interested in. Thus, social networking sites, especially Facebook, present online marketers with the opportunity to engage users with advertising messages at critical moments of relevance.

So how can we utilize social media marketing to effectively engage these elusive audiences of young adults? Below are several ideas on how to utilize social media marketing on Facebook.

• Connect Through Groups:

  Facebook has an infinite number of shared interest groups which users join for a myriad of reasons. These groups cover an unlimited number of subjects and interests, from marine biology to snowboarding to politics to rap music to Italian food. No matter what your interest or target market, there is a group for you. Take it from me. I've been a registered Facebook user, or "Facebooker" since 2003, and I've seen a group for everything, literally. Many even have a local focus, like Denver Broncos fan groups or Denver Chinese Students Group. Each of these groups has its own page with a forum, discussion board, photo gallery, etc. This is the best place to position messages meant for specific niche audiences, as you're almost guaranteed everyone who sees it fits your target profile. In the past, when I was trying to drive traffic to a video site I was working for, I placed descriptive and enticing links to relevant videos on the group's "wall," or discussion board. I saw great results as many of the members of this particular group, which was devoted to skiing, followed these links to watch videos about their favorite sport, skiing.

• Connect Through Applications:

  Recently, Facebook has opened up its platform to outside developers who have created innumerable applications, ranging from fantasy stock picking simulators to video games of "beer pong" to world maps marking desired travel destinations. Users can add as many of these applications as they like to their profiles, creating opportunities for marketers and developers alike to subtly integrate marketing messages into these applications and their functions. Many developers have already done so and are not doubt reaping some major benefits, not only through increased brand awareness but through traffic driven from Facebook, which many have bridged to their own sites.

• Connect Through Content:

  Because Facebook allows users to post videos, images, links, photos, and more, advertisers can seamlessly utilize social media marketing strategies to connect with these groups through content. By positioning your content where your target audience is, you can be assured your brand will be right in front of their eyes as they interact with your message. Facebook is a repository for an endless amount of consumer data, what many experts have dubbed "a community in a box." So why not leverage this data by getting involved? Connect through content.

• Connect Through Events:

  As Facebook has grown, it has added an "Events" section where users can post information about upcoming events and then invite their Facebook friends to attend. The entire section of events is searchable, and users can quickly locate events they're interested in, find the host's name, location, time, and even a description of the event. What's more, Facebook gives each event its own page, where users can RSVP, decline to attend, or even post information on the event page's public discussion wall, like what to wear, what to bring, etc. This presents social media marketers with a valuable opportunity to post events and then invite people that are most likely interested in attending. In my own experience with this medium, I've created events for clients and then posted information and invites within groups that align. For example, when promoting an upcoming reggae concert or college football game, find as many groups related to reggae music, college football, music and sports that you can, and post the event information on their group discussion boards to ensure that anyone who's interested now knows and attends.

• Connect Through Mobile Devices:

  Just this week, Facebook announced that it has partnered with RIM, or Research In Motion, and their BlackBerry device. In addition to BlackBerrys, Facebook is accessible to a wide range of other mobile devices. This presents valuable opportunities for advertisers to reach potential customers on a local level, positioning their company presence at the moment of relevance.

Still, Facebook's explosive growth hasn't been without challenges. In response to criticism from a plethora of groups, Facebook recently added additional security measures in an effort to better protect private information. In addition to assuaging privacy fears, this is sure to encourage more users to join the site and share more information about themselves. Yet this will also force social media marketers to be more innovative and creative when identifying and locating target audiences.

As you can see, Facebook users have taken care of the segmentation process, connecting themselves through content and shared interests. These behaviors, which are inherent to social media and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and specific demographic groups. Now more than ever, the "Net Generation" is becoming involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the chance to market to predefined segments of online users, positioning branded messages on sites where these users spend time online.

The company I work for, Fusionbox, a Denver Internet marketing company, uses social media marketing to combine the objectives of Internet marketing with the capabilities of social media sites and Web 2.0 technologies. Click here for more information on social media marketing.

Essentially, our SMM services create powerful forms of viral marketing that leverage the large audiences and user communities of social media sites. Whether on MySpace, YouTube, Digg, Facebook, Del.icio.us, Flickr, or any number of others, SMM revolves around the creation and connection of users to companies through unique content.

For this reason, SMM can be utilized to build a network of links, spread brand messages, increase visibility and awareness, and even manage your company's reputation online. After all, these social media sites each have millions of registered users, grouped into like-interest communities. Now all you have to do is discern where your target audience is congregating online. What more could a marketer ask for? No other channel allows companies to declare their identity, service offerings, value proposition and location within such a targeted environment.

Our team of experienced and innovative social media marketers will effectively position your website content in a targeted digital space where it will be seen by those you want to see it.

Fusionbox is a leader in applying Web 2.0 technologies to the Internet marketing domain. Our services have been aptly deemed Web Marketing 2.0 because of our ability to connect clients to customers by engaging the market and initiating conversations through social media.

Nick Yorchak is an SEO expert and Search Engine Marketing Specialist at Fusionbox, a full-service Denver Internet marketing, web design, and web development company. He can be reached at his Fusionbox email (nyorchak@fusionbox.com) or at (303)952-7490. Click here to check out his expert SEO blog.