How Business is Using Social Networking
From Baruchnewmedia
Contents |
Business and Social Networking Introduction
by Nichel Bethea
Businesses today are competing in the internet social networking circuit for a chance to make money with sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Billions of dollars are being thrown around as if money is no object, as big online companies such as Yahoo and Google are spending money to make money. With all this commotion, it’s no wonder that more businesses are looking to make money online. Doing business on the web is inexpensive, easy, and very accessible to billions of potential customers and employees alike. Businesses are paying these social network sites to advertise and search for a new clients for their products through viral marketing and other means.Without internet, there would be no social networking. Nowadays social networkings are all over the place. A larger selection of social networking is often good, but sometimes it is difficult to find a quality social networking website to meet our appropriate need. If we are interested in meeting new friends online, we are advised to sign up for just any social networking site. Perhaps, it is best method to look for social networking site that is not only has popularity, but it provides quality service based on our demand or need. Friendwise for example is one the very good social networking sites that many people don’t know about it, but it has so many good features that can meet our need. Like all others social networking sites, on Friendwise you can create your own free profile webpage - Live Chat - Instant Messenger - writing blogs – rate photos - Photo Gallery - Make your own web poll or answer online polls - Make your own discussion groups/Join community groups - free online classifieds - Play fun online games- make your own online quizzes or Take fun quizzes, and free music videos to place on your profile website page. FriendWise is not popular as MySpace, Yahoo! 360, but it is getting people attention. Lastly, you can also participate in discussions held in the FriendWise online message forums. The online message forum is host to a number of different topics. Popular topics that are discussed include sex, religion, music, school, and general issues about the website. There are also additional features, which were designed to entertain for FriendWise community members. These features include battles, quizzes, and polls.
Like FriendWise there are many social networking sites: Linkedin, Myspace, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube. There are many ways we can utilize these social networking sites, especially in the professional businesses sphere. Some of the ways to use social networking is to connect these sites between management to management or members to member in an organization for communication. For example, if customer satisfaction low in a companies is perhaps a result of reduced business focus on relationships with customer. Perhaps, customer satisfaction is low due to company too high demand from employee to increase business focus on customer relationship rather than increase personal connections between ordinary employees and managements. In this situation a companies can use online social networks to allow a prospective customer or prospective member to easily facilitate a real, human-level connection with individuals within an organization. This will enables genuine business relationships, and to form and puts a valid human face on the interaction, and change the external perception of an organization.Social networking can be used to support customers. Successful customer support mean achieves a larger number of goals. Basic customer services are assisting customers when they have problems or questions about an organization's products. For example, online networks allow customers to connect with experts in an organization who have deep knowledge in a particular area. From my personal experience, I can say that many companies are using social networking sites to help their customer in particular problems. I believe we all have this experience that how companies are using online networking to help us such as, telephone companies, and computer companies. In other words, they use online networking to find an expert who has a deep knowledge in a particular area. Clearly, this help an organization greatly to reduce the time required for organizational problem solving, through allowing faster connection between a questioner and the person who has solved similar problems in the past or knowledgeable in the particular matter.
It was rare to see just few year ago that a single organization can provide all the pieces needed to meet a customer's entire need. For example, even though a real estate agent aids in the process of buying a home, an entire network of other service providers, such as title company, bank, insurance agents, contractors, and others, is required in order to fully meet the customer's need. By creating a strong network of complementary providers with similar philosophies and business practices, a single service provider can provide a much greater proposition to a prospective customer. In other words, the connections in an online social network create the actual flow of information for an organization. Explicitly creating a social network within the organization can help all members better understand how information gets shared and highlights the areas within the organization that are truly responsible for effecting change, turning the company directory into a living, breathing knowledge network, and meeting customer’s entire need.By connecting an social network with basic technologies such as RSS, or "Really Simple Syndication" an individual can easily get information from customers and colleagues. This enables an individual a straightforward way to stay connect with a projects of his or her interest, as well as a way to share knowledge within an organization without additional effort.Although online social networks are relatively new to business, the MySpace and Facebook generation has grown up with them. By the time, these individuals enter the workforce, online social networking simply be a part of the foundation of business. The organizations that have determined how to best integrate them into their operations, they will be the ones are most successful.Unlike social networking positive impact in the business world, social networkings have some negative consequences. For example, employees spend time updating their profiles and adding new friends during office hours. A study showed that employees spend at least 30 minutes a day visiting their social networking sites. In some cases, employees admitted spending up to three hours of their working day taking care of their online profile. More seriously, the threat of social networking is that risk of data or identity theft, and the risk of malicious material finding its way into the corporate network.youngest people are growing up with the Myspace, Facebook, and all other social networking; consequently, the future of the Social networking will be the greatest assets for many companies who are utilizing these online networking sites. As youngest generation will join workforce, they will utilize social networking to perform work easily by providing quality service for their employers. It is clear that as time passing by social networking demand are increasing drastically in all sector of our lives. For example, President Obama using social networking sites to keep and touch with ordinary citizen. That is one of the clear indication of social networking demand will go up and up.
[[1]]
What is Social Networking?
by Jesus Guilbe Jr.
Social networking today is a way for people to stay connected with other people, but it is not only for the people using it. Businesses are also using social networks for their benefits as well. A business can use a social network in order to recruit potential new employees into their respective firms or companies. By simply sending emails or a notification to contact these potential recruits, companies and firms are able to set an appointment with them. Simultaneously, the recruits are given the opportunity to obtain a job without strenuous days of hunting for jobs. With a simple click of a button, their resume is posted in a social networking site that helps market the individual and his/her skills, which may match the qualifications of an open job available elsewhere. Examples of sites that business companies use for recruiting is called LinkedIn and also Facebook. This is where companies go and find someone that meets the standards that they are looking for in a certain employee. This helps businesses hire the right people more accurately than they usually would the traditional way as discussed in an article written by Frank Langfitt Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting. One example of a company that uses social networking is IBM. IBM uses it to connect other groups together and put their ideas via collaboration on the web in order to make advertisements more effective. This is explained in another article What's Next? Your Future in Social Networking. Businesses today are using social networking for many different reasons than we would normally use it as individuals. They must continue using this technology in order to move forward in the future.
By Sangita Tamang
Beside that social networking is very useful for business because through Social networking sites business can create global collaboration, which help them to discuess virtually and make best business decision. This is more effecient and effective way for business to make business decisions. Business can keep their employees up to date through social network. When company wants to produce some product,they can first creats a produt in virtual world and ask for feedback from people through social networks sites. This will help business to reduce cost of doing business.
Interaction between Businesses and Social Networking
by Derek Preston
Social networking sites hold great potential and are becoming targets of many businesses. The value of social networking sites is sometimes underestimated by some businesses, even though the power of viral marketing proved to be substantial. As the popularity of social networking sites grows, we can see a trend emerging. Many businesses today try to gain the influence on the members of social networking communities by offering unique services or products. The use of online social networking sites is becoming one of the most valuable tools that the Internet provides for many businesses. For one, it is much easier to influence groups of social networking members while being “part” of that particular group. Companies are currently hiring “community managers”. These employees have multiple responsibilities which include being a liaison between the business and the members of the community, promoting and spreading the word about their products through many community based sites. Not only do businesses tap into the broad resources that social networking provides through these means, but also many social networking sites are sponsored by certain businesses. When it comes to the interaction between businesses we are able to distinguish between two major types of influences that businesses have on social networking communities, namely: Push and Pull
Types of Social Networking Used in Business
by Diana Dover
LinkedIn is a social networking site that represents professionals in over 170 industries and 200 countries. The company started out in the living room of co-founder Reid Hoffman in the fall of 2002. The five original founders were Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Jean-Luc Vaillant, Eric Ly, and Konstantin Guericke.
There are currently over 40 million users worldwide. Members can use their profiles to add others to their networks for the purposes of callaborating on projects, sharing data or seeking professional advice. LinkedIn also serves the purpose as a employment finder. Members can find and be introduced to potential employees and/or employers by doing a search. Profiles vary in distance by degrees. A lower degree level (1st degree) indicates a closer professional relationship in relation to that of another professional that is on the 4th degree.
LinkedIn is free to join and there are premium accounts offered that provide more options to maximize professional networking.
This is an example of a free site: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dianadover
Here is a video about how LinkedIn works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myGxNhGO4x0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Flearn%2Elinkedin%2Ecom%2Fwhat%2Dis%2Dlinkedin%2F&feature=player_embedded
by Vincent Yiu
Ryze is free to join. Upon becoming a member you are able to meet new people, establish new business opportunities, find jobs, and even makes sales. The site also emphasizes that everything isn't always about business. Ryze promotes a casual atmosphere where friends can just be friends and it enables members to keep in touch as such. Members can also create their own homepages, join and create communities, and message other members as they please. Ryze also has a paid subscription that enables advanced features. Ryze currently has over 500,000 members in more than 200 countries.
by Damon Tian
by Damon Tian
by Vincent Yiu
APSense is an all-encompassing network where blogs, discussions boards, product and service listings, private social networks, in addition to many other things can be created. One of its most highly-touted features is that members get paid for their contributions which generates an enticing incentive for users to contribute content. APSense is a great place to start a business, to get advice, and make money all at the same time.
by Derek Preston
The social networking influence is so majestic that it also influenced the mobile market. But when it comes to the mobile industry, the mobile social net workers are in search of information regarding their own, as well their friends location. One of the Businesses that provides social networking positioning services is GYPSii which is the provider of the “SpaceMe” services, which provide the users with the information regarding the location of an individual’s friends in real time.[1] Other companies that do plan to enter the cellular social networking scene , one of which is MyGamma a social network run by BuzzCity, based in Singapore, and it does offer its services to 2.5 million users mainly from the developing regions, such as : Asia, and Africa. The main reason why the mobile social networking scene is much more intense in those regions is because those regions do have a very low number of internet users, and a greater number of cell phone users. Whereas the cell phones did become an extension of online networking in the U.S. and not the primary means of such communication, cell phone social networking is one of the most prevalent means of networking in Asia. Another instance of a social networking attempt is ItsMy run by GoFresh (Munich based), and it has more than a million of registered users.
by Amy Chen
Ecademy is a social network for business people that were founded in 1998. It is unique in that business people can connect online on the website and also offline at networking events and 1-2-1 meetings. They provide the networking tools for business people to find alliances, advice, mentors, new contacts, and find jobs. One important function is that the blogs, articles and profiles that are posted on the site appear high up on the search engines like on Google, which gives a boost to people and businesses that want to move up their profile on the internet. Ecademy was one of the first business social networks to have online clubs for people to join so that they have support from people that share similar things like them and to have blogs back in 2002. They have a marketplace where businesses can advertise/sell their services. They have many features like clubs, meetings, blogs, marketplace, and videos to watch.
Model Mayhem by Julia Lomtevas
Model Mayhem is a free site where professional models can meet professional photographers. Members create online portfolios, connect within the model/photographer community and are able to develop their portfolios together, since the two professionals are dependent upon one another. Friends and users are able to make comments, referrals, and bookings. It is a great way to meet professionals in the field and have influential, and potentially helpful feedback from other users. There are also many forums on the site with extremely helpful information.
Merchant Circle: B2B Networking by Diana Dover
MerchantCircle.com is a site that offers free advertising to businesses as well as an opportunity to link with other businesses. As a business owner, you have control of how you represent your company in terms of content, pictures, slogans, etc. Meta tags usage is offered at no charge so that individuals surfing the web can identify with your product or service instantly. There is also room to purchase options that will enhance your visibility to the user by utilizing search marketing. It is a great tool to connect with other business owners since it is no longer a cold call when you contact the business.
[[2]]
References
- ↑ ""Social Networking Moves to the Cellphone" article by Victoria Shannon" http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E1DE143BF935A35750C0A96E9C8B63&scp=4&sq=%22myspace%22+%2B+%22contract%22&st=nyt
*Back to How the New Media are Used in Business
Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting by Frank Langfitt [3]
Social Networking at IBM: Maclean's Feb 4, 2008 "What's Next? Your Future in Social Networking" vol 121, p. 42. [4]
