Succeeding in Your Business - Column by Cliff Ennico

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Navigating the Web 2.0 Universe

Cliff Ennico

"I am looking to market a consulting business and am very interested in the various 'social networking' websites such as Facebook and MySpace as potential marketing vehicles. I confess, though, that I'm a bit confused by the sheer multiplicity of sites that are available now -- there are at least 10 social networking sites that might be a marketing venue for my business. How do I choose between them, or do I simply sign up for all of them in an effort to reach the maximum number of people?"

If you are serious about marketing your business on the Web, there are three New Year's resolutions you need to make right now:

(1) Set up a "profile" page on at least one of the major Web 2.0 social networking websites;

(2) Mention your "profile" page everywhere else you have a presence online (such as your website and "blogs") and offline (such as your business card, office stationery and telephone answering message); and

(3) Resist the temptation to be "everywhere, all at once" by spreading yourself too thin.

At first glance, resolution No. 3 seems to contradict the first two resolutions, but it really doesn't. There are four things you need to know about social networking websites:

(1) Certain sites attract certain types of people -- while many people have multiple "profile" pages, certain sites develop stronger followings with some people than others, and you want to focus your marketing efforts where the people you want to reach "hang out";

(2) Social networking sites can be "time vampires" -- you will be creating profiles, taking part in discussions and responding to messages virtually every day; and

(3) Social networking sites are interactive -- you are not in control of your marketing message on any of them -- people will comment on your products and services, and some people are more interested in expressing their own opinions than in helping you build your business.

(4) Social networking sites overlap a lot -- hardly a day goes by in my office without receiving an e-mail from a Facebook "friend" who wants me to join his profile page on LinkedIn, and vice versa. A lot of the people you are reaching on Website A are the same people you are already reaching on Website B.

So how you do decide where to "plant your flag" in the Web 2.0 universe? I've looked at most of the major sites, and here is my totally unscientific, personal, opinionated view of the major ones:

MySpace -- this is where the kids are hanging out. Great for rock bands and others who are targeting the "tween and teen" markets, and for celebrities, authors, sports stars and others who are looking to build a mass fan base (good book: "MySpace Marketing" by Sean Percival). This is where I want to be if I want to build readership for this column.

Facebook -- great for personal networking with family and friends. If you have an extended family and want to keep them all up to date on your latest adventures, this is the place to be. Several friends of mine used their Facebook profiles to send out holiday messages this year (bad news for Hallmark) (good book: "Facebook Marketing" by Steven Holzner).

LinkedIn.com -- great for businesspeople and professionals who are interested in "serious" networking. This is where I want a profile tied to my law and business development consulting practice (a new e-book from marketing expert Jan Wallen, "LinkedIn in Seven Days or Less," available at http://janwallen.com/works.htm).

Plaxo.com -- originally an online address book and calendar manager for people who use Microsoft Outlook (and still probably the strongest product in that area), Plaxo has developed a Web 2.0 site (called "Plaxo Pulse") with a look and feel very similar to Facebook but with a little stronger focus on business networking (no books yet on Plaxo, sorry).

Squidoo.com -- great for subject matter "experts" who want to create interactive wikis (called "lenses") on specific topics of interest to build "niche interest" communities (good e-book: "Do You Squidoo?" by Joel Comm).

Twitter.com -- a "microblogging" site where you can post short announcements (called "tweets") of things you are doing elsewhere on the Web (good book: "Twitter Means Business" by Julio Ojeda-Zapata).

Specialty sites -- "special interest" Web 2.0 sites are exploding right now -- such as feng.com for financial services executives -- and may help you build followings within tightly targeted niches.

If you must -- absolutely MUST -- be on multiple social networking platforms, be sure to use a "social networking automation" product -- such as friendfeed.com or secondbrain.com -- to automatically update all your profiles without having to log into each platform. Also, use "Google Alert" or a similar product to notify you of new postings on your profiles, so you can respond promptly to someone who's broadcasting to all your "friends" what an idiot he/she thinks you are.

Cliff Ennico (cennico@legalcareer.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt." This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com.

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Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc.

This news arrived on: 01/06/2009

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