Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to DevelopYour Business Online

Chapter 20. Five Starter Moves: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter

Companies are wondering how social networks will work for them and whether they should engage on those fronts. They've been told they should be doing it. They just aren't sure why or how. On one hand, some companies are thinking of these social networks as different channels for the same methods they have been trying in traditional marketing. On the other hand, some are just wondering how to get involved, which platforms will do what for them, and where to start. Here are some thoughts.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a fairly safe place to start for a business. It's targeted toward business professionals and is built mostly to be an online profile repository and a reputation management system. But it can be used for more.

LinkedIn is a great way to recruit into your business insofar as how your people write about themselves in their profiles. If your organization is on there, and people's profiles all seem to say good things about the organization, that's another way that folks can form an impression and interact with your company.

It's also a way to share knowledge and give an impression of your abilities. You can answer questions on LinkedIn. Sometimes this becomes an exercise in branding that can bode nicely for your company.

Facebook

I personally have mixed feelings about Facebook. At the least, it's a place where you as an individual can build a profile and have another touch point to the Web and to the potential of meeting new ...