We get a lot of questions about how or why you should use social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace to promote your website or business. And some people just don’t recognize yet the potential there is in using sites like these as a marketing tool. Here are some quick tips on what you should be doing, and why.

The first thing to realize is that having an account on these sites isn’t just for getting in touch with old or current friends. Having personal accounts is fine, but set up accounts on the various sites that are strictly for your business.

This is an opportunity for you to set up a free profile in multiple directories that are searched and navigated by thousands upon thousands of people a day. And each social networking site has its own search features and ways of finding or suggesting things or pages of interest to the user. By setting up pages on these sites, you are exposing your business to potentially millions of people that may not otherwise ever find you.

Setting up profiles on social networking sites also provides you with ever important backlinks to your website, from sites with typically very high PRs (Facebook currently has PR of 9 and MySpace has a PR of 8). This can help both your search engine rankings, and your PR.  Things that don’t go hand in hand, contrary to what many people believe.

So, the answer to the question, “why should I use social networking sites to promote my business?” is simple: Free advertising in directories with potential exposure to millions of people around the world, better search engine rankings, and higher PR.  Make sense?  Let us know if you have any questions.

Never Stop Improving!

Tags: Backlinks, Search Engine Rankings, Social Networking, Website