With the continued growth of blogs and online social networking tools from Twitter to Facebook to LinkedIn, there are more ways than ever to spread the word about your business, and reach a new audience. Still, we wondered – does the fear of paying a retainer set businesses back from themarketing they need?

At a time when advertising dollars are tight, PublicityWorks crafted a plan to allay those fears and suit a client’s needs – no matter how big or small. By partnering with the Web experts at Futuramic Media, we’re offering a variety of set-fee packages for social networking that ensure quick,measurable results. Consider this:

· Start with our Diagnostic package – for a set fee we’ll look at your Web site as well as the sort of media placement and marketing plan you already have in place. We’ll compare your strategies withthose of your competitors, and suggest ways to make changes.

· You can decide whether to take it to the next level in-house or move on to the next phase with us.

· Continue with us for Implementation and we will provide new systems of outreach, create relevant, riveting online content, revise your online and social networking presence, all to propel your businessto the next level.

· Our Ongoing approach can continue to develop your presence online, provide blog content and media outreach as bestsuits your business.

You’ll know right away what’s working and what isn’t. The return on your investment is almost instantaneous. We aim to provide an online presence with a strategy that is directly attached to your business goals.

Tell us what you think, share your ideas for positioning your business online, into the Internet stratosphere and beyond.

When using social networking for business, following these guidelines will help maximize your capabilities as a presence online:

1. Invest your time wisely on the right sites for your business. The most promising sites are Facebook and LinkedIn that allow you to create a profile and view other business professionals’ profiles in your industry.

2. Write profiles that establish your credentials and expertise. Most social networking sites start with a profile page. Seize this opportunity to position your business and market your skills, as well as providing necessary contact information and a Web site address. If you are an expert on a given topic, brand yourself as such. Make sure your profiles are keyword-rich and use pictures that you would want potential customers/clients to see. Take advantage of the applications these sites offer.

3. Join groups and forums and share your expertise. Establishing credibility and trust is as important as making yourself known. Comment on blogs, but keep emotion to a minimum. Credible comments add to any discussion and can help position you as someone with expertise in a given niche.

4. Seek out recognized authorities in your field. Send a Facebook friend request or a LinkedIn networking invitation, accompanied by a message introducing yourself and politely explaining why you’d like to meet this person online. Be confident, but make sure your motives are business-related.

5. Be selective about your “friends.” You want to make friends on Facebook and other social networking sites — but it’s not about how many names you can “collect.” Having a small number of friends (or connections) who value your passions and expertise, and who care to network regularly, may be best for your business.

6. Promote your blog on social networking sites. Blogging is not for everyone, and this is not a pitch to get you started against your will. But if you do blog or are considering blogging, many social networking sites enable you to surface your blog posts through RSS feeds.

7. Use privacy settings and street smarts to limit identity theft. Most sites have privacy settings allowing you to dictate how much of your profile is revealed to people inside and outside your network. Adjust these settings to your own comfort level, but in general, be cautious about the personal information you post.

8. Avoid aggressive marketing and constant promotion. If you do nothing but promote your new book or new business or product, people in your network will lose interest and likely “un-friend” you.

Using social networks allow business professionals to position themselves amongst the competition in their industry and offer value to their colleagues and customers in an accessible and efficient method.

These tips were taken from Microsoft Office’s Monte Enbysk’s article on social networking.

To read the article, visit http://www.office.microsoft.com.