When you’re dealing with an online business it’s easy to stay safely invisible behind your computer and let your business do the talking. Sometimes people who feel uncomfortable selling or networking offline start businesses online because they believe there is anonymity in cyberspace. They are right to an extent, but to see real gains in your business or in brand recognition you’ve got to get out there and be social. Yes, I’m talking network, same as you would do in the offline world. You’ve got to pound the pavement so to speak, except that you’re pounding bandwidth.

The benefits of social networking for online businesses

1. You will gain traffic–Traffic is good for business. The more traffic the better right? By getting out there and getting to know people interested in your particular niche you will attract them to your site as well. Visit blogs related to your business. Leave genuine comments or add to the conversation. Interact with your business’ Facebook fans. Make sure you are active on your own blog as well promptly responding to comments and questions. The more you reach out the more people will start looking for you.

2. You will build brand recognition–When you start networking online it’s like you are leaving a cyber calling card everywhere you go. Suddenly people are seeing you on Facebook then they are seeing you commenting on one of their favorite blogs. Then they see you on another blog. All of a sudden it seems like you are everywhere. Your brand will stick in their minds and it becomes recognizable. The best part is you didn’t have to shell out big bucks for advertising.

3. It’s free–Like I said, you don’t have to spend advertising dollars to use social networking to your advantage. It’s completely free. The only thing you have to invest is your time.

How to maximize your social networking time

Of course, you do still have a business to run and you can’t be a social butterfly all day long. So you maximize the time you spend social networking with a strategy. You want to make the biggest social network impact in the shortest amount of time.

1. Identify related blogs–This could be blogs that are competition. Well you definitely want to check out what the competition is doing but you can also want to find blogs that relate to your industry. So if you sell silk flowers maybe you want to hang around some bridal blogs. Right? Just like you would do in the offline world. Identify 10 blogs/businesses whose radar you’d like to cross and start networking. Comment on their blogs, add valuable comments.

2. Find out where your customers are socializing–Where are your customers going for information. If they are going to bridal websites or forums that offer resources or tips that’s the perfect place for you to hang around and contribute. Offer to guest post something about your industry, like “Why silk flowers are a better choice for your winter wedding.” The important thing is to find out what sites your customers are visiting and be there. They’ll see you.

3. Set aside a finite period each day to  participate in social networking–Maybe it’s just an hour a day, maybe it’s two, but be consistent. Another approach is to set a goal for the number of comments you want to leave or how many tweets and retweets you want to post. Start out by promising to visit 5 blog sites and leaving five valuable comments a day. Then adjust from there.

The internet makes it easier to be even more social than offline marketing does. It may seem overwhelming at first but setting a plan and getting social can reap big rewards for your business.