You may not notice but quite a few businesses nowadays are advertising through several social networks such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, LinkedIn, Hi5, and Tagged among many similar sites. Some may be cynical or disbelieving when it comes to making use of social networking sites to promote their businesses, but that is only because they are not truly acquainted with the potential that these sites have.



If you need persuasion, think about the many people accessing such social networking sites on not only daily, but also on an hour to hour and even minute to minute basis. Imagine a stronger web presence for your business. Most competitors have already joined the trend so why don't you join in the fun? You'll have more potential clients and you'll build more credibility.

Perhaps you might think that advertising on a social site may not be a good image for your business. Some social networking sites are mainly patronized by teenagers, so if your business is not something for the kids, then it might not be of much benefit for you to do so. However, word of mouth is still such a powerful tool to market and promote a business.

A teenager telling his or her mom or dad about what they saw in the Internet is just an example. This is the beginnings of the very powerful word of mouth marketing, and many buzzes now start on social networking sites. Here are ten tips that will help you in promoting your business through such social networks.

1. Try out several social networking sites.

To start with, don't just focus on just one or two social networking websites. Begin with as many as possible: the opposite of what you might expect to do, but try it. It works with these sites. You can post a photograph of yourself, digital photographs of your company and of your products if you have them, or of your company logo. Write some blogs, make some quizzes or engage in activities until you get noticed.

After you've built your presence in multiple networking sites, it's time to focus on one or two sites that generate positive results. By now you should have seen how people react to it and you'll know which social networking websites are the most effective for you.

2. Share the company's public profile.

Lay out your business expertise. Clearly state your credentials. At the same time, make sure that your profile is as attractive as possible. It has to be something that will catch other social networkers? attention. Also, make sure that your profile is keyword-rich for people using the advanced search features.

3. Make use of applications and widgets.

Most of the social networking websites you'll see now have their own widgets and applications. Some of these widgets were made for businesses. They have a business page or ?About? page made specifically for companies. Make particular use of the Fan page, the News page, and the Events page.

4. Comment on posts or blogs online.

One way to maximize the opportunity of your web presence is by commenting or replying to posts, articles, and blogs you see online. You can leave your signature (with links to your website) after your username. This will help you get noticed even more.

5. Join forums or groups.

When you join forums, you get to engage with other like minded individuals and share your ideas with other people. Then hopefully, they might notice your expertise and may even ask for details of your products or services before you have to offer them.

6. Seek help from expert social networkers.

Social networking is just like traditional networking. The internet just made it easier. So if you want more networkers to notice you ask for help from the experts and find out how best to use this medium. Ask and answers will be forthcoming.

7. Select your friends.

Since you're creating an account for your business, your friends will matter. Make sure that all your friends are legitimate, trust-worthy, and credible. It doesn't matter if you only have a few friends. The quality of friends you add to your account is what matters most.

8. Write recommendations for valued clients.

Your clients don't need to tell you to write them a recommendation. If you feel they are valuable, then recommend them. Not only are you being more credible to your readers by providing genuine information, your clients will be happy and may do the same for you.

9. Promote your blog or online resources.

Blogging or writing articles and providing resources to your readers or clients have proven to be an effective way to drive traffic to your website. So if you have a blog, make sure that you promote it through these networking sites.

10. Use privacy settings.

In order to avoid scam artists and identity theft, make sure that you adjust the privacy settings that can be found in social networking sites. Check what information can be seen by the public and by your friends and adjust accordingly.

Why not start to use social networking sites to the greatest advantage for your online business? Most traditional businesses have no idea how to use this new medium, and if you do then you can have a good and profitable lead on your competitors.