It is now the mecca of small business owners and networkers the world over!



MySpace, like Ryze.com and others,allows you to create a profile, share some pictures and add a bit about your interests. You can even post to your own blog and upload music for "your sound" when people click on your home page.

Now I know some of you are already shaking your head "no" because you've heard some of the negative publicity surrounding MySpace, or you think it's just for fun.

I would counter with the simple, yet sad, truth that you can meet unsavory characters anywhere and, with a few precautions, the benefits far outweigh the risks!

Here's just a few of the ways you can use MySpace for your business:

1. Networking.

Once you set up a home page and profile (it took me THREE minutes!), you can start meeting "friends" and inviting them to join your network. You will soon notice that others will also invite you to join their networks as well.

MySpace will put a notice on your private page letting you know that someone wants to be your friend -- YOU then have the power to accept or deny them based on their profile. The more friends you have, the larger your network. You can also choose to keep your network small and focused only on those people who fit in your target audience.

2. Share a little more.

While you want to remain professional and not share things you wouldn't share in a face-to-face networking environment, your MySpace page gives you the ability to share a little more about yourself than you would on your standard website home page.

I, for example, put up some photos of our "children" (dogs and cats) as well as pictures from recent trips -- not things you will see on my usual site.

3. Cross-pollination for increased traffic.

You can increase your website traffic by referring readers of your MySpace to your website and vice versa. You can also post your standard blog posts onto your MySpace blog -- it takes about 30 seconds and will further help to drive traffic.

4. Sell your stuff.

Do you have an e-book, regular book or other item to sell? If so, you can include them on your MySpace home page and capture some sales that you otherwise may have missed. 5. Send an announcement.

MySpace lets you send announcements to your friends -- the announcements appear in their private inboxes.

Are you offering a new teleclass? Selling a new product? Hosting a workshop? Send an announcement and let your friends know!

It's quick and painless to set up an account. You don't need anything fancy and can add to it anytime you wish. This is a great task for your virtual assistant! Don't have one? Don't despair -- any kid on the block will be happy to do it for you! :-)

While you may not have a thousand friends or make a million dollars overnight, MySpace is yet another great (and free!) way you can market yourself AND your business.

Are you ready to take the next step in no cost marketing?