Here are my top 10 social networking sites for business. These social networking sites for business are the ones that people can do business on, and also drive their customers to for additional business.
10.Ning- This is not so much a social network, as it is millions of independent social networks that act independently on the same platform. The great thing is that you can actually search for different networks to join on Ning for free. My one big drawback to Ning is that if I have to pay to set up a basic social network, I would prefer to do it through Buddypress. The WordPress addict in me longs to have complete control.
9.Meetup-Ever wonder how to take those connections offline? Then you go to MeetUp. The hallowed place where business professionals have gone to for years to connect with others offline. The word “Meet-up” is almost synonymous with networking event.
8.MLMSocial- I truly believe that network marketing is the wave of the future. That is why I use MLMSocial to connect with other network marketing professionals. Everyone here is here to do business, and there have some great connections made through this great network. Update 9-12-12 This site is not that active.
7.Myspace- It might not be the powerhouse that it once was in social networking, but 130 Million people still use Myspace for their social networking. The predominant people on Myspace are entertainers and bands, so be conscious of not selling annuities, life insurance, and accounting services there. Update 9-12-12 Most businesses can now officially avoid Myspace. Update 9-14-12 after pondering this for hours I realized that Myspace needs to be replaced. What better replacement than a site that barely existed at the beginning of 2011: Pinterest. Please do not use Myspace, use Pinterest. Two completely separate networks, but a lot cooler interface.
6.Foursquare- Where are you now? Make sure that your network knows. Better yet for a retail establishment, have your clients tell their network about your business. Get a Foursquare sticker, and make sure that people are checking in. Who’s your mayor? Do you not know? Go to the site, and find out, so you can reward your most loyal of customers.
5.Youtube- Need to explain a concept, have an entertaining method of attracting business? Then Youtube can definitely help you achieve the success you want. You need to make sure that you consistently post videos to the site.
4.Wordpress-Yes this is a blog, but the entire idea is to create a community. I tell my customers that your WordPress blog can be the hub of your social networking efforts when done properly. Also, this is my resource center for clients. When they ask me about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and WordPress I can direct them to the 300 plus posts written on this site.
3.Facebook- How do I put this gently. Oh, I know. Facebook is great because there are 600 million people there. They have some nice features, and the company has definitely made some great strides in recent years to improve on their
2. LinkedIn- This is the site for professional business social networking.
1. Twitter- Shocker! I chose Twitter. Twitter delivers tons of traffic to my blog, which as you know from #4 above is the hub of your social networking business, plus it provides a great place to connect with massive amounts of people.
Which of these top 10 social networking sites for business do you use to build your business?
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Yes i agree with you these 10 social media network site for business.
Top 10 Yes i agree with you these 10 social media network site for business.
Thanks!
I have never hear of number 8. But the others I have. Sad that I used 7 of the 10 on here. Think I’m addicted to social media. Well at least I use it for business purposes. So that should make it okay.
If you use 7 out of the 10 that means you are automating your business and do not need to do all the repetitive tasks.
Thank you for a great list. I had no idea of existence of ning.com. I think a few of the sites are absolutely essential for a business these days.
Ning is a very cool site!
For Business Use, my top five would mirror Lee’s: Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Google +, Youtube. However, I do believe that Google + importance will rise within the next 24 months. As other have mentioned, the most important networks use depends on the business and its customers/target market.
Absolutely! I agree with you on Google+ rise over the next 24 months.
Would not have thought of Ning for business…but i could see that happening. However, myspace is a big NO if you ask me today, except maybefor some creative individuals or music.
Well if you ever do an update, please consider my own platform Us.wabiness.com , the 1st professional business platform matching together individuals’ skills and contacts with companies who are looking for new business development opportunities, distributors and suppliers, sales force – locally or internationally. Have business come to you!
Nicholas,
Ning is create for custom communities. Myspace is definitely even farther out of the loop today then when I wrote this article initially in the beginning of 2011. They just do not know business for anyone, including musicians anymore.
In regards to Wabiness. While the site looks nice, it would not make this list at this time. I will consider it for future updates.
Andy
Interesting list. Very thought provoking and actionable.
I agree with Karl on Google Plus.
And, believe if making the choice between Facebook and Google+ will depend on your brand and goals.
I tend to spend more time on Google Plus than Facebook for the simple fact that G+ conversations are more business-centric, connect me to those in my industry and much more effectively than FB in helping me reach audiences I wish to interact with (largely B2B).
Individual Choice
Where you invest your time will depend on your goals and where your target audiences are. I recommend FB for retail and consumer brands, even some of my B2B clients. However, for myself, Google+ helps me streamline conversation by topic and industry (using circles).
After all, it’s all about building spheres of influence!
Rebecca,
G+ is too streamlined for me. It is not dynamic enough to have full blown conversations with most people in my network, but I agree with you that the conversations on the site are at a much higher level then on Facebook.
Andy
Facebook by far my #1
Facebook is a great site for business.
A useful list. I haven’t yet tried Ning, but will do so now. I was a bit surprised not to see Pinterest in your top 10.
very wonderful info
Thank you!
Wow, did I miss Pinterest? It maybe new, but it is one of the top ten. I personally put it in the top 3, or at least the top 5 because it too can drive traffic to your blog. The caveat is that your content has to be visual, so you’ll need a compelling graphic. You can’t link to pictures posted on other social networking sites, like Facebook but you can link to videos that you’ve posted on YouTube. Start an account and see how it does for you.
Jeremy,
Not sure if you looked at the date of this article, but I wrote this at the beginning of 2011 when Pinterest was not even on my radar. However, you do have a point about adding listing it here. Thanks!
Andy
Great post. Another great one is ibotoolbox. Social sites can grow a business fast!
Joshua,
I have never checked out IBO Toolbox. Thanks for the heads up!
Andy
Nice post. Some I am working with, and some I definitely will check out.
Richard,
Which social networks do you like specifically!
Andy
Nice list – some new ones there. but what about Google +?
This was posted 4 months before Google Plus even went live.