Business networking web sites are mushrooming all over the place it seems as enterprise finally attempts to catch up with the MySpace and Bebo generation. But are these Facebooks for business sites just a short-lived gimmick? Or could they be a genuine, new channel to drum up business?
The answer to the first question has to be no. Business networking sites are one manifestation of the web integrating itself into enterprise and a fulfilment of the many predictions of how companies would interact when the internet fully matured.
As for the second question, the answer at present is a qualified yes. The reason for this is that business networking sites are business to business, rather than business to consumer.
Depending on your industry type and market position, some businesses will benefit more than others. Bear in mind that even though other members of a business networking site may not be your end customer, they’re likely to be movers and shakers, handy people to ‘know’ all the same as they will have responsibility for signing off cheques, setting up deals or being in charge of sub-contracting.
Naturally enough, getting involved with a business networking site takes some time and effort. Firstly, do your homework to ensure you are joining the site that most closely identifies with your business sector and has a locus in the UK. There’s normally little point in joining a site that’s US-centric or one that does not have a strong representation from your business field. To get you going, try entering in a search engine, “Business networking sites” + your industry.
Business networking sites are no magic bullet to boost trade. Like everything in business, you only get out what you put in. What you are doing is cultivating contacts and creating a shop front for yourself, and all that takes time and energy. And don’t forget the search engine benefits of an in-bound hyperlink from your profile to the company web site.
After fixing on the most suitable business networking site to join, the next commitment is in creating a personal profile. These can be quite long-winded affairs but once the job’s done, there’s only fine tuning and maintenance to worry about after that. As well as the standard details of who you are, what you do and your interests, sites offer members the opportunity to upload supplementary files such as PDFs, video promos, podcasts, CVs and other marketing and promotional collateral.
The level of functionality is usually tied to the type of subscription you sign up for. Almost all sites offer enhanced listings and other incentives if members upgrade from the basic free entry registration. Most small to micro-sized enterprises, one would imagine, sign up initially for the basic package and see how it goes thereafter before deciding on a fee-incurring upgrade.
But central to all of the business networking sites on offer is the networking element whereby members can accumulate ‘friend’ businesses that are happy to recommend or endorse them in some way by dint of having worked together in the past. This is another good reason to do your homework and spend time perfecting your profile. Who wants to be a Johnny no mates?
In a way, then, companies ought to be researching the business networking memberships of companies they could ask for a thumbs-up. And there’s no shortage of sites to consider registering with. Here are a few of the more prominent ones to take a look at.
LinkedIn - The world’s largest online professional network with 14 million members. LinkedIn is an “online service offered to enable professionals [to] find and connect with other professionals more effectively.”
Ecademy.com - Founded in 1998, ecademy enables “business people to connect through online networking, at business networking events and through business networking groups.” More UK-oriented than LinkedIn, but with a much smaller membership.
Viadeo.com - Viadeo claims over three million members worldwide and 7,000 new members joining every day. Members use Viadeo to “find clients, suppliers, business partners, jobs and employees from all over the world online.”
BT Tradespace - An attractive-looking hybrid search engine/business directory/business network. BT describes it as “an online community that brings small businesses and individual sellers together with potential customers to do business.” Easy to use and basic listings are free.
The Virtual Handshake - directory of business networking sites.
