The Internet is developing at a fast pace. In the last few years blogs and then social book-marking became a rage, and to confess to you honestly I still haven't gotten the hang of how to use either of these two for marketing purposes. However, I am not such an old geezer after all, because I really am into Myspace.com.

Myspace.com is a tremendously interactive medium which is most frequented by teenagers who like to share their photos and exchange messages with each other, and with pop music bands, who set up online presences that attract thousands of new listeners. In the last year Myspace has become one of the most visited web destinations around. (Alexa currently ranks it as the sixth most visited site.).

If you are not a teenager and you are not the lead singer in a rock band, is there any chance that Myspace could be useful to you? Large businesses such as Jack in the Box, Nike and Walmart have Myspace.com presences, all kinds of advocacy organizations have Myspace profiles, and even local real estate firms are opening up sites on Myspace. This is in a sign that there must be something in it for a wide variety of businesses and organizations.

So, how does it work and how could it be useful to a business or organization? Basically, you have to go to Myspace.com and open up an account. If you are indeed a musical group or artist then you should be sure to open up a music or band profile. There are also distinct accounts for comedians and filmmakers. If you need a specific type of profile then go to Myspace music, film or comedy and click on the artists sign up, otherwise just open up a new account at Myspace.com .

Once you have your profile set up. You can add an “about me” section, put up photos, and post blog messages. The Myspace blog is quite effective, and posts are quickly picked up by the Technorati blog search engine. You can also display your favorite song. If you have a basic knowledge of html you can modify your Myspace site and make it quite distinctive. You can also use online editors such as those found at www.Myspacetoolbox.com

The key to Myspace as a marketing tool is the Friends section. A “friend” is another Myspace user who has agreed to accept your request to be in contact with him or her. By building up a large list of friends you are effectively building up a large mailing list, and as marketers are quick to point out, “the money is in the list.”

You can build up a targeted list of friends by making searches on Myspace for specific keywords, or by browsing using all kinds of demographic criteria: age, marital status, zip code etc.

Once you get a list of friends, you can send bulletins and messages or make comments on your friend's website. You can't make a comment on another Myspace website unless you are already a friend, and I think this is the key factor that makes Myspace so interactive. Every time you make a comment on another Myspace website you are in effect making a link back to your site. Every time you are becoming a “friend” of another Myspace user, you are making a link back to your Myspace site.

Build up your links and you will get traffic. Build up your mailing list and you can advertise your events and offerings. Make a profile that is interesting and informative and you will build up your online credibility. It sounds like a winning formula to me.

Can it be effective for your business purposes? I can't answer that question, you will have to try it and see if it works for you. One more thing, it is a lot of fun, and can be addictive.