If you’re one of the holdovers who hasn’t yet plunged into the world of social networking, it can be hard to understand the appeal of such sites as Twitter and Facebook. Nevertheless, these sites are magnets to millions of people who use them to practically pursue a secondary life.
For many people, such sites are the primary means for keeping in touch with old friends and new ones. They let users post information about themselves—pictures, updates on their everyday lives and the types of movies and music they enjoy.
People can share virtually any activities and experiences they desire with their friends, leave comments on their pictures and keep in touch with each other, whether those friends are in the same neighborhood or halfway across the world.
Some people even use the social networking sites as dating services. For those who are somewhat shy or simply too busy to socialize in person, these can offer a great opportunity to meet others virtually (and perhaps later in person). Such sites allow people to view the profiles of thousands of others and find those who share the same interests, personalities and backgrounds.
It’s not just about socializing, however. Online social networks are becoming more and more important as online business and networking tools. They can be an important way of gaining contacts, finding a job or employees, or just getting the word out about yourself, your products or your company. Sites such as LinkedIn are specifically designed for putting a business spin on social networking.
The principal of social networking for business is pretty much the same as for any other purpose, only instead of sharing your favorite music, movies and books, you share information on your job experience, skills and background, company or products.
There are many ways to keep up with your social networks. If you want to do so while on the go, you can with the aid of your iPhone or iPad. For example, the LinkedIn app for iPhone (pictured above), while it lacks the full functionality of the website, allows you to get the details and connect with over 75 million professionals around the world, fetch updates and messages from your network and update your status in real-time. Facebook for iPhone and iPad allows you to view your news feed, messages, nearby happenings, events and friends.
Perhaps the greatest appeal of social networking is that you can do all of these things–keeping up with friends, making plans with others, finding business contacts and even getting dates–all from a single site.
The dynamic nature of the social networking sites attract people with a wide range of interests, backgrounds and goals. If you haven’t done so yet, perhaps you should join them.
