Social Networking for Business 2011 – 2012: What are the Pros and Cons?

Many people use social networking sites, such as Facebook; therefore, this is a good way to reach the public about a service that a business is offering. Social networking sites are websites where people have a common interest or where people join a website to find people with a common interest or are from the same geographical area.

Companies can use these social networking sites to target their customers or to try to improve their sales. Many companies start to stagnate and need a new way to reach out to customers, and social networking for business in 2011 is how this can be achieved. There are an estimated 131 million Facebook users, so a business can easily find a target group in a social network group with so many versatile members.

Social Networking for Business 2011

There are many different websites and tools that can be used for social networking for business in 2011, and create an advantage for businesses.

• If a business has a web presence, the more likely that somebody surfing the web is going to find that business. Additionally, with social networking, many of the websites are free, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
• With different social networking sites, a company can set up a business page or a group page for free to help promote the company.
• Social networking for business in 2011 also allows a business to find their target consumer or to promote their product. For example, if a company specializes in baby products it would be easy to network with parents on Facebook or to reach them by a blog. More and more people are getting to where they “window shop” or buy their products off of the Internet; however, they do searches before they buy.

Pros of the Social Networks to Businesses

The social networking for business has both pros and cons; however, the pros outweigh the cons. The pros of social networking are as follows:

• A business can make other business connections that could lead to a partnership.
• Social networks will promote the product and the business.
• Social networking is a much easier way to stay in touch with clients because many clients use such social networks as Twitter or Facebook.
• Social networking is cheaper than advertising and reaches more people because more people are spending time on the Internet.

Cons of Social Networking

• Even though social networking is cheaper than regular advertising, social networking does take time to develop. It takes time to set up your network pages, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and then it takes time to network.
• If something negative happens within the business, it spreads very quickly through social networks.
• Some people prefer the old way of doing business and do not like to adapt to the new methods because they say it is impersonal.
• If a person is using social networking to promote his business, he needs to remember that his life and business is exposed to the public.