Social networking

[justin_time]

I got this Business Developement Bank of Canada Profits magazine and here are the facts about Social networking


28 Millions of Canadians online
More than 600,000 estimated number of small businesses in the U.S. and Canada that will be using social media such as Facebook and Twitter by then end of 2009. Number in 2008; 260,000
Facebook (87%) Myspace (33%) Twitter (13%) Dominant social networks among Canadians who have tried social media
56% percentage of online Canadians who have a profile on an online social network
Responding to customer questions. Most popular social media activity of small businesses in North America
250 million current Facebook membership worldwide
7% percentage of Canadian business leaders who see social media tools as a fad
89% of Canadians businesspeople who feel such tools create the perception of a forward-looking company
70% of Canadian business leaders who say it would be a mistake to cut back on social and digital media spending in tough economic times

[Steve]

Justin,

When I think of social network sites like myspace, facebook etc, I think there is a place for them. I think a lot of great good can come from them.

What I wonder is, have we all gotten away from making our own sites a social networking site? Should our business websites be platforms to socially network with our customers or no?

What is the benefit to using these other sites vs our own? Are we driving traffic away from out site?

[justin_time]

Justin,

When I think of social network sites like myspace, facebook etc, I think there is a place for them. I think a lot of great good can come from them.

What I wonder is, have we all gotten away from making our own sites a social networking site? Should our business websites be platforms to socially network with our customers or no?

What is the benefit to using these other sites vs our own? Are we driving traffic away from out site?

The benefit of using social sites I think it's the fact that nothing is static. You can update your status and it will let your customers keep up to date on what's going on with your business. I feel "updated" when i update my status when i'm broken down or whatever on my page.

I think the future of having our own website will become social sites.

That's my 2 cents

[Steve]

For the other readers that might be on the fence about this issue, can you tell us a little how you feel doing things like updated your social network sites has helped?