Social networking was once looked at as a fad, but now it is simply too large and powerful to be studied lightly. Social networking -- with sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube -- has fundamentally altered just how we communicate with one another and with this prospects and customers Adin Ross. The numbers are too impressive to ignore: If Facebook was a nation; it'd the 3rd largest in the world. YouTube is now the second largest search engine behind Google, exceeding 2 billion views a day. You obtain the idea. If you should be not on social networking, you can be sure your customers and competitors are; so now could be the time for you yourself to take action and get involved before it's too late.

A Better Sort of Marketing You have to know that social networking marketing is vastly diverse from traditional marketing - and a lot more powerful. In social networking marketing you don't interrupt your customers with promises hoping to catch their attention. You forge direct relationships with customers built on the experiences along with your brand. You engage your customer in ways that is memorable and meaningful. Social networking marketing is approximately developing relationships with your customers by being generous with value in advance; vulnerable by including customers in your marketing process; candid by being yourself; and accountable by burning your promises. Social networking marketing turns strangers into friends, then into fans, then into loyal customers.

Focusing Your Efforts If one were to test becoming active on all the tens and thousands of social networking sites, it would be virtually impossible. There isn't enough amount of time in the day; and besides, many sites are focused on small niches that would not be relevant to your business. If you're just getting started, you'll be best served by establishing a presence on four major social networking sites. Each has its strong points which compliment another, so by being on all you've a variety of various ways to reach and interact with your customers and compel them to go to your store or website.

Facebook: Facebook is the main element solution to establish relationships along with your prospects and customers. Every business should make the most of the enormous reach of your website, currently with 500 million active users, by establishing a free business page and creating content that builds relationships with your best customers and interests them in buying your products.

LinkedIn: Having its over 100 million business professionals, LinkedIn is your website to create and establish meaningful relationships with the movers and shakers of the world. You are able to establish a personal profile and network with others, try to find opportunities for partnerships and new business, and create a profile for your company. Often you are able to secure work right on the site, and you can include three links to your profile that result in websites where you can sell your products.

Twitter: Called a micro-blog, as you write in 140-character bursts, Twitter is perfect for creating buzz about your company. It's a worldwide networking event where you meet and greet new people, strike up conversations based on common interests, and discuss business trends in your industry. Once you are able to engage and entertain other folks on Twitter, then it's easy for connecting them to most of your website where they could be converted in buying customers.

YouTube: If your picture paints a thousand words, a video does much more: It generates a psychological connection along with your customer in ways that static text or pictures never could. A video of you speaking about your business or demonstrating your product on YouTube becomes a 2/47 global selling tool that people can watch online or on the phones. You can include links to your website in the video and also on the video page, thereby giving your viewers a place to go to purchase your product. In summary, social networking marketing is just a revolutionary new solution to engage prospects in a two-way dialog that can lead them to becoming raving fans and buying customers. It's not just a fad anymore. Every blue-chip company is using social media...and every small to medium business must take notice and get active today.