A case for Facebook: should you use social media for your business?

One thing that I didn't learn at BlogHer '07 in Chicago (and I swear I'll clean up those posts ASAP) is if having a MySpace or Facebook page is an important part of your marketing mix.

My guess was YES because 1) social network listings will help you connect with your audience, and 2) networking with other bloggers is a very important part of marketing yourself and your writing.

Then I came across an article on the Written Road about Journalism and Facebook. Abha points you to Facebook: What's In It For Journalists? on the Poynter Online site. Like anything, there are positives - it's a great way to network. There are also negatives - Facebook, MySpace, et al are time sucking devices and most users don't regularly update their pages or visit the site.

Needless to say, I've updated my Facebook page. I'm considering creating a MySpace page, especially after I heard from several friends in Chicago (including Ken who just recently got his first computer - ever) that they had pages and it was a great way to keep in touch with them.

Do you, your business or your blog have a MySpace or Facebook page? Tell me about it!

Update: Kevin Palmer wrote a very indepth post about this subject as a guest writer at ProBlogger - How to Use MySpace to Build a Blogging Audience. Here's just one great piece of advice:

To a lot of users, MySpace is a one stop shop. They don’t even realize (or perhaps equally like, care) that there is a blogging community outside of MySpace. You need to take the time to write original content at least once a week and engage your MySpace readers. By doing this you will create a loyal reader base that will follow you to your blog away from MySpace, creating a quality and consistent source of traffic.

Building a MySpace page - just one more item on my to-do list.

Comments

[tiffany]

i have a myspace page! and this is the first time that i've admitted that in a sentence which ended in an exclamation point. i've only had my myspace page for a little over a year. i swear i've never regretted it, if only for the purpose of reconnecting with people. you may have noticed that guy a couldn't take my eyes away from when we went to fado? i might have never seen him again, if it weren't for myspace. of course, he doesn't have myspace: he's much too cool for that. fortunately, a mutual friend of ours has myspace, and there we were. drunk in chicago. as nature intended.

anyway.
lately i've started thinking that this myspace thing might be valuable for reasons other than connecting with old friends...
in closing, i really have nothing valuable to add to this conversation, but i am VERY interested in hearing what people have to say, and possibly learning a thing or two.

p.s. i finally got over my hangover. whee!

[Jennifer James]

I have always said I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, get on MySpace or Facebook. Well, Facebook maybe, but MySpace -- Yuck. I just hate how it looks. Funny thing is, I signed up for a MySpace page yesterday, but after looking at it I simply deleted my account. I just don't think I can go there. I may have to change my mind and stop being such a prude, though.