Social Networking for Your Small Business

Social Networks is an entrepreneur’s Dream

After mobile phones and internet, social networking is not only talk of the town but major talk of the world this year. Especially at seminars and corporate conferences.

Companies and small business owners are aware of the phenomenon but have little idea how they can harness the power and leverage social networks and social media to their greatest advantage.

It is the complexity rather than the simplicity that is not making business owners take right action. This is resulting in them missing out on lost opportunities where their vision is unable to see today.

For example Blogs are a very fast and simple way to engage your target market, they are simple to create, easily searchable via RSS, and promotes ongoing conversations you’re your ideal readers.

Micro blogging sites Twitter is the hottest site in 2009 with approx 15 million active users only in the USA. A site that started only in 2006 today is worth 1.7 billion dollars.

From President Obama, Britney Spears, Oprah to an average person are signing up on Twitter realizing the massive potential of the social networking site.

If you are a smart entrepreneur you can understand why Twitter is so beneficial. 140 characters are your updates but they can be powerful messages to your prospective clients, JV partners and future connections. Provided you know what are the right and wrong etiquettes.

It is people who are blasting their company ads blatantly who are losing grounds and reputation faster than they can imagine.
The secret to all this is the secret to right connection and conversation.

If an entrepreneur can master this, they can dominate social networks and social media. Relationship building should be of prime focus on social networks and as an entrepreneur and a small business owner this is fundamentally important. Sales and dollars are inevitable provided you have built trust and some kind of relationship.

That opens another topic. Your profile, image and content on your home page. Whether you like it or not people are judging and forming opinions on the content you have written on your profile page.

If you are a business owner you must post content that will benefit you and get you possible leads and new business, without turning your home page into a commercial.

Popular networks like Facebook and LinkedIn are ideal marketing, recruitment, prospecting, joint venture opportunities and personal brand building. Facebook has the coolest application and tools to connect and plan events, product launches, social ads etc.

As a business owner you can cut your advertising budgets into less than half if you know how to smartly plan your campaigns on Facebook. You can laser target your ideal audience as Facebook gives you fantastic options to do so.

Right now the whole world is like your candy bowl and you can pick and choose the best contact as your friends, business partners or your team.

Social networking is all about bringing more people into the conversation. The art is how to have effective conversation that will benefit both you and your contact.

As a small business owner and an entrepreneur it is your perfect opportunity to increase sales and grow your business locally and globally today. With more than half a billion on major social sites there is every chance of success for small business owners.

Just to give you some statistics see the active users on main social sites.

Facebook 200 Million+
My Space 253 Million
You Tube 107 Millions
Twitter 14.5 million (only in the US)
Linked In 39 Million
(Source: Wikipedia)

What do these figures indicate to you? These figures are only from the major social sites. These figures should spark the fire in any entrepreneur if you have the mind set for success.

Today is your opportunity to ride this tidal wave and leverage the power of social media and social networks for business and life.

Feel Fantastically Fabulous!
Dainaz S Illava
Entrepreneur Author Social Media Expert & Coach
http://www.OnlineSocialDiva.com

Follow Dainaz S Illava on Twitter http://Twitter.com/DainazSIllava
http://Twitter.com/SocialDivas