Social Networks - What Are They and How you Can Use Them

Social networks, wikis, social bookmarks, tag clouds – new words for new things, and new ways to use words. You may be living in the world of social media, but to many it’s a jumbled jungle with no clear structure. The many facets of social media are also called Web 2.0, consumer generated media, citizen media and new media. In fact, comparing social media to traditional media is probably the most useful way of defining what exactly this means.

Most simply put, social media are media (from written to visual to audio to audio visual) that are designed to be shared. Sharing means that it is easy to comment on, that it is easy to send, and that there are no high costs associated with viewing the media. And, because of the connected nature of the Internet, it means that sharing, commenting and viewing can all be tracked and measured. The Internet, and the software developed to run on it, has made it simple for anyone to publish and distribute. It has also made it simple for anyone to access the content that has been published.

The realm of social networks is about collaboration, users generating content, sharing and, most of all, it is about connecting. Social network refers to a type of web site model where individual members become part of a broader virtual community, exchange news, ideas, communicate, suggest things to each other.  

And here lies the great power and influence of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and so on. These social networks have redefined the way we see common terms and words, such as the word “friend”. All of a sudden some people we barely know, or even members of our family and colleagues become friends, although our connection to them can exist solely online. 

Social networks can be general, such as Facebook, or niche, such as LinkedIn or

Dopplr (www.dopplr.com). LinkedIn is a network for professionals. Members connect to others that they know professionally, and are able to recommend members that they have worked with. Dopplr is a social network for frequent travellers. Members can share their trips, and make plans to meet up when schedules overlap. 

Many social networks, including Facebook, Orkut (www.orkut.com) and MySpace, have opened up their platform to outside developers, allowing the development of applications for the members of the social networks. Generally, use of an application requires a member to allow the application developer access to their personal information. 

Marketers can also use social networks to identify how users are perceiving or interacting with their brand, and open up new avenues of communication with them. 

For example, if you are marketing a bar, look to see how many people are using a social network to organise events at your bar. Find a way of rewarding those who are bringing you extra customers. 

Social networks are also an avenue for members to voice frustrations and annoyances, and these should be closely watched by marketers to gauge sentiment. Social media can provide a targeted network for online advertising, allowing detailed demographic information to play a role in media planning and buying. Companies can also make use of the increased engagement of consumers to create engaging advertising for these mediums, such as advertising within videos and social network applications, or merely making use of increased time on page metrics to create more intricate advertising. If you have a busiess and you want to advertise it, there is no better way than going online and creating a social network profile, where you can actually make use of the viral effect. Social media marketing is a term becoming increasingly popular every day. 

An effective SME marketing plan using the power of social networking should incorporate:

·     Strategic built of all marketing communications

·     Implementation of a realistic and well appointed strategy

·     Evaluation of possibilities regarding the current status and the possible results

·     The implementation of the Marketing Mix plan: the four p’s of marketing, standing for price, product, place and promotion, are vital for SMEs.

·     Day to day assessment of the plan and adjustments when needed

·     Use of viral marketing and viral advertising techniques so as to increase awareness on products and services.

·     Management and reports on the budget used for marketing purposes

·     Action meetings that can evaluate the current conditions and prioritise the coming activities. When the reconsideration of goals and needs is necessary, the marketing specialist and the SME staff should be able to work together.  

The key is to find ways to get more friends online and create a large and diverse list of followers who will be able to support you endeavour and help you achieve your goals. There are several ways to get more friends on networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and how to make use of your online popularity in order to maximize your potentials and reach more customers for your business.