Technology can be a blessing and a curse. In terms of networking, it is absolutely a blessing! Over the past few years I have connected with so many people from my past and I owe most of that to social sites I’ve participated in on the ‘net. I thought it migh be nice to share some of these and how they can be used for networking. Note that this list is not comprehensive - it just covers many of the more popular (or useful) sites and how best to use them.

Mainstream Social Sites

Myspace
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While teaching high-school, there was nothing more annoying then to see the students trying to sneak on to MySpace to talk to their friends. While the site is deeply flawed (we all know about the drama), it has been a great networking tool. Many people use it for marketing, but if you ‘re not looking to SPAM the universe and simply want to reconnect with people from your past, it is pretty helpful. I’ve used it to get back in touch with high-school and college friends, and keep my eyes peeled for new people worth reaching out to.

Networking Rating: 4 out of 10 (good for friends & past acquaintences)
My Myspace Profile

Facebook
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Facebook is very similar to MySpace, but I have found the interface to be much easier to use and much cleaner looking. It has also been a great resource for finding friends from my past, but in terms of business affiliations, I have not found it to be of much use.

Networking Rating: 6 out of 10 (good for keeping up with former friends / fellow alumni)
My Facebook Profile

Business Networking Sites

LinkedIn
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LinkedIn has, in my estimation, the most promise as a business tool. It is focused on business networking, and has tons of features that make keeping in touch and finding new affiliations/partners/employees very easy. It seems that your LinkedIn profile is becoming something like your online calling card. I love searching for people with interesting resumes to see how we’re connected . . . “linkingup” with them becomes really easy, and you know that people who reach you from the site are looking to keep it professional. While there is still room for improvement for the site, it really has become the standard for all other social sites in terms of business networking.

Networking Rating: 9 out of 10 (great for business networking)
My LinkedIn Profile

FastPitch
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I just learned about FastPitch Networking from Rich Swier’s Startup Florida just yesterday. I know very little about it and have yet to do more then just play around on the sites main page, but I definitely see some promise in the site. According to Rich, the site is “a premiere destination for business professionals looking to market and network their business.” As I learn more, I’ll be sure to share it!

Networking Rating: ??? (great potential for business networking)

Using Blogging Networking Sites

MyBlogLog
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It is hard to find a blog today without the MyBlogLog widget, showing the recent readers of that site. While it is fun to see who has been on your site, you can also use this little widget for networking. The great part about it is that you can then go and find out more about these people by seeing their profile. If you encounter someone interesting, you now have a great in. I’ve used MBL to link up with quite a few people, some of which I continue to stay in touch with. It is really all about creeating opportunities, and this is just another tool to have in the shed!

Networking Rating: 9 out of 10 (great for common interest networking)
My MyBlogLog Profile

Event Based Sites

Meetup.com
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Truth be told, I have never attended a Meetup, but I’m starting to see the value of the site. While it seems great for things like making friends or finding people to play with (sports and the like or otherwise if that’s your thing), it is designed for networking. I think most of the value is in attending events for people in your business niche. Want to meet programmers - go to the local programmer meetup . . . looking to link up with entrepreneurs - go to the entrepreneur meetup. I’ve signed up for my first meetup and hope to let you know how it all goes . . .

Networking Rating: ??? (not sure yet)
My Meetup Profile

Using Non-Traditional Social Sites for Networking

Geni.com
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I found Geni.com while doing some research on my genealogy. This site is not only a place to build your family tree, but also a hub for family networking. I started my tree less than a month ago and there are now over 1800 members in it. The site allows users to create profiles and like most social sites, to communicate with one another. You never know when that 3rd cousin once removed is going to turn into the lifeline on your next business venture. I’ve already used it to link up with family I’ve never met after moving to Colorado. It is an absolute addiction and worth checking out!

Networking Rating: 10 out of 10 (perfect for family networking)

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