Social Networking

You must know about Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In! If not, you should find out. Social media is becoming an essential ingredient in the marketing mix of most companies and like it or hate it (I feel a bit of both), it is here to stay in one form or another.

Below are a few insights from people whose opinions seem to matter about the value of social networking. So get your popcorn and branded cola refreshment and let the show begin ...

Here's more insight - including something about e-mail marketing ...

Here's a list of the social networking sites out there ... although I am sure there are more.

List of Social Networking Sites

So, how important is social media?

As with everything, it depends. Many businesses are successful without using social media. But even if you are doing okay, it can't hurt to register on a few of the big social sites; Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In. It takes some time to keep your profiles on each up to date, but as long as you are working at building real relationships (and not just racking up "contacts"), it can be very valuable - not just for getting new customers but also for people to ask for opinions or cross-promoting.