Social Networking Sites Twitter, Facebook and MySpace: who needs ’em?

Published 5:00 pm Sunday, May 31, 2009

If you’re not already posting, tweeting or otherwise participating, chances are you’ve at least heard of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. These free services and more are burgeoning on the Web these days, and all claim to boost connections between people, getting messages out to a wide audience ASAP.

For the uninitiated, signing up for one more data stream in a world already overwhelmed with information may seem like adding insult to injury.

But in reality, small business owners stand to benefit greatly from these services, because when used wisely they can amount to free promotion.

Keleigh Schwartz is co-owner of Long Beach Peninsula Web design firm Beachdog.com. She’s an expert in all things Internet.

Schwartz recently held a workshop about social networking sites, to help the curious decide how and whether getting involved would be a boon or bane. She’s enthusiastic about social networking’s value to area businesses.

“The biggest thing I can say is that if you are in business you cannot ignore it,” she said. “We’re at the beginning of the turning of the tide locally.”

Schwartz said the interaction inherent in online social networking helps people get to know a business, which helps build customer loyalty. Reaching out to clients through social networking sites can increase visitor counts to company Web sites, and keeps business names and brands in front of clients and potential customers.

Now what?
You’ve decided to take the plunge into Internet social networking – but now what? Schwartz said it’s important for business owners who want to get in on the social networking scene to create online accounts with sites, using their business names. She advises doing it now, before someone else does.

“If your business name is part of your brand, it’s important to save it,” she said.

The next step, Schwartz said, is to lurk and learn how it all works, just observing and taking it all in. But that’s just the beginning of a unified social networking business strategy.

“Then get off the computer and set some goals,” she said. “What do you want to accomplish, and how do you evaluate progress?”

Time is of the essence
Schwartz said it’s easy for newbie social networkers to fall into a black hole of blogging, tweeting (on Twitter), and posting video, to the point where they don’t have time for much else.

Business owners can’t afford to spend all their time online, so it’s important to define social networking as part of an overall marketing scheme.

“Every business has to look at the whole picture,” she said. “Social networking is cash inexpensive, and time expensive.”

Schwartz said certain kinds of businesses, like technology and publishing, are no-brainers for subscribing to sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Retail firms can use such sites to send out a message when they are having a special sale or other event. Realtors find them handy to announce new listings.

“It’s free, targeted, niche advertising,” Schwartz said.

She said another essential tool for business is Google Alerts (available through Google’s home page), which can help business owners find out what people are saying about them. It’s a good way to root out complaints and mitigate them.

“Type in your name or your business name, and your email address,” Schwartz said. “Then the service will alert you whenever your name pops up in a Web document or message.”

Schwartz said social networking is about building relationships and trust with people. That means hard sales pitches are out.

“Think of the way a bunch of people behave at a cocktail party, except you’re doing it on the Web,” she said, cautioning that nothing posted should ever be considered private. “Don’t put anything on a social networking site that you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the paper.” 

Social networking sites: the new email
The really big ones:
Facebook – This popular site can be an effective way for friends and colleagues to connect. People can write extended messages or short comments, and share photos and video.

Twitter – A microblogging site that allows users to pose short 140 character messages called “tweets.” The site asks bloggers one question: “What are you doing?” Thoroughly and hilariously mocked by the likes of Doonesbury, Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. Very useful for sending and receiving quick blasts of news and other information.

LinkedIn – A business networking site where users can post professional profiles, find jobs, and connect with business resources.

YouTube – A site where users can view and post videos.

MySpace – A broad based service with lots of options. Users can quickly create pages about themselves that include text, music, photos and video.

Others you may have heard of:
Sphinn – A social site for interactive marketers

Delicious – A bookmarking service that allows users to tag, save and manage web pages

Mixx – A service that helps organize web content based on user preferences.

Diigo – A research tool and content-sharing site.

Reddit – A Web content site, where information is filtered to reflect users’ tastes

Note: New social networking sites are springing up like sprouts after a spring rain. So expect to see these sites and more as you travel the World Wide Web.

 Web designer Scott Docherty owns the Redhare Gallery in downtown Astoria. The gallery is also a unique, intimate venue for live music performances.

Docherty, who moved to Oregon a few years ago from Los Angeles, books world class talent at the gallery on a regular basis. He regularly connects with prospects and audience members via social networking sites.

Docherty is a big fan and user of sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

“I use a comprehensive networking scheme,” he said, adding that Twitter and Facebook are some of the most useful things he does to promote his business.

He connects with about 300 people via Facebook. He’s got about 70 “followers” who subscribe to his Twitter posts, called “tweets.” He also receives tweets from other people and sites, like news agencies that send out headlines as stories arise.

“I use it [Twitter] to send out quick items about things,” he said. “I promote upcoming shows.”

He monitors tweets using a program called Tweetdeck that runs in the corner of his computer screen.

“It alerts me with a tweeting sound when I get a new tweet,” he said. “It’s like a ticker, you choose what information is fed into it.”

He said the short message limits in Twitter force users to be concise. “From a literary standpoint it’s a helluva challenge to communicate effectively in 140 characters or less.”

Docherty created a MySpace page about Redhare Gallery, and communicates with performers through that online venue.

“I use it to do most of my booking,” he said. “I can book bands, hear them, see them, and find out where they are from.”

But Docherty cautioned that social networking can be a real time stealer.

“I don’t have time to spend all day playing around with Facebook or Twitter,” he said. “I do a quick check, five to 10 minutes. I use it as a communication device; it can be very powerful when that line is drawn.”

He agreed that social networking can be a boon for business, but with a caveat.

“It needs to be worked hard and it needs to be worked smart,” he said.

Docherty said social networking sites have helped make him one of the key booking agents in the Northwest.

“Its usefulness to business is in the sheer numbers of people, if you use it to your advantage,” he said. “It’s extra eyeballs I’ve got on my product. It’s why I go to Portland and everyone knows who I am.”

Mortgage Broker Alyce Burgess owns EMLS in Astoria. She’s just getting started in online social networking, but she sees its value for her business.

“At first I thought, ‘I’m just not interested in any more information,’ ” she said. “I’m not on Facebook, not on MySpace.”

Then she found Twitter.

Burgess subscribed initially after reading a news story about how the Warrenton Police Department was using the social networking service to send news alerts and information to the public. The more she learned about it, the more it made sense.

“I felt it would be a tool if something newsworthy was happening,” she said. “We could tweet and say ‘call for details.'”

Burgess is still getting her feet wet in the intersection of social networking and business.

“It’s one more way for me to communicate with our clients,” she said. “I’m just beginning.”

Looking to Tweet or Facebook?
Clatsop Community College’s Small Business Management Program is hosting a course on Twitter and Facebook. Small Business Management program students receive a discount, but all are welcome to participate.

Course Name: Intro to Internet Social Networking will be taught by Astorian Daryl Moore.

Date: Sunday, May 31st

6: p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Course could go later)

Location: 100 39th Street (Pier 39), Astoria

Topics Covered:

How to use Twitter for your business

How to use Facebook pages for your business Internet / social networking Q/A

Fee: $10 per SBMP student, $20 per non-SBMP student (cash/check)

Register by sending an email to daryl@darylmoore.com with “Social Networking” in the subject line. Indicate number of attendees.

Limited to 30 participants. It is suggested that if available, participants bring a laptop with wireless connectivity to be able to sign up and start on these services during the seminar.