List of the most popular Social Networks

http://www.myspace.com 

192 million subscribers

Used to be for teenagers but the average age of the MySpace is steadily increasing.  Businesses are finding great success using MySpace.

http://www.linkedin.com

The LinkedIn blog is an excellent place to see what LinkedIn is all about. http://blog.linkedin.com .

Here is part of an AP article about Social Networking in general and LinkedIn in particular.

“An increasing number of professionals are tapping into a new breed of networking Web sites to do more than just boast about how many 'friends' they have. Millions of users each day are using the Internet to compare investment techniques, correspond with job recruiters and find help in launching a business. Now, sites are also being designed specifically with professionals in mind. LinkedIn, a business-contact networking site, has seen its ranks swell to 12 million in just four years.”   (by JOE BEL BRUNO, AP Business Writer)

SelfGrowth.com

This site just recently started an "expert directory" where you can list your profile, articles, web sites, even products. I think their format is classy and easily navigated. The site has high traffic and a Google page rank of 6 (which is very, very good). A great place to get listed and found. You can also advertise your events here.

http://www.ning.com

Ning takes Social Networking to a new level by providing the ability to create your own Social Network.  Find out a lot about Nin at the Ning Blog, http://blog.ning.com

Visit – look at the home page to see what this sn is all about.  Search the network using words that represent your interest.

You can even start your own Ning group!

http://www.gather.com

There's lots going on at Gather! You can post articles, join groups, find people, respond to other people, start your own discussion and/or group.

Classmates.com was the first Social Network, created in 1995 and currently boasting 40 million subscribers.  You can find huge Social Networking sites on just about any topic.  Here are a few:

CarDomain for car enthusiasts – 1.6 million subscribers.

Reunion.com – for locating friends and family – 2.8 million subscribers

Flickr.com – photo sharing – 4 million subscribers.

Facebook.com – the new site for teens – 34 million subscribers

For a complete list of Social Networking sites, visit Wikipedia.

Some tips for Social Networking success:

1.       Pick a network, based on your purpose.

2.       Join a group you find appealing.

3.      Set up your profile page.

4.      Get to know people.  Invite them to be your friend. Comment on their pages (include link to your page and/or site).

5.      Join another group.  Get to know people there.

6.      Launch your own group. 

7.      Invite friends from groups you belong to. 

8.      Before long, you will have your own online community! Post to them regularly and see what a difference it makes in terms of traffic to your site and even more business.