Welcome to Social Networking Sites. This blog has been set-up to uncover the myth of creative social networking, it's an information website for all those confused by the rise of the social networks. I'll summarise the most important networks, give you helpful hints and tips on how to get the best out of your social networking activities, point you in the direction of tutorials to help you get started and even how to use social networks for your business or organisation. In my latest news section i'll give you all the new insights and developments on the social networks, and bring you the latest new release, like Google+, Google's reaction to Facebook, that is surely set to take over the world.
So you have a question, then 'Google it!'. This simple phrase has allowed Google to literally take over the online world. Their internet dominance is unrivalled, we'll it was until Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook. Google has always been primarily a search engine and advertising tool. Their Adwords campaigns have dominated internet marketing for the past 10 years. There have always been social elements within Google, but this was a rather hidden feature. With Facebook now seriously challenging Google for dominance, with over 500 million active users, Google needed a response. And here it is!
"The Google+ project aims to make sharing on the web more like sharing in real life. Check out Circles, Sparks, and Hangouts, the first pieces of the project. Sharing is a huge part of the web, a part that we think could be a lot simpler. That's why we've been working on adding a few new things to Google: To make connecting with people on the web more like connecting with them in the real world. We hope that you like what we've cooked up so far. And stay tuned, because there's more to come." Google.
With the roll-out of Google Plus, Buzz has now been stopped. Well kind of, it's simply been replaced by the Post function in Google Plus. Here's the official line from Google.
We've retired Google Buzz. You won't be able to create any new posts, but your existing content will remain accessible in three ways:
Thank you for using Google Buzz.
Facebook dominates the social network market. It's rise to forefront of every day internet useage was portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster The Social Network. With over 500 million active users, and 50% of these logging in daily they are the only serious contender to Google in terms of internet domination and their ability to shape the way we use and know the internet. The addition of a keyword search facility is surely immanent. Facebook really could revolutionise the way we use the internet, presenting us with a personalised online world where we're fed the information and marketing we need based upon our likes, dislikes, occupations and location. If using Facebook to promote your business its important to select the right type of account. With correct configuration the host of different tools available to Facebook users opens up a world of connectivity possibilities.
Delisious is all about bookmarking. How annoying is it when you just can't find that website you bookmarked at home last night. Well now you can access your bookmarks from anywhere. Delicious is a social bookmarking service that allows you to tag, save, manage and share Web pages all in one place. You can send your favourite bookmarks to your friends, so when they login they can see what your recommending.
Flickr is one of the most well known photo sharing platforms, it holds the 7th largest share of the social networking market. The typical experience for most users of Flickr would involve uploading a photo, adding the photo to a personal photo album (a "set", as Flickr calls them), and then sharing the photo by joining a relevant group and submitting your photos. So how do you market your business on Flickr? The simple answer is, you don't, it's against Flickr's TAC's. If you're using Flickr for your business then simply use your web address as your screen name and join relevant groups. If your a designer you might post your sketches, a carpenter furniture he has made, but avoid the hard sell, be personal and ensure you're contributing to the creative nature of this platform.
Digg is all about articles. It's a editorial environment where you can set up a user account and start writing about any subject you want. Through my Salcombe Web Design account, I write articles about the internet and technology. Other users can then read your articles and Digg or Bury. It's a bit like Facebook Likes, you can also Digg or Bury other users articles. So the better the article the more likely it is to be found.