So you may or may not have a MySpace page.  You may know a friend who has a Facebook site.  You may even have poked around and created a profile.  But did you know you can use social networking sites to market your business?  A lot of people don't know that these sites are a great resource for getting the word out about their business.

Social Networking is actually the fastest growing marketing tool today.  Neilson, a leader in Internet Activity, says that social networks and blogs are now the 4th most popular online activity ahead of personal email.  Neilson also reports that 67% of the global online population visit communities like Facebook and MySpace.  And to top it off, time spent on these types of sites accounts for almost 10% of all internet time, and this amount is growing at three times the overall internet rate.

Social networking sites give people the tools to meet at a common virtual location and communicate with each other, share what's going in on their lives, and trade opinions back and forth.  These sites have the tools necessary for people to produce and share meaningful content such as blogs,  pictures, and videos with each other.  Then other people can comment on this content.  It's a never-ending circle of sharing and communication.  The content and information on a social network does not come from the publisher, it comes from the users themselves – and their interaction is a major portion of the content.

Generally, online social networks attract members who bond over shared interests and opinions.  These sites help members connect with friends that share similar interests, and also allow them to find more online friends with shared interests or values.  You can find old high school buddies, or people in your community that also have dachshunds, or fellow sci-fi geeks who love Battlestar Galactica.  This creates a circle of virtually connected friends or associates.

How does this translate to marketing your business?  We all know that "word of mouth" endorsements are great ways to spread the word about your services, but in an online world, you can use "word of mouse."  If your business has a page on a social networking site, you have a presence in a virtual community of friends.  You develop a network of friends, and these friends can recommend you to other friends.

For example, let's say that Billy Bob just make a large pot of BBQ beans on the stove.  As Billy Bob was carrying them to the table, he tripped over his cat and dumped them all over his cream-colored carpet.  Billy Bob is naturally upset about this.  (Actually the cat isn't too happy about it either.)  Billy Bob sits down later that evening and describes in great detail on his Facebook blog how he spilled a perfectly good pot of BBQ beans all over his cream colored carpet and ruined it.  People can leave comments for blogs, and a couple hours later, Suzie Q leaves him a comment about how she spilled soy sauce all over her carpet, and XYZ Carpet Cleaning did a fabulous job removing the stain.  Turns out XYZ Carpeting Cleaning has a Facebook page and is one of Suzie Q's friends.  All Billy Bob has to do is click on XYZ's Facebook page, and he'll instantly have all their contact info, service info, and client testimonials right there.  Billy Bob gets the stain cleaned the next day.  Billy Bob's happy, XYZ Carpet Cleaning is happy, and Suzie Q's happy - because Billy Bob sent her his BBQ bean recipe.  The cat's still a little peeved, but cats hold grudges.  She'll be over it by next week.

Anyway, you've reached a customer in a way that didn't involve the customer watching or reading an ad, or opening a direct mailer.  You've created an online presence in a community of people, and will draw in those customers who are friends of other customers.  Alternatively, if you add content to your page and comment on other people's content, you can develop your own following on social media sites as an opinion-maker, authority, adviser, industry analyst, or wry observer.  And presto!  As a result of getting noticed in all the right places, you can generate leads and convert those leads into sales.