Starting an Online Business For Dummies®, 6th Edition

Chapter 15. Spreading the Word on Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs

In This Chapter

• Exploring marketing opportunities for entrepreneurs on Facebook

• Setting up an e-commerce "kiosk" on Facebook

• Using Twitter to build and hold a fan base

• Promoting yourself by creating a blog

• Maintaining a blog and using it to boost sales

When I was working on this new edition, "social networking" was the hot topic in e-commerce. That's not because of anything businesspeople did to promote social networking. It became popular because young people originally flocked to sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to keep up with their friends. Before long, millions were using these sites. They became part of the popular culture. Only then did they get discovered for their business and promotional promise.

But let's back up a moment. What exactly is "social networking?" If it's social rather than commercial, how can it help you and your online business? E-commerce, like more traditional kinds of business, is built on concepts such as trust, brands, and reputation. The better you can brand yourself and prove that you are either an authority in your field or someone who has desirable merchandise, the more successful you'll be. By soliciting customers on social networking sites, you go out and actively find them rather than wait for them to find your storefront.

Social networking is simply the practice of connecting with people online at venues that have been specially created for that purpose. When the venues become especially ...