At first, only social networks were free to join major networks like MySpace and Facebook. Their networks are open to everyone from anywhere and they have grown like wildfire across the web. Even network marketers have joined these networks and still do to market their opportunities or products through these sites. It’s definitely smart because it’s a great free way to get extra exposure, even when the audiences these networks aren’t targeted at. Social networking has become an even bigger topic in recent months, and in particular among network marketers.

However, the value of marketing on MySpace and Facebook is rapidly declining. This is due to the mass release of new and niche-focused social networks. The fact is that this year alone I have seen an increasing number of professional social networks move towards launching and becoming increasingly popular for network marketers. To name a few: TalkMoola, Zenzuu, Friendswin, Yuwie and Wowzza. Some of the older ones are DirectMatches, AdLandPro, and even Ryze. To be honest, I wouldn’t be in the slightest to see a few more start-ups this year – it’s just that it’s catching on.

It is also clear why they have become so popular among network marketers, as there is no better advertising than targeted advertising. The most effective thing to do is to expose your business opportunity, system, or product to other network marketers. Once a network marketer connects with you they have already got their foot in the door and have some knowledge about the industry and can be of great help to your business. However, if a random person from MySpace sees and connects with your business they aren’t nearly as valuable to you because they might have no idea what they’re doing or what network marketing is.

So it’s almost a no-brainer when network marketers are invited with the potential to join a social network full of network marketers. Just to clarify why I said “almost”… that’s because not all network marketers have yet grasped the power of social networking or how to properly use social networking to make their businesses explode. Do it. But the ability to advance yourself and your business in front of other like-minded people are extremely valuable and profitable for most.

The old way of network marketing is gone, and I see the future as social marketing through professional social networks. Nevertheless, many of these new business social networks are offering incentives for those who join. These include revenue sharing, direct affiliate commission, and various MLM pay plans. By supporting these new professional social networks they will experience the increased awareness and exposure they deserve.

However, not all professional social networks are created equal. Here are a few things you need to pay attention to when deciding what you will use to highlight yourself and your opportunities.

Somewhat targeted or highly targeted?

When looking through your social networks, find out if the people involved in the social network are the type of people who are interested in what you have to offer, or are like-minded to you. This means that if you are a network marketer who wants to provide opportunities to other network marketers then those involved in social networks must strictly be network marketers. Does the social network you’re considering include members looking for a date or love? If a social network includes or is completely unrelated to you, it undermines that network’s ability for you. However, if social networks are just network marketers or business opportunity seekers then this is an incredible resource for you.

Is mass communication possible on your friend list?

Growing your friends or contact list on social networks is one of the major things you should do to maximize your exposure and reach. This means accepting friend invitations from those within the social network and looking for like-minded others to add to your network of friends. The bigger your friend’s list, the more active you appear to be, and the more people who take your word to heart. It also means more people to whom you can message through the social network. Some social networks limit the number of people you are able to message at once.

 

Let’s say you have 200 friends but you are limited to sending only 30 people per message and you can only send one bulk message per day. Well, this is a very negative restriction and even more so if you have a large network of friends. On the other hand, some social networks will let you add unlimited friends and you can easily send them a bulletin or message to all your friends at once. This is what you should be looking for because whether you have 100 friends, 1,000, or even 10,000 you can send a message to all of them as if you were sending it to one.

 

That means a potentially bigger exposure for you. You can even treat it like an instant contact list of targeted prospects if you want! However, I warn against sending too many unwanted messages to your friends, you should try to engage with them and send them as much quality information as possible and then lightly treat what you have to offer. If you consistently send what they consider to be spam messages they will block you or remove you from your network of friends, so it is important to use the social network properly.

Are the members free, paid, or both?

Another factor is the quality of the subscription. If the membership is mostly free, they are less likely to be ready to purchase. However, if the membership is fully paid and everyone used to pay to be a part of the social network then these are the highest quality members you can contact because they have the ability to work with you. There will be money to invest. Mixing is fine, although this factor is not as important as the first two.

What are the other site incentives?

Overall this is the least important factor that should be discussed. Other incentives may be salaried plans such as revenue sharing, affiliate commissions, or some kind of matrix structure. It may also be other services provided along with the cost of your membership such as training, equipment, or other bonuses. Keep in mind, even if they don’t offer great incentives, the rest of the above factors are positive, I’m still excited to join in.

There isn’t a huge selection of professional social networks targeted right now, but I’m positive the future holds true for more and more being available. Personally, I prefer to take advantage and join any social network because it’s extra exposure for me, and any extra exposure is always a good thing. However, when you choose to be most active in select networks, you may want to consider the above factors.

I have built many strong relationships, learned a lot, taught a lot, and benefited greatly from those relationships within social networks. You should take at least some advantage of every professional social network available, even if it’s just setting up a profile to get some extra exposure. If they are a niche social network that has like-minded individuals like you then you should definitely be more open to actively using that network. The benefits can be huge.