Choosing the Right Social Website for Your Business

For modern businesses communication is key. The ability to reach customers, business partners and employees is crucial in todays marketplace. It is no longer enough to post a few advertisements, the future of communication is social websites. Sites like Facebook, Del.icio.us and Wiki all have different uses but they are all a part of a good online presence. By picking the right social sites, businesses can do everything from growing their brand to boosting sales. That makes the selection of social sites very important. The first step in choosing which sites to become a part of is identifying each sites purpose. With so many sites to choose from, that may sound impossible but there are a few tricks. Most social sites fall into one of six categories, social media, social bookmarking, professional networking, niche social media, general social media and job sites.

The first of these is social media. These sites include Youtube, Reddit, Digg and WikiHow. They allow you to post videos, articles and tutorials that can be viewed and commented on by anyone. This gives companies the ability to speak directly with their target audience and gain feedback. Businesses who take advantage of these sites can use them for free advertising and marketing as well as driving more traffic to their sites. Once a business has established itself using social media sites it can take the next step to social bookmarking.

This means joining sites like Delicious, Furl and Tubearoo. Each of these sites allows users to bookmark websites they like. Then they can view what other users have bookmarked. This connects businesses to a vast network of users. The end result is that social bookmarkers create thousands of links back to a companies website. This boosts site traffic and helps build a companies brand and name recognition.


The next step for businesses is joining professional networking sites. Places like Facebook, Linkedin and Tribe are a great place to start. These are all perfect for advertising and building a loyal following. For instance, Facebook allows companies to create a page with company news, pictures and promotions. More importantly, each site gives businesses access to consumers and potential employees. In essence, professional networking sites allow companies to find who they want, when they want.

While professional networking sites provide access to vast numbers of people, companies can also target their consumers using niche social media sites like pixel Groovy, Tweako and Small Business Brief. All of these sites provide a place for business professionals and enthusiasts to network, share information and form new contacts. These sites bring everyone interested in a business together in one place. While companies are busy with professional networking, they should also be reaching out to a broader consumer market using general social media sites.


These sites include Wikipedia, 43 Things, Twitter and Yahoo Answers. Each of these sites allows companies to share information about their companies to consumers and other professionals. This can be an article about a business on Wikipedia, a list of company goals on 43 things or status updates on Twitter. These sites provide potential customers with information about a company and its products. It also gives the business a sense of openness and legitimacy.

Finally, there are job sites like CareerBuilder.com, Monster and Yahoo Hot Jobs. The benefits of using these sites are obvious. Maintaining a presence on these sites will insure companies can land the most talented employees.

While all this may sound a bit complicated, social websites are fast becoming a permanent part of the successful business. By taking advantage of these websites early, companies can grow their brand, their business and their bottom line. These sites reach more people than any television station or newspaper and they are just waiting to work for you.


Written By: Brad Girtz - Mindshift Media Blogger
Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin, Creative Director - Mindshift Media