Thoughts about Social Network Sites for Business

I am a fan/student of technology, the internet and any new and exciting trends for business. I have been researching the use of social networking sites for business purposes and have even joined Linked In and My Space and have linked them to my website. I think the following article by Karen E. Klein in Business Week aptly discusses this subject. Enjoy.

"To get the most out of social networking sites, small companies should look past the hype, set concrete business goals, then start experimenting. Social networking online seems to be exploding: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg, and so on. When I ask how these sites can help my business, the answers can be vague. I am trying to relate it to face-to-face networking, which includes sharing ideas, information, and resources with other businesses. Are these sites useful for those goals? There is only so much time in my day and I need to use it effectively. —B.H., Scarborough, Me.

You are correct that social networking is a rapidly growing, headline-grabbing phenomenon. The question for entrepreneurs is how to tap into this trend as a business opportunity, rather than simply a way to connect—or reconnect—with people, says Peter Delgrosso, strategic vice-president for corporate communications with Web.com (WWWW).
"For the most part, these social networking sites should be viewed as complementary to your online presence. Think of it as a nice-to-have, not a must-have," he says. "When used properly, it is something that can gain your business some attention. However, you need to realize it shouldn't be seen as a replacement to your traditional online presence."
Greg Sterling, of Sterling Market Intelligence, considers social network sites primarily for meeting people, asking for advice or referrals and, carefully, doing online marketing. The uses vary by application or site, he notes: "Sites such as LinkedIn can be helpful in connecting with people you want to meet for one reason or another. Twitter and Facebook can be helpful when you're trying to notify a group of people about something you want to promote or about a happening of some kind."

Find Your Networking Niche

Take a few minutes—it doesn't have to be extensive—to look over the top sites and experiment to see what works for you. Even an hour or two a week can help you figure out which sites you like best and are most effective for your particular business. "The viral nature of social networking is quite extraordinary and something that can garner a lot of attention to your efforts in a hurry," Delgrosso says.
He thinks the best site for both networking and human resources purposes is LinkedIn. "The site requires some résumé creation, then offers the opportunity to link in to other like-minded professionals. When used selectively, it can be a very powerful tool for identifying new business partners, new employees, or simply building your personal or business presence," he says.
For gaining exposure to larger audiences, he recommends Facebook: "Consider establishing or joining a network on Facebook based on your business or industry category to tap into people's affinity for the topic. By doing this, you'll cut through the clutter and clearly establish your niche, keeping the interaction focused on the specific subject matter."
Rick Julian, CEO and chief creative officer of Quo Vadis, a startup brand communications agency, says he's getting a positive return on his investment from using social media sites for the past year. "It puts a human face on your business and allows people to get an impression of what a relationship with you would be like. When all things remain equal, people want to work with people they think they'll have an interesting relationship with," Julian says. His firm is represented on five major social networking sites, including YouTube (GOOG) and his blog, and a couple of smaller ones.

"Geometric Extension" and Search Optimization
It sounds like a full-time job, but Julian points out that you can cut and paste some of your content from site to site. "If I put up a YouTube video to create awareness, I might have some discussion on YouTube with the responders and then also put it on my blog, on my Facebook company page, and promote a link to it on Twitter. Just by generating that single asset, I've populated all those networks with content without having to come up with an original piece of content for each of them. There's a geometric extension of your reach," he says.
Robert Jenson, CEO of the Las Vegas-based realty firm the Jenson Group, takes a strictly corporate approach to social networking. "Rather than blogging stream-of-consciousness opinions or using the venue as a diary of sorts, I educate visitors on important, universal industry matters. I try my utmost to ensure the content I post is not just applicable and of interest to those in Las Vegas, where I operate, but also to any real estate consumer nationwide," he says.

He puts bylined articles he's written on his own blog and on social networking sites and uses them to establish his credibility as a real estate expert. "This serves as a 'risk reliever' for both prospective consumers and business affiliates, while also increasing my chances for media coverage by establishing myself as a reliable expert source," Jenson says.
Last, but definitely not least, is the value of social networking sites to search engine optimization (BusinessWeek, 6/20/08). The more sites that include your name and link back to your Web site or blog, the higher your profile rises in search engines, where more and more of your customers are likely to find you, Jenson says. "

Dermatologists Reportedly Offer Two Tiered Skin Care

I read the Schwitzer Health News Blog and found the following topic discussed on the blog to be quite interesting. According to the blog, The New York Times reported that dermatologists are now serving first class and second class services and "it is fast becoming a two-tier business in which higher-paying customers often receive greater pampering."

Excerpt:
"In some dermatologists’ offices, freer-spending cosmetic patients are given appointments more quickly than medical patients for whom health insurance pays fixed reimbursement fees.
In other offices, cosmetic patients spend more time with a doctor. And in still others, doctors employ a special receptionist, called a cosmetic concierge, for their beauty patients.
Dr. David M. Pariser, a dermatologist in Norfolk, Va., and the president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology, said some practices did maintain preferential policies for cosmetic patients.
“The message is that the cosmetic patient is more important than the medical patient, and that’s not a good message,” Dr. Pariser said.
At a time when dermatologists are trying to advance the idea of a national skin cancer epidemic, such a two-tier system is raising concerns that the coddling of beauty patients may divert attention from skin diseases."

Do Applicants Really Lie on Their Resumes?

As part of our screening process, All Medical Personnel checks the work references and criminal background of each and every applicant. Do statistics lie? According to a recent survey by Background Information Services in Cleveland, more than half of all job seekers lie on their resumés, often by inflating their job titles. Here's how to determine whether you've really found the right person for the job.

From: Inc. Magazine, February 2007 By: Jennifer Gill
Where did you find the candidate?Referrals from your own top employees are the best bet. If your hiring manager found the applicant at a job fair, be skeptical. Great players aren't hawking their resumé at job fairs; they're working.
Who did the interviewing?Don't rely solely on the opinion of the hiring manager. Make sure she has involved some of the employees who will work directly with this person. They'll have the best sense of whether the candidate will fit in.
Why is the candidate leaving his or her current job?This can be tough to draw out of some candidates--after all, they don't want to talk themselves out of a job. But you need to know what saps their motivation. Maybe they feel undervalued or hate traveling. Try to understand what will make them eager to come to work on Monday morning.
Is the candidate coming from a competitor?This is a two-for-one special: a talented new employee with inside knowledge of a rival's operations. Recruiting is a prime way to gather intelligence on competitors, such as how much they pay people and what business plans they have under way.
Is the candidate connected?Candidates who are at the top of their games will be on a first-name basis with other top people in the industry. Ask a candidate to recommend three of the best people at his or her current workplace to come in for interviews. Noncompete agreements can thwart such efforts, however, so be sure to ask if the candidate has signed one with his current employer, notes Margaretta Noonan, executive vice president of Hudson Highland Group (NASDAQ:HHGP), a global staffing firm in New York City.
Could the candidate do my job?No one likes to think he or she is replaceable, but smart bosses hire people with potential, and that's especially critical at a company in growth mode. A manager who has your interests in mind will recruit someone with the chops to eventually move into a more senior role. You should also ask if the candidate demonstrates leadership skills and decision-making abilities.
The candidate graduated from college, right?Beware of the word attended on a resumé. Last year, ADP Screening and Selection Services found that about half of the 330,000 people it ran background checks on lied about their education or work experience. Hire an outside firm if necessary to vet candidates. If there's an unexplained gap on a resumé, find out why.
How long has this job been open?If the answer is a month or more, consider putting someone else in charge of hiring. The best people on the job market are scooped up in days, notes John Sullivan, a consultant and professor of management at San Francisco State University. If it takes too long, you may be getting benchwarmers, not first-string players.
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