Nine Social Networks Your Business Should Be Using

Part of putting together your social media strategy is choosing which social networking platform works best for you. You may assume that Facebook is the end-all of social networks, but there may be better opportunities for your business with different platforms. Here are nine different social networks and how your company can benefit from each:

1. Facebook. You will be hard pressed to find any company or business that wouldn't benefit from Facebook. Easily the largest social network, your organization will be able to reach the largest amount of fans. Facebook ads targeting feature is interest specified which means you can connect with the exact people who would be interested in your product. Facebook Insights also allows you to measure your page activity so you can track your progression.

2. Twitter. Twitter is the second most popular social networking site. Use Twitter to humanize your brand, provide excellent customer service, and engage with your fans. It is also great for seeking out new fans by searching people who are talking about your brand, product, or field of interest. The one thing businesses need to remember is not to tweet as a brand. Remind your followers that there is a real live person on the other end of cyberspace.

3. Foursquare. Businesses can benefit from Foursquare in a number of ways. Offering deals for check-ins or mayorships are a fun, competitive way to get your customers coming back for more. For bigger brands and promotions, you can even have your own badge. Although they are a huge investment, the badge will live on forever, even if it is only accessible for one day!

4. LinkedIn. To be the best, you have to have the best employees. Instead of waiting until the perfect fit comes and finds you, you can go out and seek them. LinkedIn has not only become the number one professional social network, but also one of the top places for recruitment. You can create a company profile and allow others to follow your organization. Also, LinkedIn ads now has the same targeting features as Facebook. Use this to advertise your company or find great employees.

5. YouTube. Using YouTube is another great way to give a human face to your brand. Posting videos of behind the scenes interactions will give your fans an inside look into your organization. Also, having videos of the CEO, or other top executive, will bring your fans even closer to your company. A video only takes about a minute to make, so grab a FlipCam and start engaging your followers!

6. Quora. If you are a company with a special expertise, then Quora can be very beneficial for you. Not only can you follow similar thought leaders, and ask questions about your industry, but you can also reach out to those in need and answer questions. Spread the work about your company by answering questions and becoming an expert in that field. This is a direct way to connect with fans that have similar interests to your business.

7. Flickr. Flickr can be especially beneficial for companies that are visual. Whether you are showcasing products or homes, you can use Flickr to have easily searchable photos. The tagging features on Flickr make it effortless for your fans to find exactly what they are looking for. They are also a great place for you to hold photos when having contests and giveaways. When using Flickr, it is important that you integrate it well into your other social media platforms.

8. Tumblr. Corporate blogging is the new frontier. Having a company blog will create a real conversation about your brand. Many organizations have corporate blogs, and not just social media companies. These blogs will help you showcase your expertise, attract customers and future employees.

9. Meetup. Meetup is all about bringing your social relationships into a real-life setting. Whether it is once a month or once a year, schedule a meetup where your fans and followers can get together and interact in real life. Make a special event out of it! Have a fan-appreciation meetup or maybe just a meetup for other thought leaders to gather and network. Social media may be enhancing communication from companies to fans, but nothing beats face-to-face communication.

No matter what your business, there is a social network for you. Do you need them all? Probably not. Specify what your social media strategy is, what your goals are, and from there decide which social network will help you best accomplish that.

Which of these social networks does your business use? Which ones would you have added? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

(Source: Online Marketing Connect, 03/03/11)

Online News Surpasses Newspapers

The inevitable shift finally came in 2010, as more Americans got their daily news from online sources other than print, according to the Biannual News Consumption Survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The findings were released this week as part of Pew's annual overview of the news media.

Specifically, Pew found that the proportion of U.S. adults who said they got their news online the day before increased from 29% in 2008 to 34% in 2010. The proportion that cited print newspapers as the source of their recent news fell from 34% in 2008 to 31% in 2010.

The Internet came out ahead of print in terms of time spent with news sources, with an average 13 minutes per day, according to Pew. That stat beats print newspapers at 10 minutes, but trails TV at 19 minutes and radio at 15 minutes.

This good news for broadcast and cable TV was tempered somewhat by a more pronounced shift in news consumption habits among younger adults. Pew found that the Internet is now the No. 1 news source for the 18-29 cohort, with 65% saying they get most of their news online, compared to 52% for TV and just 21% for newspapers.

By contrast, TV still dominated in the 30-49 cohort, with 63% citing TV news as their top news source compared to 48% for the Internet.

It's worth noting that online news consumption is still dominated by traditional news sources -- including Web sites maintained by newspapers, which many publishers see as the key to future success.

Conversely, Pew noted that online advertising has not proved nearly as lucrative as print for newspaper publishers, raising questions about their ability to maintain both profitability and large news-gathering organizations.

Pew also noted the rise of online-only news operations, such as The Huffington Post, which now hold seven of the top 25 spots for online news consumption. However, five of these seven generate most of their traffic by aggregating traditional media.

(Source: Media Daily News, 03/15/11)