Time has published a list of the "50 Best Websites 2009" - and MySpace was not on this years' "best" list. But it did make another Time list, the "5 Worst Websites," (subtitled "sites to avoid") sharing lackluster company with SecondLife.com, Meez.com, Evite.com, and eHarmony.com.
So if MySpace is no longer "where it's at" what can you do to further your business voice through social networking?
David Teten and Scott Allen, co-authors of The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online share their Internet marketing advice with About.com in How to Use Online Networks to Market Your Business. Here are just a few great pointers from Teten and Allen:
- Build and reinforce your brand. Every signature in an e-mail or on the Web, and every profile online, is an opportunity to reinforce your brand.
- Associate yourself with a not-for-profit cause. People are much more willing to gather around a cause than a company.
- Ignite word-of-mouth buzz. If you have a new product or service, word-of-mouth—satisfied customers talking about you—is one of the most effective ways to establish your Competence. Word-of-mouth flows through social networks; Leaders of networks are excellent lighthouse customers. If the most prominent blogger in your field likes what you sell, you will create a powerful evangelist.
Great tips. Associating yourself with a not-for-profit cause is a great way to attract new customers and help out your community and a good cause all at the same time!