Forging Deals On Social Networks

In the past, social networks were considered hubs for dating and making friends for teenagers and youngsters. Social networks however have risen above schools and colleges and are now an important tool for businesses especially for independent business, start-ups and small business owners. There are some professional networking sites that assist in building contacts for students looking for references and job seekers as well as small business owners where every contact is invaluable and a step towards success.

The professional networking websites gaining momentum are LinkedIn, ZeroDegrees and Ryze. The growth and connectivity of these networking sites is evident in the growing number of users registering on these websites daily. Most of these business networking sites make introductions through known contacts eliminating any discrepancy in the process. Such networking sites also are an important tool that provide access to other businesses and companies that you may otherwise not be able to arrive at.

Let us briefly look at popular business networking sites:

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is based on a network pattern that ensures a certain limit of trust within a network. The basic idea is that one invites only his trusted friends and they in turn invite theirs thereby building a trusted business network. This is a network for upper level executives and managers looking to find suitable networking opportunities. This is not a job seekers lounge such as in Ryze and only business details are discussed in this networking site. The main difference that sets this site apart is that the concept of profiles does not exist here. You may not search for users outside your network or perform the traditional profile search. Getting ahead in any network on LinkedIn is dependent therefore on knowing more people and building your business contacts.

Ryze

Ryze is a professional networking website. It is designed for professionals to meet each other through common interests, job types or occupations. The initial registration is free, however one may upgrade to a gold membership which allows enhancements in search and contacts. The initial membership offers a profile page with a provision to upload photos. One may enter his professional details, Educational history and other such details on his profile page. Contacts are also displayed in this page. Discussion forums and networking events may be hosted on this website. If you would like to host an online networking conference, Ryze would be a great option for you. This networking website allows for distributing delegate lists, pamphlets, photos, videos and so on. Ryze also has an option wherein you may import your contacts from applications such as outlook; however some email applications like Eudora do not work with this website.

ZeroDegrees

ZeroDegrees works on the concept of the six degrees of separation theory where each person is connected to others through 6 degrees of friendship. It proposes that one may meet prospective employees, employers and business contacts based on this theory. This networking site also has a wizard that guides you in uploading your contacts from Outlook and also organizes them for you. After this process is over, it automatically sends out invitations to your trusted friends and theirs friends and lets you organize them yourself.

Business networking is all about reaching the right contacts and building on them. Such business networking sites assist you in networking professionally and meeting your target audience.