Practicing Safe Online Business Networking

With the rise of the biggest social network websites, it was only logical that businesses would take advantage of the benefits that these type of websites offer.

I don't believe that social networking offers small business the key for success, BUT it can definitely help to spread the word about your business online and encourage brand loyalty. 

A while back, Facebook came up with a new "profile" type, called Fan Page, for either public persons or businesses, that allows people to "like" or "follow" your Facebook page to be part of your network and be able to see your posts and comment them as well. The good thing about this is that is making a separation between "fans" and "friends" and the amount of information flow between the two accounts.

For example, if a Facebook user "likes" the "Glee" fan page, the fan can have access to the whole content of the Glee fan page and interact with comments and posts, but in the other hand, the fan page administrator can't access the profile of the fans for privacy reasons.

Now, this takes me to another business networking dilemma: Are your followers your friends? ...and the answer is...NO, you should always remember that your followers or fans are your current or prospect CLIENTS not your friends! 

And you need to keep that in mind  at all times and maintain a very professional image while administrating a social networking business account, because being in the public eye could go either way... very good or VERY BAD.

Administrating a business or celebrity social networking account is no joke. Some people think that creating a Facebook or Tweeter fan page is enough and people would come out of the way to like or follow the page and they will create their own content and interaction...and this could not be further from the truth. A fan page needs attention, ideally a professional person to handle it and demands time and effort.

A good advise would be to have the PR department or agency or at least a person with some public relations skills administrating all the business social networking accounts. 

As the administrator of the fan page, part of the job is to advertise the page to gather more fans or followers, update status to inform, entertain, create buzz about your products or services and engage interaction with the users.  

Your followers or fans are your commodity, as many as you have the better and the more connections you will create from them, for this reason the administrator needs to push this numbers constantly even with some targeted advertising such as the one that Facebook offers. 

Working on the Fan page, It is very important that the administrator maintains always a neutral and objective position, and tackle any criticism with professionalism and use that situation to learn about the products, services and clients. But always try to handle any uncomfortable situation as privately as you can.

A business networking account is free publicity for your company making it a great tool, but it could go either way.. it could be really good or really, reaaallly bad, so it is important that the administrator knows exactly how to handle the account because your Fan page offers your clients, fans or followers a platform to discuss about your company, products or services, making it an open door inside your business.

So here is my advise... if you do it...do it safely 

RESEARCH:


http://e-marketingforsensiblefolk.blogspot.com/2010/11/blog-post.html

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