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.”

To this end his focus is on such things as "developing cheaper renewable energy, commercializing plug-in vehicles, increasing capital to small business in the developing world and predicting and preventing emerging threats such as environmental conditions and climate change" as Brilliant offered in Carter’s article. This is a wonderful set of goals.

However, the question I have is how can we achieve these goals faster with better results? I offer the concept of Networlding as an approach. First, let me preface my thoughts by saying that the Networlding methodology which we sell to the for-profit world is free to the non-profit world. Any non-profit professional wants to have our e-guidebook and e-booklet can email us (www.networlding.com) to get a copy. We also have consultants who are willing to help with initiatives that want to use the methodology.

To this end some of the key pieces would look like this:

• the creation of an action plan that is grounded in values; we recommend the four values that have been used with great success by my friend and colleague, Susan Davis which are: "making a difference, integrity, collaboration and innovation." We have found these values accelerate the success of any group initiative.
• the development of a leadership team that mentors in small, manageable groups other small groups of "leaders-in-waiting."
• constant, incremental support and facilitation of small groups working together for a common goal while also getting support from one another to achieve individual goals.
• sharing the best practices back to all the participants.
• and finally, "doing well by doing good." As Carter commented, "Many corporations have learned that investing in philanthropy attracts concerned investors and talented employees, builds brand loyalty, burnishes reputations and helps create a healthier and more prosperous economy for all of us." Why is it so simple for some to get and others its a foreign language?

Of course there is much more detail in the methodology and non-profits such as Brilliant is running would benefit from the many learnings we have had throughout the last couple of decades by the growing members of The Networlding Partner Alliance. So, if I only could work with Larry Brilliant . . . .

Here you find me in Ft. Lauderdale coming back from a long July 4th weekend. The picture was taken by my fiance, Craig, who just loves to take photos. I decided that I would start getting better pictures of the world of networking as I have experienced over the last decade or so.

Especially in these shaky economic times the last thing any of us need is to form relationships with people who look like dolphins–very sociable and attentive, but end up like sharks–feeding off of our connections for their individual gain. Those of you who regularly visit LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) know that there are more Networlders on there than you thought would ever be in one place at one time.

My suggestion to any of you out there networking is to be discerning. Take your time when first connecting with new people. I have found the adage "listen with your eyes rather than your ears" is a good one. You will actually lose good business or career development time when you hastily build connections rather than take your time over two or three meetings with someone.

It’s all about trust and that is something that comes through behavior–what you say you are going to do is what you do. My suggestion would be start with just one, small and simple thing you and the new person you want to network with can do for one another. As I often say in Networlding, "Think exchange." This could look like you sending over a link to some useful information. Now you have done something small and, hopefully, the potential networking partner you have just met will reciprocate or, at the least, respond with a healthy "thank you." If not, you now know more about this person. The bottomline? Seek people who recipricate and find if they do, first, before you invest too much into the relationship.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with great companies, GE, Heller Financial, Transamerica, and Administaff. My background is in corporate finance, strategy, marketing and business development. I have opened new markets, repositioned products, and structured transactions for both large and small companies. My business development has meant building relationships within the Board room, various levels of businesses and spheres of influence. This experience has been primarily in business to business. I have also been a believer in giving back to the community and have built relationships in a variety of not for profit organizations. I have also had the good fortune of advising entrepreneurs in start up situations. All of these experience help bring a perspective that can be helpful to a variety of situations.

Melissa: If you had to prioritize what you think is most important for companies to focus on today, what would that list of priorities look like?

Companies should develop and follow a strong mission statement and realize that their people are their most important asset. They need create a culture of integrity, honesty, and collaboration and one that keeps an eye on their customers. An eye on the customer is accomplished by monitoring performance and giving and getting honest feed back. Sometimes companies and their leadership put their head in the sand; always know if you are winning, loosing or just marking time. Knowing where you stand helps get you where you need to go.

Melissa: Where do values fit into the work you do?

You start with honesty and integrity and add being respectful of people and their ideas. You create a collaborate culture, by being a team player, and when you win the team wins. Also, you temper all of this with being a realist: seeing reality as it is, not as we wish it was.

Melissa: How does what’s happening online effect how businesses do business today and how they should be using technology—or not, to succeed?

Your product, service, or value proposition need to be available on the Internet; whether to sell, explain, describe, deliver and or service. E commerce is required to compete effectively. You need to assess emerging trends or changes in the marketplace; you must consistently monitor with vigilance your competitors, suppliers and your customers. You need to know what they are saying and what they are thinking; all of this is possible through the Internet and the blog community. With information, you can tweak, improve and drive revenues.

Melissa: If you could have the "perfect job", Chuck, what would that look like today?

Ideally, a great fit for me would be to join a creative corporate environment that wishes to expand its products or services into new markets or wants to take their large enterprise solutions into the small and mid size market which is the third most robust economy in the world. Also important to me, would be a company where my skills and experiences are valued and where I can help build, expand or improve its services or products. It would also be important that I have the opportunity to grow and learn through my endeavors.

Melissa: Chuck, what other things do you think companies should be doing today that they are not doing?

Companies should be developing, challenging, and encouraging their employees. They need to know if they are succeeding with their people development and building talent for the future. Companies should get feedback on a regular basis. This will hopefully create an environment where employees have personal ownership in making the business more successful or better at improvements as they grow and develop.

Melissa: Where do you think the really best business opportunities reside in today’s world of business?

I believe the best opportunities exist in the small and midsized business, SMB space. Many owners and founders have found success through niches and have found success by being solutions driven. The SMB space has become global in nature. Opportunities lie in finding improvements in markets or products no matter how mature if they bring value that is efficient. As I said before there is constant change, and insatiable appetite for new products and ideas. (add any questions you think would be good) Business and the economy are not a straight line. How do you help in a downturn or a period of change? I create a realistic assessment of strengths and weakness and the relevance of the business proposition to a changing marketplace. Then I plan for what is critical to serve the customer. Through my market access, I can get a realistic view of changing dynamics in the market. I communicate with the management team what the challenges are and make recommendations of what is needed. I believe this helps manage expectations of what we can deliver to our stakeholders, customers and employees. Managing expectations brings a practical understanding of what can be delivered to all parties. This typically results in working together toward a common goal.  To contact Chuck directly, email him at charles.smead@gmail.com,