Facebook Profile.

There’s no question that more and more people are using social media. Facebook has become the next big thing; the cleaner, sparkly version of MySpace.

I originally started using Facebook back in college, mostly to keep track of my friends from high school. Facebook grew and started to allow high school students to participate as well and finally opened to the general public. As a social tool, to keep up with friends I have found Facebook to be invaluable, especially on the “college scene”. However, as a business tool, I must admit I have my doubts. Some people find Facebook to work really well. But it seems that Facebook is a “viral” effect. Its like posting a youtube video, it hard to know what’s going to suddenly take off and be the next big thing, and what is going to flop.

Facebook has a business section that you can explore which has more in-depth information. They talk about advertising and also applications. Applications are an interesting concept. They allow you to create a game or some other hook, which brings you users that you can then give your information to. There are plenty of website about how to “create a viral app” or the “best app design” but here’s something to consider: The majority of people I know on facebook, who are average Gen Y users, think of application requests as spam. The majority of applications require you to invite friends before you can use it and so it maintains a vicious cycle. My senior year of college, these applications gained a nickname: FACEBOOK AIDS. That’s right, we thought of applications like STDs; they spread quickly, everyone you touch gets it and it clutters up your entire profile.

However, there are way to make creative and useful applications. I use friendfeed’s application on my profile, as well as a “free gift” one so I can send cute images to my friends to brighten their day.

You can also create a group or just a profile specifically about your business. This gives you a chance to link up with people you work with, went to school with or have been your clients. Of course then you have to figure out where to draw the line on personal information: do you post crazy pictures? What if someone else does and tags you in them? Do you list your birthday, phone number and religious affiliation? You have to decided how much you want to give.

I admit, I’ve not really used Facebook for business. I use it mostly social and list my business information. What do you think? Here is a blog that talks about business leverage in more detail and here is one that talks about the cons. Feel free to share your experience or other data. The debate rages on.

Linked-In is the uncover infiltration pro of the Social Media state. Its the most unobtrusively of them all. It also is the only social media site that most business professionals recognize immediately as a tool. And many people have at least received an invite. Actually, the first few times I got an invite I just deleted them. What did I want with a directory site? Who cares? Eventually I did say yes and have learned so much since! Linked-in is far more than a “directory” of who you know.

As I continue to review social media websites, its about time I discussed Linked-In. I have met some people who are not really “internet” types who rave over this service. I’m not in love with it but I’ve seen quite a few benefits which I will relate. If you’d like to hear a more personalized review, here is social media guru, Jennifer Laycock, explaining why she if she had to pick one social media it would be Linked-In.

Time: Linked-In can take very little time and still be a great resource. If you do some initial work up front you can quickly use the service just for benefit. Establish your contact list. Send out the email to everyone you know. Don’t think of this as spam. Its easy to delete the message. I even had people who thanked me for inviting them. After you’re all set up, you only have to use Linked-in when you want to. Unlike Plurk or Twitter, there are no constant updates being sent to you, nor do you have to make any.

Clutter: None of it here. No applications, the ads might as well be invisible, no wall graffiti or updates. The profiles are simple, easy to navigate. There also is no mental clutter. This site is strictly business. Who do you know? How do you know them? No one is going to talk about giving their dog a bath or playing scrabble. The world is simplified. Everyone there is looking for the same thing, opportunities.

So what exactly are the benefits?

Jobs: Find business, find employees, make money. Do you own a carpet company and are looking for new homes in your area? Search by name, by company or by industry: maybe you should hook up with a realtor or a construction company. You may not know one but someone in your “circle” might. Then you can get an introduction and bam, problem solved. You can also send out an email to all the people you are conneted with and ask things like: I’m looking for this contact, or I want to hire a receptionist. (You can also pay to list a job, I hear its very successful). Also, finding a job using linked-in as your resume is also becoming more popular. Its not mainstream yet, but as we go more paperless I think people will accept a link to your profile instead of a boring resume.

Credibility: Linked-In offers a number of ways to build your credibility. You can join organizations that are both on and offline. You can ask people to endorse you and your company (and do the same for others). You can also answer questions in your field, this can label you as an “expert” and also prove you know what you are doing! On top of that, you have the opportunity to introduce people to your background, your network and your web presence.

Information: The questions section of Linked-In is really underhyped. I think the possibilites involved there might be endless. If you listened to my podcast with Doyle Slayton, you may have heard him talk about Linked-in. He says ask a question you already know the answer to and see what happens: you may learn more, re-evaluate your answer, meet people with similar views and also have a chance to test the waters before sharing what you know. This is also a great chance to find about things you really need help with, people love to anwer! Plus, you never know what answer/question might lead to eventual business.

My Experiment: Recently I asked a question on Linked-In; mostly to test Doyle’s theory. I picked mobile marketing which was just labeled as reaching “critical mass” today. I already knew all the statistics, and have been closing following its growth with mixed emotions. However, I wanted to see what would happen. Within an hour people were sending me answers. By the time the question closed I had 21 answers and most were well thought out and informed. Not only that but one of the first answers I recieved was from Frank Feather, a well known “Futurist”. I read and highlighted one of his books when I was just starting college, in fact I’d say it was THE book which inspired me to really dig into the internet. Needless to say I emailed him back and am now his 500th contact on Linked-In. I’m hoping to continue to chat with him (maybe I can get a quote from him when I do a blog post about mobile). Just that one contact has made my entire experience on Linked-In worth it. How else would I have met him? I just thought it was a neat little story to end on.

I had a friend say they had a love-hate relationship with Linked-In. I’d love to hear about other people’s stories and successes. I would never call myself an expert on Linked-In, I know far more about Plurk or Twitter, so please share!

We’re linked-in here!

Let’s be practical, advertisement can only be so effective. For example, I went and saw the new Pixar film this weekend: Wall-E.

I’m a huge Pixar fan, and I knew as soon as I saw previews that I would go see it. Some of my friends however, were less enthused. In fact, they automatically assumed it would be “kiddy” and didn’t want to go with me.

I went anyhow and loved it. In fact, I raved about the stunning visual art and great story line to everyone I met. Today, I found out, because I talked up the movie so much, two of my friends decided they would go see it.

These people saw the same advertisements I did, listened to the same hype I did; but they would never have gone to see Wall-E if I hadn’t opened my mouth. I gave Pixar free publicity.

We do it everyday. We like totalk about our favorite, products, services and brands. We create sales for companies who don’t even know we exist.

So how can you harness the awesomeness of word-of-mouth (or, in the case of the internet, word of net) power?

eMarketer put out a study in April about the Influence of “Social Shoppers”. These are people who test products or services, then review them. Its not surprising that we are three times more likely to trust a peer than an advertising campaign. So, if you already have a good product and offer worthwhile service how do you get these “peers” to review you?

The Most Important Thing is Presence.
Being aware of these sites, and making your products visible is the first step. Many of these sites (for example, Kaboodle) allow you to “join”. Once you are an accepted retailer, you can post your products to be reviewed. Its that simple. Of course, some sites have an associated cost, so weigh carefully.

Follow the Golden Rule.
As with any other kind of online social media, “give to receive” is key. If you join a social shopping site, do some reviews yourself. Put meaningful comments on product spotlights. Offer the same quality you’d want from someone else.

Simplify.
If someone wants to review your product: make it simple. Make your website and products easy to navigate. Don’t create a profile, put up a link to your site and expect people to find you. Many sites allow you to upload images or link straight to your shopping cart. Explore your options! Check out other retailers and see what’s worked for them.

Be Active.
Many social shopping sites are also social networking sites. Of course you don’t have to dedicate time to networking, but it does help! Get involved, have fun! Who knows, you may learn something from your experiences that can make your product even better!

Everyone is a potential marketer.
The best way to ensure you get good reviews is to treat everyone like they are marketing for you. If you have great service, its going to eventually make it on to the internet. The same is true for bad service. Everyone has potential to be your personal salesman.

These are just some tips to get you started. The best thing to do is take action. Check out some social shopping websites and create a presence for your business.

I have only minimal experience with these kinds of sites, though I often browse them when I am considering a purchase. If you have joined or participated on a social shopping site, what was your experience like?

Blogs are old news compared to Twitter. Micro-blogging they call it. In other words, all your thoughts in less than 140 letters. This means updates are short and sweet but can happen multiple times in a day. Sure, there are plenty of people who use twitter to give you their 5-minute biological update but its also an amazing networking tools where you can comment and respond to the instant thoughts of another company, or get your customers to respond to you. Unlike blogs which often revolve around a theme, twitter can be a more personal way for your target audience to access you.

Business week surveyed twitter users through their own twitter account. Check out the article which revolves around these questions:

• Is Twitter a fad, a feature, or a growing giant?

• How are businesses using Twitter?

• What is Twitter worth?

• A fourth question, implicit in the whole exercise: Should we all be Twittering?

If you are considering using twitter, think very carefully. Are you ready to be frank about your company and its processes? Honesty can build your company name even globally but be prepared to step out and find your followers.

I will admit, that there are so many programs and paths on the internet to reach your customers. My whole business involves me sitting in front of a computer but not everyone has the time or ability to do this. Evaluate your options and your market and choose the options that will be the most effective for your company. Of course, I’m always available to discuss these options and help you with that decision. Always feel free to shoot me an email: kat@veribatim.com