1. Demographics

You want to make sure that the people you’re meeting in this network are actually going to be interested in what you’re selling.   No matter how highly a site is ranked, if it is inhabited entirely of kids from 14-18 and you’re selling life insurance; you are not going to get a good response.  Determining who uses the site, and what percentage of the users fall within your target demographic is a great way to isolate the best sites for you to spend time on.

2. Flexible Search

If you’re working on a popular social network, you may have millions of potential contacts.  It would be pointless to try to include them all as your contacts.  You want to be able to locate people within a certain age group, in a specific location, or with special interests that pertain to your company.  The better the search function, the better you’ll be able to use the network.  You need to be able to do advanced searches using multiple criteria to really zero in on your ideal contacts before you spend any time adding them to your profile.

3. Video Capability

The single most important development in Web 2.0 in the last year is the use of video.  This doesn’t require sophisticated production or high end equipment.  In fact, the amateur quality of these videos seems to add to their appeal.  Regardless, you need to be able to utilize this important marketing tool on any site you choose for your networking.

4. Mobile Capability

Another important development is the use of mobile or handheld devices for web use.  More and more people are surfing the web from their Blackberry, iPhone, or cell.  However, not all websites are set up to be accessible by these mobile devices.  You must be sure that any site you’re using translates to this important platform.

5. Bulk Messaging

While I am opposed to using bulk messages to your whole network, there are times when you need to get some information out to everyone you know…fast!  Bulk messaging allows you to send a single message to everyone in your personal contacts, which means you can be the first to break industry news and share other important information quickly and efficiently.

6. Customizable

It’s true that a lot of people go way overboard with these customizable templates.  Some sites are full of all kinds of crazy graphics which make them look more like the inside of a junior high school locker than an adult social network.  Nevertheless, you do want to make sure your profile is sufficiently customizable because you need to be able to stand out in the crowd.  Some sites will even let you use your company logo and other easily identifiable graphics.  Several of the sites allow you to name your own URL which you can use in conjunction with your regular company website.

These are very basic requirements, and many sites fulfill most, if not all of them.  So in the end, it really boils down to user preference. What do you think? What are some of your criteria?

So how can you and those you know get involved?

Frst, let American Express know what you think about the new features and redesign of AT&T’s Small Business InSite. Share this site other small business owners . Your opinion matters!

The next step is to give readers some news they can use by sharing the word about the AT&T Small Biz Tech Makeover online contest, which began July 13. Expert advice and one year of free AT&T products and services will be awarded to the small business owner who can best explain his or her need for a technology makeover.

Contest prizes include Web hosting services, AT&T Secure Mail, AT&T Tech Support 360, a pair of 3G mobile smartphones and a variety of other advanced solutions that can be used to improve collaboration or drive small business productivity.

All you and your colleagues need to do to participate is complete an online form and send AT&T a short video with your story. More guidelines and contest details can be found by visiting (http://tinyurl.com/smallbizmakeover-att).

Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Melissa Giovagnoli
President, Networlding, Inc.
312-421-4213

March 2, 2009 (CHICAGO) – Social media and networking guru, Melissa Giovagnoli, plans to add another book to her roster of 11 published works including four best-sellers, but this time she’s looking for your help. The “Could You Be The Third Author?“ contest seeks out the best and brightest among public relations experts and speakers to join Giovagnoli and visual design expert Kerry LaCoste in co-authoring what’s sure to be another best seller.

Giovagnoli’s twelfth book, “101 Ways to Better Social Networking,” focuses on the merging of media with the internet and social networking, as well as with other technologies and fields like television, music, and entertainment. The “Could You Be The Third Author?” contest seeks social media or online public relations experts with highly successful track records, and who may have spoken publicly on the topic of social networking and social media but have yet to publish their own book.

“I truly believe in the benefits of collaboration, and working with someone else who really understands social networking will only add more value for readers,” said Melissa Giovagnoli, president of Networlding. “Plus, it’s great for the person who co-authors the book. Being a published author really makes a difference for someone’s business, not just financially, but also socially and emotionally.”

For more than a decade, Giovagnoli has coached hundreds of successful professionals and executives helping them publish and market their own books. LaCoste, a sixteen-year creative director and designer specializing in corporate communications, has experience in all aspects of graphic design and production, including annual reports, branding and positioning, promotional campaigns, and more. He founded LaCoste Design, Inc., a communications design firm, in 2005.

If you are interested in achieving author status, email info@networlding.com no more than a one-page list of reasons why you think you should be the third author for “101 Ways to Better Social Networking.” All entries must be submitted by March 20. The winner will be announced on March 30, and will receive 30% of the book’s net revenues.

About Melissa Giovagnoli

Melissa Giovagnoli is a social networking guru, keynote speaker and bestselling author, who founded Networlding in 2000, based on her seventh book on the science and practice of social networking. Networlding is a marketing and management consulting firm helping individuals and organizations achieve a “network effect” in their marketing, communications or sales initiatives.

Networlding conducts extensive research on the best strategies for utilizing social media to reduce costs and increase top-line profits. Her team of both corporate and Entrepreneurial leaders delivers world-class solutions to companies large and small, including AT&T, Disney, UBS, Motorola and Hewitt as well as hundreds of entrepreneurial organizations.

Giovagnoli has published 11 books, including best-sellers Networlding: Building Relationships and Opportunities for Success, and The Power of Two: Rethinking and Reforming Strategic Alliances; The Chicago Entrepreneurs Sourcebook, rated one of the top 10 small business books in Chicago; 75 Cage Rattling Questions that Change the Way You Work; Another one of her books was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is a frequently sought-after speaker on the topic of social media and social networking, and has appeared as a guest on WGN, CNBC, and the Today Show and was named “Outstanding Woman of the Decade Award” by The University of Chicago Women’s Business Advisory Council.

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If you spend any time online, for work or play, chances are pretty good that you belong to at least one social network.  Whole blogs are devoted to the subject of social networking and making the most of these communities, and many experts have weighed in on their choice for best networking sites.

Some of my favorite sites are:

Ignite Social Media

123 Social Media

PR 2.0

Social Media Explorer

Going Social Now

But what I’d love to do is hear from my readers about which network they have found the most useful in their marketing.  Is there a site that offers something unique that has made all the difference?  Have you found the users on a particular site to be more receptive to making new contacts?  Is there a site that gives you the best collection of networking tools?

Leave me a comment with a link to your profile on your favorite networking site.  Next month, we’ll announce the winner with a post that brings together the collective comments for the top three social networking sites–the sites that have what we would term  a true Networlding community experience.  This is your opportunity to voice your opinion, and hear with other users have to say about their Web 2.0 experience.  So vote today and tune in for the results to see how many others agree with you!

–
Melissa Giovagnoli
Founder and President
Networlding: Helping You Build Better Business Faster
Speaking, Coaching, Online Marketing Consulting Leveraging the Science of Networks

There are literally thousands of sites that you can use for social networking.  Some of them cater to specific interest groups such as an industry (technology, fashion, non-profit) or location (city, state, country), while others are diverse in their members’ interests and used for socializing on a global scale.  Obviously everyone has heard of MySpace (www.myspace.com)  and Facebook (www.facebook.com).  These two sites hold the Alexa Ranks of #6 and #8 most popular websites in the world–and for good reason.  They have a set of characteristics which make them extremely valuable from a personal and professional standpoint.  However, there are other networks that have similar characteristics and which are gaining in popularity.

Orkut.com (www.orkut.com) is a Google owned and operated social networking site that is coming up fast with an Alexa page rank of 11.  Hi5.com (www.hi5.com), Friendster.com (www.friendster.com), and Skyrock.com (www.skyrock.com) are also in the top 50.  It seems like there are unlimited options—and a Web 2.0 marketer may feel like a kid in a candy store with all these great sites to choose from.

But one of the most important elements to successful social networking is being consistent and really building your network based on personal interaction.  All too often you see people creating profiles and logging in once a week to blast out a generic message to their network in a spam-like fashion.  This is simply not going to get you anywhere in Web 2.0, and in fact, it is going to work to your detriment.  One of the most important elements of social networking is the genuine connection that your contacts must feel for you and your company.

That means that unless you have unlimited time and resources, you need to be able to pick a small handful of networks and genuinely cultivate your contacts without wasting time.  The question then becomes, “which ones are the best?”  Join me tomorrow for Part III where I will discuss: “The Definition of a World-Class Network.”

Part I: The Best of the Best

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that social networking (otherwise known as Web 2.0) has revolutionized the way every industry thinks about their marketing and advertising.  People who are buying are buying online—and from companies they have formed a connection with through their social networks. Thousands of networking sites have cropped up hoping to be the next MySpace or Facebook, luring people by the millions to build profiles and create virtual communities that are ripe for savvy marketers to infiltrate.

One of the most interesting things about these different communities is how each of them has its own unique environment that is almost tangible.  In the same way that real life locations have their own ambiance, so do these cyber hangouts.  Spending a few minutes on these sites, you’ll see huge differences in demographics, communication styles, professionalism, and usability.  The key then, is not simply putting in time building a network, but building a network on a site that is going to be most receptive to your marketing style and/or product.

In this four-part series, I’ll discuss some of the ways to identify the best social networks, and give you the readers the opportunity to vote on the overall BEST social networking sites from your perspective.  I’ve entitled it “Going for the Gold:  The Best of Social Marketing Online.”  Inspired by the Olympics, where only the best compete and the best of the best gets the gold, we will bestow our own “Gold Medal” on the overall best social networking site.  Naturally, since there are so many excellent sites out there to choose from, we’ll have a “Silver” and “Bronze” category, too.   Join me tomorrow for Part II:  “Choose Wisely.”