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If you're like most savvy flooring business folks, you already use the Internet to promote your business. Maybe you have a Web site, a message board, and an e-newsletter for pushing new products and announcing special events.
But have you taken advantage of the Internet's fast-growing social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn? These Web-based communities aren't just for teenagers—they let anybody with common interests share information and ideas. And people are increasingly using the sites as a way to draw attention to their businesses, too.
"The Internet is in the middle of a seismic shift from being a place for finding information to being the social hub of people's lives," says Cat Griffin, a spokesperson for Facebook. "This shift creates new opportunities for retailers to build stronger relationships with customers."
Find New Customers
There are more than 100 social networking sites, and more are starting up every day. Some are regional or local; others specialize in specific topics and hobbies.
You should focus on social networks that serve the general public where your prospective customers can be found. The two largest such consumer networks are Facebook.com and MySpace.com.
How to get started? Sign up for your free accounts. You won't need much information beyond your name, city, birth date and e-mail address. As you'll see below, though, you'll want to add more information that will help attract customers.
Once you have your accounts, here are some good ways to get social networks to work for your business:
1) Build your customer base. Your primary goal should be to create a large personal network of participants in each social networking site; the bigger your network, the greater your business potential. You will be able to post messages to get people enthused about visiting your stores, both online and brick-and-mortar. (You do have a Web site, right?) Got a meet-and-greet planned with distributors? Looking to publicize some overstock or a new product? Need to find a part-time installer or two for a busy stretch? With a social networking account, you can send messages to your growing network of friends about all these matters.
Start by searching for your best customers, many of whom already have accounts on social networks. Send an invitation to each to become your friend inside the network. Every time someone says "yes," your personal network grows.
Then go further: On MySpace you can easily find more people who share your interests by searching with key words that describe your products and services. (Be sure to add these keywords to your own profile so people can find you when they run their own searches). Introduce yourself to these people by sending them messages. Again, ask them to become your friend inside the network. The more quality people you add to your network, the more valuable your participation becomes.
While Facebook does not allow searching for people by keywords, it does allow you to start discussions on any topic. Such discussions can result in more friends for your network. You can also search by former classmates, coworkers and individual names.
2) Create a fan page for your business. You can create a free page about your business on Facebook. Users can interact and affiliate as a fan of your business in the same way they interact with your personal profile. For more information, go to www.new.Facebook.com/FacebookPages.
3) Send news feeds. There is always something new at your company, right? Post news feeds on Facebook to let the world know. A list of your announcements will show up on your business page. (For more information, search for "news feeds" on Facebook.)
Promote Your Business Through Ads
So far everything you have done has been without charge. Now consider spending some money: Social networks offer advertising plans to attract more attention to your store. For Facebook advertising information, go to www.new.Facebook.com/ads. At MySpace, go to www.MySpace.com and click on "Advertising."
Before we leave the consumer-oriented social networks, here's a bonus tip: Don't overlook the ability of these tools to heighten your current business relationships. "Facebook and MySpace are great for reaching your business contacts on a more personal level," says Kathleen Taylor, author of How to Succeed in Business Using LinkedIn. "For example, one time on Facebook I saw that a certain individual with whom I would love to do business was celebrating his birthday. I e-mailed him a 'Happy Birthday.' It's a nice way to get connected."
Find Businesspeople
So far we've covered the consumer-oriented social networks. But don't overlook their less-publicized cousin, LinkedIn.com, composed of business and professional people. You can build your network here by searching for names just as you did with Facebook and MySpace. And you can also search by keyword.
Your fellow LinkedIn members can help you solve business problems. "Suppose you are considering doing business with a certain supplier," says Krista Canfield, public relations manager at LinkedIn. "How do you know if that person's someone you can trust? Find out by searching for that individual's contacts. Then ask those people for feedback."
Or maybe you have need of a certain service—such as a store decorator—but have no prospective names. "Send a message to everyone in your network asking for referrals," Canfield suggests.
The quality of the responses is very good, Canfield says. "People tend to be very detailed because their résumés are attached to what they are saying. And we've found that some 93 percent of such questions get answered in eight or nine hours." You can also mark a question private and just send it to however many contacts you want.
You will find more uses for these tools once you get started. "We have actually had companies get acquired using LinkedIn," Canfield says. "They knew their organizations would make a good fit with another, so they did a search on our service to find the right partner."
Mind Your Manners
Social networks of all kinds provide opportunities for growing your customer base and extending your professional contacts. But spend a little time studying the guidelines of each service to make sure you don't break the rules concerning spam or other matters.
Always use good taste. "The biggest thing is to not forget your manners," Canfield says. "Very often people online don't remember to use the same rules of etiquette as they do in person." Put yourself in the other person's shoes, Canfield suggests. "Before you send an e-mail, think how you would respond to that e-mail yourself."
Getting involved in social networks now will pay rich dividends in the future. "Young people are communicating online more and more," Taylor says. "As the social networks get more popular, they will become as valuable to your work as the telephone in your office."
Leading Sites for Social Networking
Facebook (www.Facebook.com). Facebook has more than 60 million active users in 15 countries.
MySpace (www.MySpace.com). About one in four Americans is on this network that has a presence in 20 countries.
LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com). The average user here is 41 years old with a $110,000 income.