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What is social networking and why should we use it? Social networking is the use of any form of web interaction that allows members to express their opinions freely. It could take the form of video, blogs, commenting on blogs or interacting with likeminded people on social bookmarking websites such as Mixx, Digg, Stumbleupon, Propeller or YouTube.
Most folk today are independent thinkers and need outlets to express their views without fear of interference or controls, obviously within the rules of the social bookmarking or networking site. They cherish their freedom of expression.
Business owners would do well to take heed of what their customers or consumers are saying with regard to their products or company. It can be an invaluable source of market intelligence and the canny owner will respond quickly to suggestions or services being suggested at the social networking sites.
Use social networking to find out what the market is looking for and then give it to them.
You can use social networking to establish friendly and cordial relationships with your customers. Spend the time to interact with them directly, do not try to sell them anything here, this is a place to build relationships outside of the workplace. It is much easier to sell something once we have become friends with our visitors. Use these relationships to ask questions of your clients identify enthusiastic using these networking techniques and implement their ideas.
You will make friends for life, especially if you give them credit for their contributions.
Devise ways of encouraging the users or visitors to interact and not merely to sit back and watch or read the information. Use quizzes, offer prizes and incentives for users and you will start enjoying the many benefits that only interested and involved clients and customers can bring.
- Remember, the more involved your customers are, the more they buy!
Recognize that whatever you do and say can, and is, instantly broadcast around the country and around the world! Visitors to your social networking space, whether that is a blog, a profile at StumbleUpon or YouTube, have opinions that can make a huge impact on your business, both for good and negatively! In other words they have power, and if you harness this power it will do wonders for your image and your business.
- Be sure to treat these consumers and visitors carefully and respectfully, they have the power to hurt your business just as easily as they can help it...
Never try to sweep things under the carpet. Act decisively when things go wrong, apologize, sort the problem out immediately and never lie to your clients and visitors. Openness and honesty is always the best policy particularly in these days of social networking sites that have huge power.
If you get the social networking right your honesty and integrity will be broadcast around the world in an instant - get it wrong and you could generate huge amounts of negative publicity.
Social networking is indeed a very powerful tool that both parties have and if used correctly works to the benefit of all.
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Source by John Currie
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