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With so many different social networking sites on the internet it can be difficult to decide which ones to become a member of. It doesn't have to be.
Each site has its faithful followers that will swear by them and talk them up until they are blue in the face just to convince you to join. While referral is very powerful you shouldn't take only the advice of associates. Each person is different and each person has their own style. What one person absolutely loves and adores another person could despise it. So how does one decide which is best for them?
Research - Talk to friends and colleagues about what their favorite networking sites are. Chances are you will receive a long list that will vary from person to person. Pay attention to which ones pop up most and check those out first.
Goals -Decide what you hope to accomplish when online networking. Is it more clients, more blog hits, more website visits, more interactivity etc. Once you decide that, you can proceed further and start testing the ones to see which ones give you the outcome you hoped for.
Test Drive -Once you receive a list of the most popular ones, see if they offer free trials. Some sites give you full features for free, some do not. Some give you a limited time, some don't. If you don't have a lot of time to give to online networking, spend the most time on the ones with time limit trials. Once you have spent time test driving, you will have the ability to make a decision as to which ones are worthwhile and which ones are not. In order to come to an accurate conclusion as to whether they are worthwhile, you must actively participate.
Paying VS Free - This is a controversial issue. You will have people who say you need to pay for membership to add to your credibility. Not so! Your credibility goes by how much you participate, how you handle yourself and how you portray yourself and your business online. This is why I say test-drive them first. Especially on a shoestring budget you can not afford to hand over your hard earned cash based on just referrals. If you have been on a site and you haven't gotten any responses to any posts, connections to any colleagues etc you may not want to pay for membership because obviously not enough people participate on it to make it a wise investment.
Social networking sites are one of the best places to market your business. However, with so many different options out there, you need to do your due diligence. Find the ones that fit your style, personality and budget. Don't let anybody tell you different. If you become a member of sites you do not like, you will find yourself either dreading the networking or completely neglecting it. Networking online can be fun and rewarding but you have to go with your gut to be successful at it.
Tracy Collins, Confidential Virtual Assistant, owns/operates Collins-Admin Services, http://www.collins-admin.com a virtual assistance company based out of Pennsylvania. Offering confidential virtual administrative support services to entrepreneurs/small business owners who feel they need higher than average confidential assistance. For more great articles about business and confidential virtual assistance visit her blog at http://www.collins-admin.com/blog
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