Online social networking services are becoming more popular each day. From dating, to party invites to social interactions, web sites like MySpace, Facebook and others are growing evidence that online networking is the social norm for consumers -- and now businesses.

Business social networks such as LinkedIn and Plaxo are networks that facilitate business-oriented connections and are playing a critical role in aiding businesses to connect, engage and build relationships.

How?  Each time you add a connection (qualified, by the way), you have increased visibility and access to resources, researchers, entrepreneurs and other 'like' networkers.  Moreover, some of these business networks are transitioning in functionality to enhance the social experience (blog, join groups, respond to question sets, and recruiting/job opportunities). 

How can you put your social network to use?:

Finding great partners - almost like window shopping, social networks allow you opportunities to seek out qualified partners. Depending on the 'degrees' from your existing connections, others can make introductions and facilitate recommendations. 

Reconnecting - social networks allow you to seek out valuable relationships - now and from the past. So-and-so from XYZ Company has now moved to an organization that your company is courting - reconnecting may help 'seal the deal'.

Joining groups - provides access to research, bloggers or other relevant connections to aid you in keeping current. Groups may be local or even global - offering networking beyond the scope of the initial social network. 

Recruiting - LinkedIn, for example, allows you to search histories and CVs in your network — it's great for finding people who work in a particular company, or who have worked with someone you know. It's also an interesting way to find references for people or companies you're getting to know.

Personally, I've received interview requests, forwarded several job offers, and met people who I later ended up meeting face-to-face resulting in a business relationship.  The ability to tune in to "just enough but not too much" has been a key success in business social networking.

For more info, review a prior post from MacDonald Consulting: Business Bonding on Social Networks

Best,

Denice MacDonald