Audi Kowalski asked:


The brave, new online world offers many ways to reconnect with friends and make new ones with social networking sites. Sites like MySpace and Facebook continue to skyrocket in popularity, and many newer sites are just under the radar.

In the past, dating has long been limited to who you could meet at school, work, or through friends. Online profiles offer pictures, personal information, and user-posted blogs, so site browsers can seek out ideal candidates for dating based on both their looks and their personality. Messaging, comments and other site-based interactions give people a chance to get to know each other online before meeting in the real world.

Photos give users a chance to share their new styles as well as pictures of their friends and big life events with everyone in their online social circle. The user’s friends can then make picture comments, feeding an ever-increasing appetite for attention among young users. Some sites allow users to make their profiles or pictures private, so only other members on their friend list can view them. This is often automatically enforced for members under 18 years old for their protection.

Video sharing is also available. Members can post funny or entertaining videos they have taken themselves, or even videos they find elsewhere on the web, to amuse their friends.

Blogging is the new megaphone for those with something to say. Personal experiences, gripes, commentary, or creative writing can be showcased on a member’s profile. Other users comment on the entries and subscribe to their friends’ blogs, allowing them to be notified when the friend posts a new blog.

Bored at school or work? Many sites offer quizzes and surveys to pass the time. Take the surveys and pass them onto friends to share personal trivia. Some sites post popular quizzes every day.

When members list their interests on their profile, it is inevitable music will show up 9 times out of ten. Music labels work with bands and artists on social networking sites to expand marketing. Bands can post new music, videos, and let their fans know when they will be touring.

Most social networking sites on the internet have all these same basic offerings. So what makes one more popular than another? Different sites have caught fire around the world at different times, and it seems that the main influence is social mobilization. Are your friends doing it?

Some new sites like SocialSplash are now offering incentives and free gifts to get new recruits. This is one way to pull members from the major sites where the bigger social networking atmospheres are too crowded. With smaller sites, members feel that the network is more personalized and less overpopulated.

More specialty sites are being created than ever before, aiming at both younger and older audiences. As more social networking sites continue to appear, it will be interesting to see how the change the nature of everyday communication. Will Myspace replace the phone? Probably not. But with technology serving a much bigger role in society than ever before, social networking sites are sure to be a big part of twenty-first century life.

Joan Finholt asked:


Social networking seems to be the new catch phrase for many internet marketers. Yet it leaves many busy business owners wondering if it is worth all the hype. Social networking takes time, time that many business owners just don’t feel they have.

So is Social Networking worth the hype?

Yes…and no. It largely depends on how it is approached. Social networking is the process of joining professional and social networking sites for the specific purpose of creating business and ultimately profits.

Social networking can result in:

- Powerful business partnerships – Customer relationships – Added value and benefit to the community – Improved credibility and expert status – Brand awareness – Increased reach and exposure – Gained knowledge and education

Social networking is a very powerful tool and it can result in tremendous profits however if approached with the sole purpose of generating profits, efforts may fall short. Here are a few guidelines to get the most from social networking:

1. Where to join? One mistake many business owners make is to join too many groups. To get real value from a forum, membership site, or chat room you have to have the time to contribute on a regular basis. Belonging to 10 social networking sites is great if you have the time to contribute to them every week, however it is recommended to start small. Dip your toe in so to speak. Join one or two groups that provide the most value at the time. As your business grows and your schedule allows, add more groups to your list.

2. Join groups that are specific to your industry. There is a forum or membership on just about every topic under the sun. Fitness, pet training, recycling, hiring, cleaning, software, coffee drinking, etc the list goes on and on. Additionally, there are professional forums and social networking sites that can provide tremendous value. LinkedIn is one of the growing professional networking sites, and WarriorForum is a very popular forum among internet marketers.

3. To find groups to research simply type your industry and the word forum or membership site into your search engine of choice and see what comes up. For example, “surfing” + “Forum” generated 579,000 results on Google. That’s a lot of surfing forums!

4. How often to contribute? In order to make your presence noted and to have any kind of effect on a networking site, business professionals have to make regular contributions to the site. Otherwise membership is nothing more than a business card stuffed in a pocket. No one will know you’re there.

So what is a regular contribution? Weekly visits to a membership site or networking site are a minimum requirement. Many networkers schedule social networking into their calendar. For example, on Wednesday nights they schedule two hours to visit their forums and social networking sites they belong to.

How to promote subtly:

1. When evaluating membership sites, forums and networking sites it is important to make sure a personalized signature is part of joining. Your signature is the one resource that fellow members have to find you online. Most sites do not allow blatant self promotion so that means a signature can be key. Be sure to include a link to your website and a quick USP that states what you do.

2. Two tools to help. Because forums and membership sites can contain thousands of posts, it takes a lot of time to read through posts and decide which are appropriate to respond to and which are not. http://www.botsurfer.com/ is a tool that can scan forums for you based on preset criteria and cut your social networking time in half.

3. Adding a social networking feature to your business website. A great way to get involved in social networking is to create your own forum right on your company’s website. Snitz forums, http://forum.snitz.com/, offers free ASP based forum software. It’s a solid product that’s been around for more than 10 years.

Hybrid Nova asked:


Hybrid Nova Inc, announces that its flagship networking site, Zigime.com, has completed it’s beta phase and is now live. Zigime.com is the hot new division of Hybrid Nova that is the ultimate place for social networking. Zigime.com is the premier destination on the internet for the business community. The site offers a unique combination of business networking and social networking through a variety of platforms such as industry communications, business branding, employment opportunities, social events, business advertising/service bartering, and even the capability to manage small to medium size businesses from the site.

Zigime.com has already had success in its first few weeks. Our investors are pleased with the site and over-all functionality. Users are discovering that the possibilities are endless for increasing business and visibility for all who visit and use the site to its full potential. From a business standpoint, communication and collaboration are maximized to a level not possible in the past, and from a social standpoint, users are able to be informed about key events/functions taking place within their community or business segment.

The portfolio of products Zigime.com has to offer is the best business and social combination on the market. Through the site’s proprietary software, Zigime.com provides a secure environment for social and business networking offering password-protected areas of the site while still having full functionally of all sections. Zigime.com is the ultimate place for business and social networking with real results.

About Hybrid Nova:

Hybrid Nova is a company that specializes in providing social networking, business networking, entertainment, and services in a concerted effort to capitalize on the huge growth this industry has, and continues to experience. We provide many excellent affordable and free services that are presented in an exciting environment for young professionals of all ages. On the forefront, it is Hybrid Nova’s dedication to the rapidly growing industry of online business networking that will propel us into a premier position as an industry leader. Whether it’s branding your business, seeking a new job or new employer, bartering services goods, organizing your office with the latest technology available, or simply making new friends and business contacts on the international level, Hybrid Nova has all the tools and user friendly functionally necessary for the needs of almost any business or individual.

Resource: http://www.zigime.com

Colin Meunier asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Colin Meunier

Social networking is the new buzzword on the Internet. It is a new, exciting and simple way of connecting with friends and people, whether for friendship or even for commercial reasons. There are different websites that offer social networking, and these websites have their own bouquet of features.

Some websites have the user create their account and create their complete profile. They allow the user to upload their image galleries and even videos. Depending on the completion of the profile, they can then be searched by others, and a proper network can be created. A user’s network is completely controlled by the user, and they can decide who they wish to add on their network and who not. Some social networking websites have a special feature where anyone can post a personal message to the user, which can be read by anyone, until the user decides to delete the message.

Apart from these basic features, some social networking websites have advanced features. For example, they allow the users to play small Flash games. These social networking websites also have other features which are popular amongst most social networking website users.

Advantages of Social Networking Websites:

Social networking websites are a very good option for people who do not have much time in their real time for socializing. They also actually allow users to reconnect with any of their long lost friends.

Social networking is by large a very harmless way to meet new people and connect with them. With the help of the profiles, you can know much more about a person than one would require for a first meet. And who knows, once two people meet, anything can happen!

Social networking websites are useful for professional reasons as well as personal reasons. Many professionals use social networking websites to forward their professional careers. Some professionals also meet people in their same professions and connect with them. This not only gives more information of the professional, it also creates a common knowledge base for the said profession.

Social networking websites can also be used for marketing of a particular product or a service. Almost all social networking websites are free to join, and the number of people on a social networking websites are just too much to be ignored by a marketing professional.

Disadvantages of Social Networking Websites

Social Networking Websites, to be very frank, have little or no disadvantages. The use and misuse of a social networking website is all depending on the user. However, there are some precautions to be taken when signing up for a social networking website, and this is where Social Networking Websites falter.

For example, one of the first rules of online life is to give as minimum personal information as possible. But at a Social Networking Website, the user would have to fill an entire profile to make the networking fundamental actually work for the user.

Social networking websites are also known to be misused by advertisers. The free signup and the feature to connect and contact with anyone has made open a entire people to receive unwanted advertisements and other content.

However, social networking websites depends on the user. It is all up to the user, whether they can make their experience a good one or a bad one.

Jonathan Mac asked:


The concept of social networking is used in many ways today. Some consider it as total fun while others consider them precious to get into some serious relationships. Social networking is actively used for business promotion too. Whatever the use may be, Social networking websites have become a must have for every grown up human being.

The Social Networking Concept

There are thousands of Social Networking websites that are available today. However, not all of them serve the same purpose. Some of those websites are dedicated to business networking and some others entirely for school and college buddies to stay in touch. Though social networking websites differ in their mode of usage, all of them have the same concept – “active communication”. Let it be a social networking website for dating, or a social network of professional businessmen, all these websites enable people to find more contacts and also to re-kindle old relationships.

The ease of use

Almost all the social networking websites follow the same procedures. After making a free registration, you will be able to put up your own social networking profile. The profile page is the one that makes the first impression. The profile page must be the best and unique to make it highlight in the social media crowd. Social networking websites like myspace enable the users to use custom designed profile pages. There are many professional social networking web designers who can create stunning profile pages for myspace. You can also get professional help from them for setting up unique profiles.

Once the profile page is setup, it’s time to gather friends. Getting friends in a social networking website is real fun and easy. You can search for new friends wherever you wish and also connect to your old friends and rekindle the relationships. Businessmen can find more people of the same interest and share ideas and thoughts. The social networking websites are the excellent platforms for business promotion.

Creating your own social networking websites

With the increasing popularity of social networking, many professional web designers are now designing social networking websites for personal and business purposes. You can create professional social networking websites like myspace and facebook with the help of these social networking web designers. As the saying goes, “Make new friends and keep the old”, creating your own social networking website will make it easy to find your old friends. In general, social networking sites are a great way to meet new people, make friends, and connect with people from your past. You can build relationships, build a reputation, or build a business with these social networking websites.

If you are not into the world of Social Networking yet, you are missing a great part of your joyful life and successful business promotion.

Andri Irawan asked:


Social networking. We have all likely heard of it before, but not everyone knows what it means? If you were asked to define what social networking was, would you be able to give an accurate definition? Unfortunately, most individuals cannot, even though it is likely that they participate in some form of social networking, especially online.

Social networking is defined as the grouping of individuals together into to specific groups, often like a small community or a neighborhood. Although social networking is possible in person, especially in schools or in the workplace, it is most popular online. This is because unlike most high schools, colleges, or workplaces, the Internet is filled with millions, if not more, of individuals who are looking to meet other Internet users and develop friendships. 

When it comes to social networking online, websites are used. These websites are known as social networking websites. Social networking websites are, in a way, like an online community of Internet users. Depending on the social networking website in question, many of these online community members share a common bond, whether that bond be hobbies, religion, or politics. Once you are granted access to a social networking website you can begin to socialize. This socialization may include reading the profiles or profile pages of other members or even contacting them.

The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity. Unlike in most schools or workplaces, the Internet gives individuals, from all around the world, access to social networking sties. This means that although you are in the United States, you could develop an online friendship with someone in Japan. Not only will you make a new friend, you but may also learn a thing or two about a new culture.

As previously mentioned, social networking often involves grouping specific individuals or organizations together. While there are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular Internets, there are others that do not. These websites are often deemed traditional social networking websites. These types of websites typically have an open membership. This means that anyone can become a member, no matter what their hobbies, beliefs, or views are. However, once you are inside this online community, you can begin to create your own network of friends; thus eliminating others that do not meet your criteria.

If networking on the Internet sounds like something you would be interested in, you are encouraged to learn more about it, such as the dangers of social networking. These dangers often involve online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists with networking out in the real world. As when you are meeting friends at a bar, school, or work, you are advised to proceed with caution online. By being aware of your surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able safely enjoying social networking online.

Once you have learned everything that you feel you need to learn, about social networking online, you can begin to search for networking communities to join.

This can easily be done by performing a standard Internet search. Your search will likely return a number of results, including MySpace, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Facebook, Orkut, Friendster, and Classmates.

Tony Colon asked:


Today’s online social networkers want to have instant, 24×7 access to their social network and the information they need, but are not interested in being tied to a wired Internet connection. To get the most out of your social networking experience, members must have anytime, anywhere access to people in their network. Development of mobile applications that work on all combinations of carriers, platforms and mobile device models would make life a lot easier for the avid social networker.

What is needed is an online social networking provider of aggregation, connectedness, and collaboration technology for an individual’s social network. Mobile technology needs to be built on the new WAP 2.0 standards, designed to enable mobile users of social networking sites to access real-time data on their thriving networks through a variety of wireless devices.

A network connectedness & collaboration solution is for people who want to aggregate all the relationship capital they’ve built up from social networking sites for fast & easy sharing within their very own private network. It needs to be a highly safe and secure relationship capital management platform that can privately separate a user’s professional/business profile from their personal/”here I am being cool…” profile. This suite of networking connectedness applications would allows users to collaborate by sharing calendars, contacts, files, and more.

WAP 2.0 connects cellular phone, PDA, and other mobile users with email, contacts, calendar, and task data in their social networking accounts – on a Treo, Nokia or almost any other SmartPhone or Pocket PC. Users can connect their network(s) using their mobile phone, or using a PDA with WiFi or modem connection.

This technological advance provides a colorful and graphic-rich interface that is available on WAP 2.0 compatible cellular phones, PocketPC devices, PalmOS-based devices, as well as other mobile devices.

Also, an extra benefit would be real-time connection between their account and Outlook on the desktop. This connection would ensure, whether a user is accessing their email, contacts, calendar and tasks via Outlook, remotely with a web client, or on a mobile device, that their information is always accessible. It must provide users with virus and spam-free email, shared calendars, contacts and files, tasks, instant messaging, and more.

Email and calendaring solutions help to aggregate and manage one’s own private network. These web-based tools make managing busy schedules easy, and allow users to instantly schedule meetings with colleagues across their social networks enabling users to automatically send meeting requests and changes to participants. Ideally, it would support the iCal industry standard, which enables social networking site users to coordinate their schedules with users of other iCal-compliant calendaring software.

To be useful, products & services for mobile social networking communication must be compatible with any social networking niche such as: Friend Networking, Business Networking, Common Interest Networking, Dating Networking, Pet Networking, Face-To-Face Meeting Facilitation, Sharing Emphasis, Campus, and every other niche site in between.

Be forewarned that a lot of mobile social networking sites offer their services for free in exchange for you seeing all their ads and for target marketing. Be sure you get a commitment from a provider that along with a best-in-class service, you’ll also never see banner, text or other advertisements within the application.

Services must be provided through a Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model, which gives users desktop-like speed and performance from any computer with Internet access or any mobile device, without having to install software programs. Since it would be delivering its service offerings over the Internet, users would likely be willing to pay only a small monthly fee for on-demand use of the software especially taking into account its ad free.

To recap, a Mobile Social Networking aggregation solution specializes in helping individuals and organizations to aggregate the relationship capital built from any social networking site such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, LinkedIn, Bebo plus all others including Mobile Social Networking sites. The software enables you to manage, deliver and track social networking activities for fast & easy sharing of video, audio, photos, files, and more in a safe, secure, and private online space.