Social Networking- Pluses & Minuses

Most business people believe that social networking sites are here to stay, even though percentage-wise, they are visited by a relatively small population of business folk. The popularity of this medium, and the sprouting of dozens of socianetworks each day, point to the fact that we have reached the tipping point of acceptance on the part of consumers all over the globe.

However, while popularity is high, there are clearly pros and cons to what these sites offer and can do for business owners, employees, executives, and consultants.

Growing businesses 'could benefit from using social networking'Business Strata - Business News - Farnborough,Hampshire,UKGrowing businesses could experience benefits by embracing the concept of social networking, according to an expert. Tim Gibbon, co-founder and editor of the Social Media Portal, added that social networking currently plays a significant role in business, while interest in it is also expected to grow."Business owners need to know what is happening in and outside their environment and build long-term relationships. This could be with clients, potential clients, suppliers, peers and contemporaries," he explained.

However, without strong guidelines for how to leverage the information and connections within these sites, people are often confused and overwhelmed with which sites are geared to their specific interests and/or needs, and so stop visiting them - at least for a while.

For boomers, lack of techie skills prevents them from exploring and experimenting with how social networks can help them professionally.

There's a coaching opportunity for any takers out there.