Social Webs: Getting Caught in a Network is Great for Marketing

These days, it seems that everyone is on either Facebook or MySpace, or both. What is it with social networks that draws people so quickly into them, and makes people spend hours and hours searching for more friends to widen their already vast offline social circles? The answer is in a human’s constant need for belongingness: we all want to be part of a wider group, a universal digital brotherhood (or sisterhood) of sorts.

Getting caught in a network, therefore, is natural to nearly all human beings who want to connect to fellow human beings. And finding yourself in a network is certainly a great way to make connections and publicize your website, company, products, or services. So join MySpace, or Facebook, or both – and all your profits will come to you naturally, right?

Well, there’s a little more that you should do, so take a deep breath, relax, and think about your market. Remember that if you meet people’s needs, and if you show them that you care, then they will care about what you can offer them. So how can you work a social network to your advantage?

First, provide a link to your site on your profile page – and make your profile page useful! Most social networks will allow you to fashion your profile page so that you have blog entries or graphics. Use this feature to your advantage. Provide blog entries that have great content that can be useful to your clients. For instance, if you’re a pet foods company, constantly update your blog with tips on how to feed pets correctly. Or if you’re a real estate broker, constantly update your blog with tips on how to find a perfect house to suit your needs.

The possibilities are endless, simply because all human beings have different needs. Find out what they are, meet them, and use your knowledge to help you prosper online. In fact, you don’t need to stick to just articles: you can extend your work to videos, graphics, and free downloads. The more you cater to clients’ needs, the more you can get the word out on yourself.

And don’t forget to stamp your name and your URL on your profile, and on the stuff that clients can use! Put your URL and name in your articles, telling your clients that you can help them with their pet, real estate, home, or whatever needs that you are hoping to meet. Put your URL and name in your videos, and make sure that your videos are useful and entertaining. Through viral marketing that’s wisely and widely used, you can increase your web presence.

Lastly, most social networks will have forums, groups, and circles, where you can interact directly with people who will have the same interests as yours, and who will need your products and services. Join these networks: the more people see your name, the faster you can make your name online.