Business networking software is fast becoming one of the most popular trends in marketing. By signing on with a business networking software vendor, you can create your own networking website and mange the tome of the conversations and information that gets passed along through the site. Employees can participate in the business networking software web site as part of their regular duties while keeping up-to-date with their technology skills.

With your own networking site, you can develop a business networking software list that you can turn into sales while providing a service to the business community that joins in on your business networking software website. You can find free and low-cost business networking software or pay top dollar for a consultant to upload your business networking software web site. Use business networking software in a variety of ways.

1. Require employees to participate in your business networking software website

2. Hire a business networking software vendor

3. Collect information from your business networking software list

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Involve employees in a business networking software web site

Turn socializing into a business opportunity through a business networking software website. Some of the most effective sales techniques can be applied to friends and others who trust you through social referrals. You can make the networking phenomena a part of your corporate culture by encouraging employees to utilize online blogs and business sites to promote your business.

I recommend: Join other developers and turn to Microsoft for relevant business networking software for your company. Build your company’s business networking software on Facebook with their online tools and ask employees to participate in your company communications.

Bring in an outside business networking software vendor

You may not want to spend a lot of time upfront investigating the available business networking software that's out there. Bring in a consultant who will take time to get to know your needs and what you are trying to achieve. You will then get recommendations from an experienced business networking software vendor which your staff can take over once it's established.

I recommend: rSitez is a business networking software vendor that can help you to build your site and offers consultation upfront before you even know what questions to ask your consultant. Onesite has a team of professional who can advise you how to use their latest technology to build your networking website.

Use the business networking software list

While anecdotal information received by your employees and the other members of the online community can be helpful to your business, hard numbers always speak louder than stories. Step up your business networking software web site levels by attaching monitoring software and measuring the types of responses your site is getting. Run ads and count clicks. The options are endless with good business networking software.

I recommend: Monitor your activity with business networking software from Watchmouse. Webscribble is another business networking software vendor that can customize your online software and increase its effectiveness.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take time to visit your business networking software website yourself to make sure it stays on track and on message.

Fear Not
So, you've been hearing a lot about "web 2.0", "blogging", and "social networking" have you? Well congratulations, you're not dead. And if these terms make you squirm, then you are definitely not alone. The truth is, web2.0 is absolutely essential for optimum business success in the 21st century. Hers's a simple overview of what you need to know about online success for your business.

Wait! Don't get ahead of yourself here. Get to know a few of the basics first - believe me, this will save you a headache or two later.

What is Web2.0?
The answer to that question could fill a book, but I'll give you the basic description from Tim O'Reilly himself (the man who first coined the term): "[In Web 2.0] the cardinal rule is this one: Users add value. Figuring out how to build databases that get better the more people use them, is actually the secret sauce of every (successful) Web 2.0 company". Web 2.0 is much more than a page on your computer screen. It's interactive, it's a conversation, it's alive.

Why is it Important to Me?
Becoming a part of the online community is important for building your internet presence and reputation. If you've signed up here at Work.com, then you're already on your way! Soon, you can progressively build traffic to your other sites and establish yourself as a leader in your field. If done right, this will become an invaluable tool for your business success.

Okay, So How Do I Start?
The internet is brimming with websites that offer you an online identity, and the choices can be overwhelming. I reccommend signing up at MyBlogLog first. It's free, and has a whole host of sites that you can go to for continuing your online development. Most of these sites offer you a personal profile with a unique web address, which you can use to advertise yourself or your services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Develop a Focus

Wandering aimlessly around the web in search of sites to become a part of is not the way to go. With so much out there, you need to find a focus. What business are you in? Real Estate? Legal Services? Builder? Auto Dealer? Whatever it is, there is a niche for it on the web. Find your niche market and go wild there!

I recommend: Search Google and other search engines with key phrases relevant to your business. This will get you headed in the right direction.

Start a Blog

A 'blog' is simply a collection of your thoughts and opinions - published on the world wide web. People blog for any number of reasons; to socialize, to share their passions, to express themselves, and to promote their business. For the purpose of this guide, let's stick to the last one.

I recommend: Practice, practice, practice. The more you blog, the easier it gets. Remember, you are writing to an audience. If your blog title is catchy, readers will be intrigued to continue. If your blog content is interesting and relevant, readers will be intrigued to finish it. And if your blog post is very good, readers may be intrigued to try your services!

Be Active

Signing up for profiles on a hundred different sites, then just sitting back, will get you nowhere. You must contribute to these sites by continually submitting blogs, comments, links, news, and other useful information. The more you do this, the fatter your online presence becomes.

I recommend: This is what Web2.0 is all about! The more you interact, the more you will get noticed. And, this part actually makes the whole thing fun!

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Research and Observe. Read others blogs on topics you want to know about. Find successful online personalities and mimick what they do. Keep aware of trends and observe how others communicate.
• •  Assuming you're like the majority of people, you probably want the most bang for the least amount of bucks - and we all know that 'time is money'. Blogging is a great (free) way to advertise yourself and your services, but it can be very time consuming. To balance your blogging efforts, you can also use free classified sites like Craigslist or OLX to advertise job ads, real estate listings, products for sale, and services. There are also popular services like ClassifiedFlyerAds.com that automatically post your ads to tons of sites for very little cost.
• •  Don't Give Up.If you start today with your online campaign, and by tomorrow aren't an overnight success, don't give up! Anything worth anything takes effort, continual contribution, and persistence.