Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are now huge names involved in social networking. They are billion dollar companies with 100′s of millions of users. Simply they are just a gigantic audience too great to ignore as a creative business.

Their users are your possible clients , or their friends are, or their friends, or their friends families etc! That’s the point, it’s a network of Global proportions that can also have a local focus. Its a small world and we are all connected to it via social networks.

Using key words in your posts can bring them up in internet searches e.g #virtual assistant. This is not as advertising campaign or even a fixed marketing strategy, it’s your business building communication with existing and possible clients,  as well as colleagues who will help you develope both personally and professionally.

Your LinkedIn profile is like your on-line CV, and is quick and easy to update. You can add recommendations so you have on-line references too! You can also create groups and discussions on here; as well as linking to your website, other social networking and contact details.

By using social networking you can communicate with like minded people and form relationships. They don’t have to listen to you, they choose to, thus its power. People choose to hear what you want to say and visa versa. ‘I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine’ is a good way to look at social networking as you can share someone else’s message through the likes of re-tweets, @ in posts, liking Facebook pages or introducing on LinkedIn. In return others may do the same for you therefore reaching a wider audience.

A Facebook page is a micro site for your main website and is great for starting discussion and gaining feedback from clients, as well as feeding visits to your main site.

Some people worry about what to say but its simple, you know who you are and what you stand for so just be you and represent your business. DON’T SWEAR or INSULT people. Make your post interesting and relevant to your style and line of work. Include personal and work related posts and read up what the people you follow are up to. Make regular updates so people don’t forget about you.

Twitter is great for doing real time searches and gaging opinion on world events or even what is going on in your area, or can help you find who to follow. So use it!

Social networking is evolving all the time so stay on the ball and don’t underestimate its power.