Have you heard of the latest business social networking trends? We’re not referring to those meet-and-greet after work coffee hours either. We’re referring to the same social networking trends that high school teenagers and college twenty-something’s have been using and a few other B2B networks.
Social networking trends are changing as businesses jump on this inexpensive marketing bandwagon. According to eMarketer, advertisers will spend in excess of $40 million on online social networks to reach business audiences. That number could more than quadruple in the next four years. What do these social networking trends tell us? It’s time to join more than one social network for businesses to attract different audiences.
The most popular social network for all users is Facebook, although it doesn’t consider itself to be a business to business (B2B) social network, it has captured the attention of more small businesses around the country with its new Visa Business Network. Social networking trends tend to change with what more audiences want, and they want to attract more people to their business.
LinkedIn, the more popular professional social network, has more than doubled in one year and has opened the arena to even more B2B social networking trends. FastPitch Networking, Digg, Vois, del.icio.us, Squidoo, and Plaxo have all made their presence known to many businesses, large and small, to connect to others and offer social networking trends, tips and answer questions on a variety of topics.
Experts also suggest that businesses only keep 3 to 5 active social networks, which also follow social networking trends to attract the most active users at any given time. Although employers and employees don’t need to keep the same active networks, it’s a good idea to diversify and belong to different social networks to maximize your advertising potential.
Social networking trends are constantly changing to attract business across the globe and consumers who are using these social online networks to not only connect, but also conduct business.