Facebook brings some great communications services to the business world. It seems as if communication has become very simple and that the world is a better place because of it. There are however pitfalls that people using Facebook should be aware of. It’s important for new users to know ‘what they’re getting themselves into’ right from the start and actually it doesn’t just apply to Facebook, but any website in general available to the public.

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I’ve taken notice of MyGenius.com which is a South African based business networking website. Seems pretty cool. I like the feature where you get notifications of other members visiting your profile. I also like the way (almost like LinkedIn) where you have to ‘complete’ your profile in more detail in order to get more functionality. Will see how that pans out…

Yes, I’m there tonight, so it would be interesting to meet fellow bloggers and network together. If you’re a blogger and want to meet people with similar interests, visit Meetup.Com and join next time!

BTW, marketing tip: Check out all the Meetups that people organise for your city, it’s a great way to do networking and meet likeminded people…

I got an email about www.browzit.co.za, a business directory where South African companies can list their services for free. You never know, it might be worth a try. Only thing I don’t like is the crude ads on the right on certain pages. It’s sort of contextual, but would probably better serve in a set size. It is for free though, so one probably can’t moan. Looks like a nice selection of Cake and AJAX running on the site.

I’ve come accross an interesting case study of someone doing a test to see if they can create ‘something of nothing’ on the internet. Jennifer Laycock, editor of Search Engine Guide tried it out and it makes for interesting reading. Especially for small business owners wanting to do things on a shoe string budget. Get the full article here.

Vinny Lingham (of IncuBeta fame) mentioned that Facebook is the new Internet. What he obviously meant was that it’s the latest ‘fad’ in internet usage and through its social viral aspects it’s spreading like a wildfire. I totally agree with him. I mean, I can’t remember when last one of my Internet/Technically disabled friends last came to me and asked me whether I’m on ‘this cool website’?!

One thing I especially like is the apps, which gives it just so much more meat on the bones. Facebook continues to innovate, which makes them the top social networking platform at the moment. Full stop! It also opens up a myriad of possible ways to marketing your business. I know, I keep on saying that. I’ll post more on that soon!

As a regular listener to Cape Talk I was pleasantly surprised to hear Tom London chatting to Netucation about Blogging and how to make money on one’s blog. It’s not as simple as just placing adsense, but of course there are some cool ways of making additional income. It takes alot of hard work if you really want to make money, but the fact that you’re earning dollars obviously helps us South Africans.

If you’re just a little tech savvy you can easily set up a blog and add Adsense (link in the right hand column). You can also join affiliate programs like Commission Junction to increase ad revenue, but it’s something more hands on.

Thanx for helping us educate the market Tom!

Now that we’ve all gone ‘Web 2′, sharing the love and getting listed on Amatomu, Afrigator and whatnot, what does this all mean for your website and marketing opportunities? Well, in short, social online marketing is easy to get wrong. It’s something many people would say should stay social, but it’s impossible to ignore the power of what it can do for your business if you do it right.

The first type of social sites are called aggregators (like the above mentioned), which reads and distributes your content feeds to their member network, with search facilities and linkback love. This is a powerful for attracting attention with good written content.

The second type has a more social aspect in that they allow you to create profiles and join groups. The advantage of groups is that you can join specifically targetted groups and build up a network of ‘friends’. Now because no-one likes spam, it’s a fine line between good and evil here. If not done right, you’ll lose an entire network forever. It’s better to use the social aspect and build up contacts. Every profile you have on MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and all the other social networks allow you to build a new network of friends who can be possible clients.

Now something like this takes up alot of your time and if you’re not in the right target markets your efforts will be futile. It’s something we like doing. We’re a social bunch here at PERONii of course. It’s also something you can track and report on if implemented correctly and we can help you do that.

Just remember that you shouldn’t do it for personal gain only. If you give a little love, you’ll receive much more back. Well written content will always help you develop your social network. Another thing about social networks though is choosing what information to share. It’s important that you know that if you publish things online, chance is that people you know, and most importantly your competitors will be reading with utmost interest. Always keep that in mind before blabbering away ‘socially’.

The advantage of social online marketing is the different angle from which you approach your target market. It’s a way to get in their heads, to have your ears on the ground and get valuable feedback and referrals right out of the horse’s mouth. If managed properly you can only benefit from it.

Note: Also known as ‘Social Media Marketing‘.