Social Networking Websites – The Small and the Large

 

What are Social Networking Websites?

By now you probably have an idea of what social networking websites are and what they can do for you. Just in case you are not familiar these are sites that allow the user to connect with friends, share pictures, update their profile, and basically have a social interaction online. Some of the bigger choices include Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Google+.

These are local hangouts on the internet that can allow the user to do many things like play games, chat with friends, or just see what other people are up to. They are quickly becoming a great way to market to a targeted group of consumers and build up new clientele. Businesses can put up their own page or profile on most of these sites and start gaining followers or fans.

Some of the Smaller Social Networking Websites

1. Care2

Even though Care2 has 14 million users it is not nearly as large as Facebook or the other major players. It also has not been in a hurry to grow and has been around much longer than most of the others. Care2 was started in 1998 and is known as a site that does not put their own profits first. It is mainly for activist and allows individuals to connect, share ideas, and combine their energies to help influence social change.

2. Stickam

Stickam is more of a media sharing site and you may have even used it without realizing it. They focus most on streaming videos and since this type of service in in high demand they are growing much faster than many other social networking websites. This is a high priority for those looking to advertise their business.

3. CafeMom

Since this is more of a niche site it is a bit different than the major players. CafeMom is all about giving moms a way to share with other moms. It is a great site for gaining advice for many different things. Since it is a niche type of site it may not fit for every advertiser, but those targeting moms can find new customer here.

The Large and Powerful Social Networking Websites

You may be able to use the smaller sites to gain exposure for your company and this may work out great, but don’t forget about the big sites. These are very powerful and one of the major reasons advertisers are turning to Facebook, Twitter, and mainly Google+ is the demographic options they have.

When a user first opens an account they are going to tell the site where they live, how old they are, and most likely some of the things they like. This means you can target your advertising specifically to those that have already said they like what you have. You don’t have to just advertise to the masses and instead you can target by age, location, and even hobbies.

Using these types of sites can help you gain more customers and actually make more money. There are literally dozens of good choices for your advertising dollars and it has become highly recommended to look into using social networking websites for building your online business.


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