Articles in The 'social network' Tag

Are you LinkedIn?

by Ryan Faria

It seems that everywhere you go, someone is talking about Facebook.  Many business professionals have asked themselves ‘how can I have a business Facebook profile but separate it from my personal life?’   While some professionals have created multiple Facebook profiles, others have turned to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the crème de la crème of virtual business networking.  This revolutionary professional social network lets organizations create pages which give specific company information such as geographic location, type of industry, company size, median age, male to female employee ratio and much more.  Each company page also includes relevant news articles as well as the recent New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) information.

However, one of the most unique features is the ability for individuals to post their own previous career experiences.   Each LinkedIn user can offer as much or as little information as they would like within their profile.  Contact Settings allow users to designate the type of connections they are looking to make.  Profiles can be used to reconnect with old business colleagues as well as receive reference and expertise requests.

More importantly users can also choose to receive information on job inquiries.  Viewing current or past employment experience via LinkedIn is becoming a new trend among recruiters and human resources personnel.  Could LinkedIn’s virtual resume eventually replace traditional resumes?  While LinkedIn is clearly the greener solution for employers, the future is anyone’s guess.

Worried about just anyone viewing your information?  Privacy settings allow you to select who is allowed to see profile information.  So what are you waiting for?  Create your LinkedIn today and be part of this ever-growing professional social network.

How Facebook Can Help Your Business

by Marni Weinberg

With over 321 million users (and growing) Facebook has become the most visited social networking site. People all over the world are sending friend requests, rekindling with bunkmates from summer camp and classmates from high school/ college. They are sharing pictures and videos of their children, sending out party invites, taking quizzes; the list goes on.

As fun as Facebook can be for many people, the notion that Facebook is just for fun and personal use could not be farther from the truth. Facebook can help your business in a variety of ways. Think of it like this: Your potential shoppers/clients/ leads are spending a considerable amount of time on Facebook. Therefore, you should be there, too. If your company does not have a Facebook profile, you are missing out on a tremendous opportunity to find new business.

Here are some tips on how to effectively manage your Facebook business profile:

• Create a separate business account, which has different functionality than a personal account.
• Completely and accurately fill out your profile; this will help to add creditability, as well as earn trust.
• Post professional pictures of your business and employees. Ensure that all photos are “business appropriate”. This means no happy hour pictures!
• Customize your tabs with relevant options for your business (Free White Paper, Events, Newsletters, etc.).
• Don’t get lazy! Update your business profile on a regular basis with current industry news and events. If your site has a blog (and it very well should) you can repurpose content directly from your blog or your other social networks to your Facebook profile. This can be done through an RSS Feed or a widget. In addition, Facebook has a plethora of applications that can be utilized.

Employing the above tips can help get you on your way to a better business profile. Make 2010 your year to get social!

Facebook Beats MySpace in Amount of Users

by Ryan Faria

A long, long time ago in 2004, two social network sites began; Facebook and MySpace.  Who would have foreseen the dramatic impact both of these networking portals would have on our lives in a short span of five years. 

Since their foundation in 2004, each of these social networks has experienced dramatic changes, not only in the way they function, but also in the amount of user interaction.  For several years, MySpace rode on top of the social media phenomenon; until recently.  In May of2009, Comscore reported that Facebook has exceeded the amount of MySpace users in the United States.  With a shrinking number of users and more advertising dollars being allocated to Facebook, MySpace has been forced to layoff 30% of employees, as well as reduce its payroll to only 1,000 people.  With over 60 million Facebook users in the United States alone, Facebook has made it possible for teens, adults and seniors to connect in a simple, easy to navigate arena.  Capturing the baby boomer users, Facebook has been able to exceed the amount of MySpace users.

So the question is what’s next for Facebook? With Twitter gaining momentum and nipping at Facebook’s heels, only time will tell.  Although, both platforms are very different in some aspects, both offer users the opportunity to connect with other users and share information.  Could Twitter be the Facebook killer?  Without adapting to current trends and listening to user feedback, Facebook could experience what MySpace is struggling with right now.