With the advent in technology, social networking is on a rise and how! Almost every individual, irrespective of their age seems to be addicted to some form of social networking site or the other be it Facebook, Diggit or Twitter or any one of the many others being created every day.
Change in trends
The trends in social networking are changing rapidly. The popularity of social networking sites seems to be burgeoning at an alarming rate. Information seems to be skyrocketing on popular social networking, blogging and local information sites.
The dramatic effect of the popularity of these sites is apparent from the fact that most of the top visited sites in the last year have generally been social networking sites. Some of the most visited sites include Blogger.com, MySpace.com, Wikipedia and City Search. These sites are aimed at exchanging information with one another and getting in touch with other individuals, friends and companions.
Benefits it offers
Interestingly, people have even started locating all varieties of individuals; class mates, course mates, soul mates and many others with the help of social networking sites. The number of monthly visitors to these sites has increased by leaps and bounds hinting at their massive popularity among the masses. The combined growth of a handful of these social networking sites has managed to surpass the overall internet visitors in the United States during this period. This trend has also gone forward to prove that internet is a space where it is extremely easy for new sites to break all records and soar ahead on the charts of popularity. Similarly, other older sites can again redirect traffic towards their address simply by revamping them and adding on features most appealing to web visitors today.
The internet is finally allowing the users/ readers to participate and the users need to be utilizing this facility to the hilt. One of the most visited sites on the internet is Google. Interestingly, even Google seems to be facing tough competition from other social networking sites rather than search engines.
Increase awareness = better usage
People are getting more aware of the utility of internet and are using it. They do not log in to the internet simply to scout for information or to complete a pending history project for school. Individuals know how to use internet in order to connect with their peers and remain connected with distant friends. In fact, regular net users seem to be so addicted to the net that they impulsively upload new pictures/ videos of the latest happenings in their lives so that they can share it with their other friends.
It is imperative for individuals to remain updated on the latest happenings of their friend’s lives and remain connected with them throughout, without actually having to bother with the hassle of meeting them personally in real life. Social networking saves on both time and energy. And this is one of the main reasons for its growing popularity for business, information and communication exchange purposes. Little wonder that today social networking sites are all set to redefine the way we communicate.
There are a ton of benefits that can be enjoyed by one and all from social networking. It doesn't take an advanced degree to see that this is a type of networking that can be extremely beneficial for anyone that is looking to get ahead in their online marketing endeavors. At the same time, there are a few potential pitfalls you should be aware of and avoid whenever possible. If you avoid these fairly common social networking pitfalls you should enjoy a lucrative and enriching experience on a personal and professional level.
1) Failing to utilize the “about me” section of your social networking page. This is your introduction, your opportunity to make the little sales pitch and show your audience to your little corner of the web by linking to your own websites. Failing to use this is like inviting people to your home but refusing to open the door when they knock. You've peeked their interest enough that they are checking out your profile. Make sure that you use this opportunity to keep their interest. Don't be boring and stale. Do, make them want to click on your links and learn more about what you have to say. Give them a glimpse of who you are but make them click to get the full picture. Don't sell them on what you have to offer. Make them want to find out without making the hard sell.
2) Another pitfall is failing to deliver anything worth reading. Social networking is a great way to broadcast blog and lens updates, article marketing efforts, and even new websites you've created. However, if you never do any of these things, social networking is just chit chatting and a fairly unproductive waste of time—professionally. It's nice to have a personal escape but when you are using social networking for business you need to make every minute matter.
3) The final pitfall is the most common. Doing nothing or doing too little. Far too often Internet marketers set out to change the world with their social networking prowess only to join dozens of social networking platforms and never do anything more than a “Hello World” post and create a screen name. This is not enough effort to matter and means you've simply wasted the time it took to create the social networking account and few, if any, real results will come about as a result of these efforts.
It can be a delicate balance when learning the ropes of social networking. Some prefer to err on the side of providing too little information while others go the route of becoming open books. There are few ways to use social networking that are absolutely wrong or right for everyone in every situation. However, avoiding these 3 pitfalls can provide a greater probability of social networking success for the sake of your online business. The real question to ask is whether or not you are ready to get busy with your own social networking efforts.
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