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Social Networking - a blessing or curse

By Marion Drazil of Smart Business Online

Computers and the Internet provide opportunities through social networking that far exceeds any form of communications previously seen and can only expand and grow beyond our imagination. What we saw in movies only some 30 years ago has been far surpassed by reality and there is more to come. Check out the latest computer technology from Japan

WOW! Must Watch

How many people use it?
“Nielsen published stats showing that “three of the world’s most popular brands online are social-media related (Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia) and the world now spends over 110 billion minutes on social networks and blog sites.” It has been suggested there will be 1 billion uses of Facebook by 2012”

More Statistics

What do they use it for?
For the most part people use the social network to connect to people with like interests, views, or to share news either personal or business. It is much faster, more flexible and reasonably efficient than most other forms of communication therefore instant reactions on mass can be gained quickly. The social network is also valuable to many large companies for market research into existing and new products, and for small business to generate sales through E-commerce.

What impact does it have on its users?
For many users of social networking, it has had an enormous impact on their lives both good and bad. I will focus on the good as we often hear about the negatives through the media so I am sure we are all familiar with that aspect.

For the lonely it has opened doors to communications with people who can relate to each other, for the under-educated it offers a world of learning and understanding, and for the lost it can connect them back into the family unit through research and contact.

How much time is spent on social networking?
One of the most common aspects of social networking is the amount of time spent on the internet responding to posts and blogs and answering emails etc. “According to new stats from Nielsen, sites like Facebook and Twitter now account for 22.7% of time spent on the web; the next closest activity is online games, which make up 10.2%.”

More interesting Stats

How does networking impact on your business?
Businesses must include networking into their marketing strategies regardless of what format it may take, whether it is as an early morning breakfast, after business hours drinks or seminars. As with any form of marketing, social networking online must also provide value for the time spent in developing contacts. The connections made online need to be far more that simply a collection of friends or colleagues if it is to be used as an effective marketing tool for business.

Social Networking for business - where do you draw the line?
For many in small business particularly those who work from a home office, social networking is considered to be essential to provide an insight into their business and what it has to offer. It also provides preliminary contact with future clients or customers, and a relatively quick method of connecting with colleagues.... however, where do you draw the line? How much of your time should you spend on this form of marketing and what are the results you hope to gain out of this practice?

What is the cost of social networking for business?
Constant monitoring and measuring the results of the time you spend on social networking must be ongoing and this time must be accounted for if your business is to succeed.

The calculation could look something like this; every hour you spend on social networking by your hourly rate = 2 hours X 3 days per week @ $120per hour = total cost $720 per week. Can your business afford this or would this money be better spent in advertising through some other media?

Social Networking is a brilliant concept but as with all things, must be used in moderation. When the hours spent online chatting to business colleagues or the many people you are connected to are greater than the time spent with your family and friends then you know inevitable something has to give, and more often than not it’s the family and friends that lose out.

So use Social Networking as a medium for connecting with those whom you chose to call your friends and family, as a tool for your business, and a means of communicating if you have something to say, however, use it in moderation, use it wisely and don’t allow it to become an obsession or it can cost you more than you bargained for.

Marion in her role as a business consultant has been a mentor to over 250 successful small businesses and has in the past 10 years extended her knowledge to Webdesign and the internet. Smart Business Solutions

PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE

Smart Business Online
Business information and website design
www.smartbusinessonline.net.au

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Thank you for sharing this interesting information on social networking, Marion.
We have just developed our facebook business page and are struggling with the facebook help pages, to understand how to get friends to like our page.
Keep up the good work.
Best wishes.
Frederick

frederick Mar 4, 2011 12:45

appreciated

Facebook is the best followed by Twitter. The pedia pages are pretty much worthless

larry Mar 6, 2011 08:38

appreciated

Facebook mostly used by companies who deal services and products for lifestyles such as clothes. Facebook is mainly used to see what people wear, what people like doing, what is the latest trends etc. Then it is used to determine what to sell, and to which generation.

So be aware that even when you delete your facebook account pictures that you once uploaded are still kept for a certain amount of time months/ years.

Having the knowledge that Buisnesses can freelee use and brouse users photos and videos has made me more aware and cautious about what i upload. Facebook can be described as a large database of information about people in picture form. A picture library.

How true Narcan, I strongly believe that you don't put anything, particularly personal details, on Facebook or any other social networking and/or websites that you don't want the world to know about as it may just come up and haunt you many years down the track.

What really has boosted the social networking sites is the apps that allow you access via cell phone, Ipad, etc...

This means participation isn't limited to a stationary computer anymore. It also means people doing social networking while they are doing things that need their total attention like walking, driving cars or operating trains.

How true and the number of road accidents show the impact social networking while you are driving has

Just try to close a Facebook account and you will see that Narcan is right! I'll stick to e-mails, thank you.

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