Business Networking

What is Networking and Social Networking?

There are a number of Business Networking solutions which are useful for the individual, and there are some which are better suited for companies. I have included as many types as possible and welcome additional ideas. Social Networking is the preferred method by many advertising and marketing companies, because with the right message, it can be seen by thousands or millions of potential customers, and is very cost effective. Like everything, it takes time, but the benefits can be substantial for your business. If you use some, or most of these networking sites, then you are well on your way to creating an Integrated Internet Infrastructure. This is ideal for small business networking. You can also add your details to my BT Community (this can be a bit slow, so please wait, not my fault).

It is very important for every company seeking to build a brand on the Internet and increase market share, is to always keep the information up to date on these resources. You know when you visit a website, and it has not been updated, the copyright still shows 2001, and there are broken links, you just leave. Don't let that happen to your web presence. Often it only takes an hour a week, to keep visitors interested and returning. Need some help?, just use the form and send as much information as possible. Minimum rate is 1 hour, payable by PayPal.  I use these resources and many others to build the network that fully supports your website. This is where knowledge, experience and time make a difference. Do you have a website marketing strategy?

Brand Ambassadors for your company.

Setting-up and promoting your business online using these and many other business resources is time consuming, but is very important if your business is to be seen. I try to use the same logo and the message "Webmaster to the Stars", but naturally your style, tag line, logo would be the one promoted. Everybody is a brand, but companies need to have a special brand identity which is constant across all media.

Below are a number of leading business resources, which if used correctly, will quickly promote your company identity or brand into the public eye. If you need specialised marketing help, I can provide the details of some suitable companies to contact.

Linkedin

For the individual, the first has to be Linkedin. Possibly the best method to spread details of your personal experiences, knowledge, and to make contact with old colleagues and people with similar skills. Like all networking sites, you must be prepared to provide a certain amount of private information, there are opt out options, only you can decide  what information you want to make public. Possible the most important aspect of LinkedIn are the specific groups you become a member of. Well worth the effort.

 WebberID

A new serious competitor to LinkedIn and it's European. When you need to promote yourself in the market, this solution can be invaluable. Many facilities available.

Facebook

Possible the best known social media name, 800 million users cannot all be wrong. Well worth the time to set-up a Facebook page, if you have an interesting page you will be followed by similar types of people as yourself. Now considered a "must have for successful companies" Needs updating often to keep visitor interests alive.

Twitter

Just about everybody now has a Twitter profile, including companies. You are limited to 140 characters for posting, not a bad idea as some people would make very large posts. Great for spreading information as people opt-in to stay in contact. Now considered a vital business tool.

Skype

A very useful tool, great for one to one video conferencing and it is free. If you select the paid version you can phone the world at reduced costs. Now seen on many websites as a business telephone link.

YouTube

Used by individuals and companies. Video marketing is expected to be the next big step in utilising the Internet for business and commerce. A simple video can be created from still images or video footage, with your message, and it can also be a major help in boosting your page ranking as YouTube is owned by Google and are all indexed. You can have a title, metatags and a description to help in search engine results.

BrownBook

Brown book is a free business Directory which provides advanced opportunities to promote your company. To see the benefits, here is the Drachsi listing. Drachsi It is important that you claim your company brand name as soon as possible.

GetSatisfaction

GetSatisfaction is an excellent resource providing your customers with a point to ask questions about your company, products or services. It also allows other visitors to provide feedback and could be considered as an on-line, open, visitor supported FAQ section. Provide your customers with an automatic FAQ resource.

 Business Blogging

Company and self promotion usually start with a Blog. I recommended www.blogger.com as it is owned by Google and free for private and business use. Another great tool for building your network.

  Discus

Form a community using the Discus platform. This type of solution provides many benfits to the small and large company. Good examples are the Daily Telegraph and The Independent newspapers in England. To get the best out of the service it is a good idea to join Discus first.

Squidoo

Squidoo is a free resource that allows the construction of web pages about just any topic. As Google frequently indexes the site, it means your efforts are available very quickly. I have made a step by step guide to help you establish your first free web pages, (called Lenses on Squidoo). I operate about 60 Squidoo pages.

Blekko

Blekko is a search engine with a difference. You can set parameters and your own categories. A new Silicon Valley based search engine created by the founders of DMOZ and Topix., but a lot easier to use. What is very different is that you have a range of options highlighting your SEO results. If you want to know which US states or countries link to your site this is shown. Links direct to your Twitter account. A RSS feed service is also available. Try the Full Monte  Here is my listing so you can see what is possible.

ShareThis

Here is a simple solution that allows visitors to recommend your website to others, A great method to enhance your social media network. It is very important to provide a means, quickly and easily for visitors to recommend your website or Blog to their friends, making viral marketing work. Includes analytics for market research.The opportunity to bookmark a favourite web page easily is now considered a standard amongst web design companies. It helps promote your brand and increase visitor traffic.

  Tumblr.

A new competitor to Blogspot, Has a number of useful templates and html editing is possible. Yet another Blog source to post details of your company information. Just make certain you do not just cut and paste the same information everywhere. Google Analytics can be included.

BT Tradespace

There is the free service offered only to UK companies from British Telecom. Again it is yet another resource to use, which provides you with the ownership of the link sources, Google Analytics can also be used. It is a bit slow to use.

   AnooX

A search engine that also provides links back to your existing website. By providing this link, I get a quality link back. The search results are very good as the information is added  and created by normal people. Worth considering. Building quality links is time consuming, but worth the effort in the long term.

Microsoft Office Live

Microsoft Office provides a valuable template based service to create a free website. Great to spread your brand as it is index by Bing. Here is my rather quick version, I call it Business Services

 DuckDuck

Try DuckDuck and see what you think. It is a simple but effective search engine. Another type of Search Engine worth considering. You can set your own local settings, great for when you only want results just for the UK and not the world. Other settings on DuckDuck available.

  Talkbiznow

Another very useful business to business resource. Take time populating all the information panels, join groups, create a Blog, all part of your extensive business networking channel.

  Jayde

One of the oldest B2B Directories. Established in 1996, the same year I started using the Internet. If you offer a Business to Business service, this is one Directory you should join.

  Slideshare

This is a site that allows the uploading of presentations. Great for marketing and increasing awareness of your company and brand.

Google +

Google + is Google's challenger to Facebook. Provides many similar features and some new ideas. Well worth the effort to join and create your own page of information. See my and add me to your circles.

If you set up and uses all these business resources, you will not have much time to run your business, this is where the services I offer can make a significant difference to your success. Remember the minimum is only hour, which can be per day, per week or per month, it's up to you and your budget. There are many many other resources, it's all a matter of time and effort.

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