Social networking is a relatively new phenomenon that is proving a popular and beneficial ‘tool’ for businesses to have in their marketing arsenal.

The beauty of social networking is the cost – or lack there of. Predominantly all that is required to participate is your time. But before I continue, just what is social networking?

Social networking is a way for users to build online networks of contacts and interact with them.

There are so many social networking sites out there. Mashable put a list together last year, which you can look at by visiting here:

http://mashable.com/2007/10/23/social-networking-god/.

Before you all get overwhelmed and say “I can’t possibly keep up with all those sites”, don’t despair. You don’t need to. Start with one or two, get the hang of them, and move on to something else (all the while keeping the others up to date).

I’ve been interacting and connecting with people on some of these, predominantly this year. Check me out on:

• Twitter - @brandinator
  
• LinkedIn - Narelle Richardson
  
• Facebook - Narelle Richardson
  
• This blog! - Ireckon Blog
  

As well as a great way to connect with lost friends, they’re also a great tool for business to use as they allow you to connect with people at a low cost.

As a company we also have our own twitter and facebook page as well. We’d love for you to interact with us! Our blog has been going for over 6 months now and is proving popular not only with staff, but also the visitors to our website.

But of course networking is not just about the ability to connect to people but also is about the ability to use those connections.

Connect with people, interact, and use them to build relationships. In uncertain times like these we are entering into, more often than not when someone comes looking for products or services they are going to go with someone they ‘know’. Social networking provides the low cost answer on how to get people to know you.