Print Article for : Social Networking Good Or Bad

Your Online Guide » Internet » Network Marketing

[S660]Social Networking Good Or Bad

by Seomul Evans, Seo

If you aren't using social networking sites in your SEO efforts, then you're missing a great opportunity to drive traffic to your site and increase your profits. Social networking is different from other marketing strategies, however, and requires that you think differently than you would if you were simply looking for another way to advertise your product or service. The first step in using social networking for SEO purposes is to find out which sites are most appropriate for you to frequent, given your interests and your business. Then hang out and just watch the conversations for awhile. Become familiar with the culture of the sites, including what kind of content people publish, what's popular, and how people interact with each other. Once you've watched for some time, start contributing to the conversation. Here are five ways to create good content for social networking purposes:

1. Write good stories. People on social networking sites tend to enjoy hearing personal stories that are relevant to the conversation; otherwise they wouldn't be on social networking sites. Tie your stories in to your business so that your readers are drawn in without being turned off by the perception that you're just there to sell them something.

2. Interview. An interview with an industry expert can really grab the attention of the folks you're networking with. Not only does it build your credibility, but it causes others to see you as someone who is able to contribute quality information and knowledge. Even if you don't know someone that you consider “important” in your industry, you can still find someone you know who has good information to share. And this will be greatly appreciated.

3. Information. Never underestimate the value of your own expertise, as long as you share that expertise in an appropriate way. Social networking site users aren't very fond of participants who are only in it to toot their own horns, but if you can offer valuable advice and help in a humble way, then you will be considered valuable within your community. Not only it is appropriate to give advice, but you can also write helpful blog posts and free reports. You'll go a long way toward establishing yourself as an authority in your field, and you'll generate a great deal of traffic from people who want to know more about what you have to offer.

4. Controversy. If you have pretty thick skin, you can try posting content that will start a debate. The point isn't to make people angry or to start a fight; it's to start a healthy conversation that gets people talking. Anything that goes against a popular opinion, or even expert advice, is good for getting a conversation started. Just make sure that your own position is well-argued and plausible. Otherwise, you just look like someone who's trying to start a fight. That will make you a pariah on social networking sites and defeat the purpose of your overall SEO campaign.

5. Write Well. This is true for all the previous points: Use attention-getting headlines on everything you write and then make sure your article lives up to the headline. People will stop paying attention to you if you use an eye-catching headline and then write an article that isn't at all engaging or interesting. Images are also a great tool, as are references that give your articles credibility among your community.

Social networking is a great SEO tool if used responsibly and appropriately. Find a community that fits your interests. Hang out for awhile and get comfortable with the conversation. Then begin adding your own content that others will deem relevant and helpful. If you can add value to the conversation then you will go a long way toward driving traffic to your site and gaining loyal customers.

Your first step, prior to creating your profile is to find one or more networks that interest you. General networks include: MySpace, Orkut, Yahoo! 360, FriendFinder, FriendWise, Facebook, and Classmates. There are plenty of others, but you may want to check these out first to see if they offer potential friends and business associates you might be interested in connecting with.

The advantage of these particular networks is that they do have a lot of people. The disadvantage is that these sites have a lot of people, and it will take you time to find what you are looking for.

If joining a general network isn't of interest to you, then you'll need to find a topic specific network. You can do this by searching for your topic combined with the keywords network, social networking, etc. Put your search term in quotes and you can get tighter results. Choose two or three networks. I wouldn't recommend choosing more because social networking can be somewhat time consuming. Use a valid email address as you will need to confirm your account. You can always change this later, but if you want to receive account notifications, you'll want to use an email account you actually use.

Once you've chosen your network, or networks, your next step is to start setting up your account.

Your first step in setting up your account is to add a picture. You will get far more friend requests if you add a picture to your profile. If you're promoting yourself for business, you want to use a photo that is somewhat professional. The picture you use will determine somewhat whether or not someone wants to join your friends list.

Your photo communicates the image you want to present. Impression is important, and you want to use your picture to help communicate why you are there.

Once you've added a photo, your next step should be to craft your title. On some sites this will be your name, but sites like My Space allow you to craft your own title to associate with your profile. If you are there to promote yourself for business, then you definitely want to include the keywords you want to associate with your business.

For example, if you sell travel services, then craft a title like: John Doe: Travel Agent. You could also use a short slogan. To help you craft the title that is right for you, browse other profiles on your topic and see what you find. Use what you find to help you create your own title.

Next, you'll want to decide whether or not to include your full name or location. Depending on what you sell, you may want to include both, especially if you are interested in connecting with others in your area who are interested in what you are selling. If you're there simply to make new friends, leave off your last name, and you may just want to include your state to protect your privacy.

Depending on the site, you may want to learn a little HTML so you can include links to your site. Be careful here because some sites don't want, or allow commercial activity so you'll need to exercise caution when adding this information.

Fill in your other interests. If you're there for business, you'll want to tell what kind of people you want to connect with and make sure that you let others know that you're there for networking. Otherwise, you may get a lot of friend requests to connect with others that has nothing to do with what you are there for. Some sites will even allow you to add RSS feeds to your profile, allowing you to provide constantly updated content to your profile. If you have a blog or website with an RSS feed, you'll definitely want to include your feed in your profile.

Once you've added the information you want to include in your profile, then get out there and start making new friends.

Article Source : Wireless Usb Network Adapter

About Author

Both Seomul Evans & Jinger Jarrett are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Seomul Evans has sinced written about articles on various topics from Search Engine Marketing, Business Promotion and PPC Advertising. Seomul Evans is a senior consultant specializing in. Seomul Evans's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.

Jinger Jarrett has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Site promotion and Home Based Business. Want to learn how top marketers use social networking to expand their businesses? "" teaches you how to easily bring in more profits in. Jinger Jarrett's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.