Social Networking for business can be extremely valuable for growing your career opportunities. Unlike general networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, there are a number of smaller networks that focus on professionals and businesses. These sites can be an excellent place to gain some exposure and to communicate with other entrepreneurs. Here is a quick look at 10 networking sites that should be considered by entrepreneurs.
LinkedIn has quickly become the leading social network that specializes in professionals. Many users have their resume posted on their profile and a growing number of employers are using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool. Entrepreneurs who are not looking for jobs can still use LinkedIn as a great resource for meeting other professionals and gaining some exposure for their own work.
PartnerUp
PartnerUp is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs find joint venture partners, co-founders, executives, and board members. You can either post your opportunity or search the listings placed by other entrepreneurs. There are networking capabilities through forums and an Ask a Question feature.
Konnects
Konnects focuses on professional networking by giving each member their own profile page. You can join communities, get to know other members, and just generally network with other like-minded professionals.
Ryze
Ryze has been around for a while but isn’t as well known as some other networking sites. On Ryze you’ll get your own profile page that can be customized, you can add friends, leave messages for others, and join groups.
Biznik
Biznik’s tagline is “Business networking that doesn’t suck.” Their approach is aimed more at entrepreneurs and business owners than employees looking for a job. There are a number of different communities for major cities in the U.S.
Cofoundr
Cofoundr is a private community for entrepreneurs. It obviously intends to help members find co-founders, as well as to build teams and network with other entrepreneurs.
StartupNation
StartupNation is a community site for entrepreneurs that includes networking aspects. The forums are very active with a wide range of topics being discussed. StartupNation also includes a number of articles relevant to entrepreneurs.
Upspring
Upspring aims to provide businesses with an opportunity to increase exposure and attract more customers. Members can register for free to get a profile page, join groups, and network with others. There are also premium options for a monthly fee.
Fast Pitch
Fast Pitch claims to be the fastest growing social network for professionals. You can set up your own profile page and network with other professionals.
Xing has a large and active community of professionals. You can network in many of the same ways as you can with the other sites listed here.
…As always, my advice for approaching social media is simple:(1) do it, (2) do it with networks that are relevant to your business, (3) don’t spread yourself too thin.
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