Social Networking - As a Business Tool?
Welcome to the inaugural post of the new Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives blog. As an organization that connects experienced women with unique points of view, what better way of creating a forum for dialogue than through the vehicle of social media.
Our organization is all about connecting experienced women leaders to peers, mentors and resources to deliver a deeper understanding of business in the context of a larger perspective. So, why are we not using technology as a means of supporting this powerful network?
I’ve found many CEOs and execs I know had a similar first impression of the concept of Social Networking: Who’s got time to post a profile and pictures up on Facebook, and get “poked” by close friends? Not me! Frankly, I prefer a more traditional type of relationship with people I’m close to. So how exactly would Social Networking apply to my professional career?
Yet through personal experience, I’ve recently discovered the term “Social Networking” to be something of a misnomer. It’s not strictly about entertainment or socializing with family and friends, but is about building a community, which has infinite application to building business networks. Social Networking is actually a mechanism by which professionals can better communicate, better share, and better collaborate. In fact, in this day and age, Social Networking is becoming as fundamental to how we do business as the internet itself. It is about how we use the technology at our disposal to strengthen business relationships, share ideas, and interface with potential sponsors, clients, members and customers.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve become a believer that there is something worthwhile going on here. In organizing our first-ever conference on Social Networking “Business Applications of Social Networking” on March 25, an enlightened member of my Advisory Board connected us to the keynote speaker via Facebook. In addition, I’ve been seeking a new Director of Marketing and Communications, and some of the best resumes I’ve received came in after I posted the job on LinkedIn. Definitely not a waste of my time!
Through exposure to Gina Bianchini at Ning, we’ve decided as an organization that creating a Social Networking site for our members is a crucial and exciting new avenue for our “forum.” Hopefully we can use these activities as another way of forging and sustaining deep and meaningful connections, and as a means of self-educating on the business benefits of Social Networking. Please join us March 25 to hear from the experts (that includes you) how Social Networking can benefit your business.
I look forward to your comments about your business experiences with Social Networking. Also, let us know what specific questions you’d like to have answered at the conference?
March 5th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Bravo! Wendy and FWEandE for launching this blog. As a cofounder of an early internet social networking internet ASP, ShopTok (circa 1999-2001), and a new startup in molecular diagnostics, KidsDx, the major change I see in the implementation of social networking is the transition from its use as a platform for communication, connection, and referral, to using social networking to fundamentally change our business methods. KidsDx is using social networking as an integral component of our direct-to-consumer lab. It will allow us to change the way we do scientific discovery and run our business. The potential of whole new markets or trends my business operates in, like translational medicine or personalized medicine, will depend on our skill in making this transition. I have been looking for a way to be part of a discussion about how social networking can transform business practice and the application of social networking to personalized medicine. I think this is an ideal forum and would love to learn about how I can help out in this initiative. This is my first comment to a blog. And because you asked…I would be delighted to see speakers at the Social Networking Conference provide concrete examples of how they have seen social networking applied to help businesses change their fundamental business practices. Is this the point at which I invite other new bloggers to join me?