Connecting Social Networking With Social Media
Social networking refers to the forming and substantiating of online social networks for communities of people. The communities are people who share interests and activities, or are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. And to complete the definition of online social networking : the building of these social networks requires the use of software.Social networking is all about using the tools of the Internet to connect and build relationships with others. Social networking sites such as Facebook (www.facebook.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com) and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) allow users to create personal profiles and then interact with their connections through sharing media, sending messages and blogging. Not only do social networking sites allow you to interact with the members of your own virtual Rolodex, but they allow you to extend beyond your personal network.Social networks have created new meaning for the term “friend” with many connections existing solely online. In the realm of social networking, it is unnecessary to have met someone in order to connect with them.
Personal profile pages remove much of the anonymity of the Internet. Users of social networks reveal a great deal of information about themselves, from basic demographics such as age, gender and location, to nuanced and detailed lists of likes and dislikes. Although explicitly made known to a user’s connections, users are also divulging this information to the networks, and hence to the networks’ advertisers.
Users tend not to be aware of the data that is amassing regarding their online profile, and it takes features such as Facebook’s Beacon to reveal just how much information users are making available.
Social networks can be general, such as Facebook, or niche, such as LinkedIn or Dopplr (www.dopplr.com). LinkedIn is a network for professionals. Members connect to others that they know professionally, and are able to recommend members that they have worked with. Dopplr is a social network for frequent travellers. Members can share their trips, and make plans to meet up when schedules overlap.
Many social networks, including Facebook, Orkut (www.orkut.com) and MySpace, have opened up their platform to outside developers, allowing the development of applications for the members of the social networks. Generally, use of an application requires a member to allow the application developer access to their personal information.
Social networking as a tool for marketers
Social networks, free for their members, tend to rely on advertising for their revenue. Because of demographic information collected by the social networks, advertisers are able to target their adverts to a particular audience.
Applications are another way to market products. Creating a useful application that is relevant to a product, can expose a whole new audience to a company’s offering, as well as allowing a company to collect detailed information on their users. However, although Facebook applications were the big marketing story of 2007, there are few success stories to emerge from the buzz. It’s very much a developing market.
Profiles are not limited to people. Bands, for example, have found immense success with creating MySpace profiles for their band and using the profile as a means of connecting with their current and potential fan base.
On Facebook, Facebook Pages “provide a customized presence on Facebook for your band, brand, small business, and more.
Marketers can also use social networks to identify how users are perceiving or interacting with their brand, and open up new avenues of communication with them.
For example, if you are marketing a bar, look to see how many people are using a social network to organise events at your bar. Find a way of rewarding those who are bringing you extra customers.
Social networks are also an avenue for members to voice frustrations and annoyances, and these should be closely watched by marketers to gauge sentiment.
