We've decided to do some blogs that included comments from our
discussions that occurred during the blog writing process.
We refer to these as our "You are There" blogs!
Though we do not
consider ourselves masters of social networking
we do know that we have
learned a few things along the way. Our
thoughts are added in
italics throughout this article.
The goal of most business owners is to
make money. This often results with the selling of a particular
product or service. However, to sell that product or service
business owners need to alert the general public. Your customer
cannot buy a product or a service if they do not know that it exists.
That is why, as a business owner, you need to advertise your
business.
When it comes to advertising there are
many business owners who literally cringe. Are you doing this now?
There is a good chance that you are because many advertising methods
cost money. As a business owner you want to make money not spend it,
right? Unfortunately, if you believe that all forms of advertising
take money, you are sadly mistaken. Although you may have to spend
money to make your business what you want it to be, there are ways to
promote your business and the products or services that you sell
without having to spend any money at all.
Perhaps now is the best
time to jump in and voice our opinion.
When your company uses
the internet to promote products and
services it does cost
money! Think payroll, computer, electricity.
Is your curiosity peaked yet? There is
a good chance that it is and rightfully so. One of the ways that you
can promote your business, without having to spend a dime, is by
using something that is readily available online. That thing is an
online social networking website. A large number of internet users,
in fact millions of them, belong to at least one social networking
website.
Our electric bill is more than a dime so the false statement is questionable.
Right. People need to consider the overall cost of the investment.
When it comes to social networking,
there are many individuals who think of online friendships or online
relationships. Social networking was first created for business purposes when in 1978 the Bulletin Board System (or BBS)
was established. The BBS was hosted on personal computer and
required users to dial in through a host computer.
In fact, BBS was the original
social network.
I have a thought! It's
was like ham radio vs. Sirius.
If you are a small business owner,
especially one that operates an online business, there is a way that
you can use social networking sites to your advantage.
Although social networking websites are
traditionally focused on those that would like to make online friends
or develop online relationships, there are networking sites that are
designed for business owners. These websites will not only allow you
to share your business information with other business owners, but it
will also allow you to develop close relationships with those that
share an interest that is similar to yours. Essentially, this means
that you could not only learn valuable business information, but you
could also walk away with a new business partner or a new friend.
We looked at both words
used in the term “social networking”.
Of the those
definitions we most liked, “the exchange of
information or services
among individuals”.
As previously mentioned, social
networking websites with a focus on businesses, are a great way to
promote your business. However, this does not mean that you should
completely forget about the other online social networking websites,
the ones that are designed to make online friendships. Although you
may not learn any valuable business tips by joining Yahoo! Facebook
or Google+, you may be able to get new customers and new customers is
exactly what your business wants.
If you are looking to join an online
community, you will need to create your own profile or profile page.
If you are planning on joining a traditional social networking
website, to gain access to millions of potential new customers, you
are urged to be careful when making your online webpage or profile.
One thing that internet users hate is being solicited for business.
This does not mean that you cannot use social networking to your
advantage; it just means that you need to be careful with how you do
it.
Sure you should be
careful. We've mentioned this on our web site
in regard to making
sure your social networking pages were
non offensive to
employers. You also need to be careful that your
personal information is
not shared publicly on the business page.
By joining a social networking website,
especially one that is popular and has a large number of members, you
should be able to generate interest in your business, including the
products or services that you sell. Who knows, but that interest
generated could turn into sales; thus making your social networking
experience more than worth it.
We've noticed that
social networking advice almost always
includes something
about being human.
It's no surprise that
people prefer to interact with
other people rather
than a machine.
Junk mail has never
been a favorite
so why would junk
email be any better?
Social networking is
easy. Be human, just like you are.
Have a presence on the
world wide web. It is the world's community.
Always remember to
consider the return on your company's investment.
www.GeorgiannaHardwareCorporation.com
