Social Networking Web Sites … Not Just for Casual Relationships

Do you want to connect easily with others on the Web for business reasons but feel like MySpace is a little too socially oriented for your needs? Here are five Web sites that may be of interest to you.

LinkedIn—According to it’s Web site the mission of LinkedIn is: “ … to help you be more effective in your daily work and open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have.” The site goes on to say: “LinkedIn is an online network of more than 14 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.”

When you join LinkedIn, you create a profile of yourself that summarizes your background including education and accomplishments. People can then find your profile, just as you can find theirs. Gradually you build a network of your contacts, your contact’s contacts, etc. You are encouraged to create more contacts by inviting friends and associates to join, thus expanding the network for everyone.

By using your network, LinkedIn claims you can:

• Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended
• Be found for business opportunities
• Search for great jobs
• Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
• Post and distribute job listings
• Find high-quality passive candidates
• Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know

There is no cost to join LinkedIn. However, you can sign up for paid accounts “that give you more tools for finding and reaching the right people, whether or not they are in your network.”

XING—XING, which competes directly with LinkedIn, originated in Germany and a majority of its 3.5 million members are German, although it is actively seeking a worldwide membership. According to the Web site: “XING makes your professional network an active part of your life. Far more than a directory of business contacts, XING enables its members to discover professional people, opportunities and privileges through its unique discovery capability and advanced contact management tools.”

XING can help you:

• Find decision makers and experts fast
• Open doors to thousands of companies
• See your contacts' contacts
• Market yourself in a professional context
• Open up new sales channels
• Find old school friends and former colleagues
• Let other people find you
• Manage and expand your network

Once you register for membership, which you can do from the Web site, you can create a profile, post your resume, and begin exchanging information with other members. You have control over your own data—who can access your profile, how your data can be used, etc.

Ryze—According to its Web site: “Ryze helps people make connections and grow their networks. You can network to grow your business, build your career and life, find a job and make sales. Or just keep in touch with friends.” Ryze claims more than 500,000 members in more than 200 countries.

When you become a member, you receive a free “networking-oriented homepage.” Members can send messages to each other and join special networks that relate to specific business, industries and interests of members. In addition, organizations, law firms and other businesses can set up their own networks. It’s really here in the special networks that connections take place.

Ryze claims that by expanding your business network on their site, you can:

• Get a free networking-oriented homepage
• Make quality business contacts
• Re-connect with friends—You probably know people in here already
• Help your company make deals through Ryze members
• Build your network before you need it

Members are encouraged to invite friends and associates to become members to expand the network.

Doostang—The name Doostang comes from the Latin phrase dos tango, which translates roughly as “to reach for talent.” The site was started by Harvard and MIT graduates who were inspired by the findings of Stanford’s Granovetter that: “70% of jobs are discovered through networking.” According to their site: “Doostang is an online career community that connects people through personal relationships and affiliations. Our members use Doostang to share relevant career opportunities and to interact with one another.”

Doostang appears to be somewhat elite among the social networking sites. You must be invited to join and the 250,000 current members are drawn primarily from top schools and leading investment banks, consulting firms and major corporations. Organizations that have made successful offers to Doostang members include Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, McKinsey & Company, Disney, Google and others.

Doostang is upfront about its purpose: “Our motto here at Doostang is ‘reclaim your career.’” We encourage our users to do the same; share opportunities with your friends by posting any interesting jobs you receive on Doostang. Collaborating will create more job opportunities than those that currently exist for all of us today.”

Once asked to join, members create a profile of themselves, post their resume and search the job boards. Premium membership is available, which gives members access to 12 Selected Practice Groups or SPGs. Only premium members, who have added at least 20 new members to the community, can apply for positions posted by the SPGs. Members can also create groups that allow them to interact with others who have common interests or backgrounds, such as school, company or hobbies.

Facebook—You’re most likely familiar with Facebook, which is a little like MySpace for adults. Initially founded as a means for Harvard students to connect with each other, Facebook rapidly spread to other campuses and then high schools. In 2006, it was opened to anyone with a valid e-mail address and it really took off. Facebook now has more than 30 million visitors to its site per month.

What makes Facebook valuable to you is that people and businesses are using it increasingly to connect with each other in the real world. Several months ago the company invited software developers to create applications for the site, resulting in many new tools that allow members to connect in useful ways—things as simple as linking real estate professionals to each other, helping people organize vacations, and making recommendations for new books.

If for no other reason, Facebook is useful because it allows you to network with classmates and expand that network to their new friends and associates. But, more than that, it provides an easy means of putting your name in front of millions of people in a controlled and safe environment. You can also use it to identify both individuals and businesses who might be potential clients in the future.

View a comprehensive listing of the major social networking Web sites.