It is the Web 2.0 era. Millions of people throughout the country and the world are connected to the Internet and are using it for a variety of functions. The Web has become a place to facilitate communication, connect with people, and share information. Users have more capabilities than ever and they are taking advantage of them.
A defining aspect of the Web 2.0 era is that the Internet has become a place for people to develop sites to share information about themselves and their interests. They can then find and connect with people who relate to them, or socially network. Web-based communities have developed at a rapid rate, providing people with a variety of formats to explore, communicate, and network.
MySpace is one of the most successful social networking and highest trafficked sites on the Web. While it may have once been considered a site typically used by teens and college age individuals, MySpace has evolved into a site that attracts users of all ages and backgrounds. MySpace is a free application that allows its users to be a part of a global community where they can integrate personal information and data, share photos and videos, communicate with instant messaging, blog, and share their favorite music. Individuals can find other people who share similar interests, where they can then associate and communicate with each other.
Tapping into the fast growing arena of social networking is becoming a popular means of connecting businesses with customers. Customer relationship management (CRM) via social networking is an evolving means of businesses, by which they reach out to the Web community in an attempt to attract new customers and establish positive relationships with existing customers. Businesses can create their own individualized MySpace pages that allow visitors to learn more about them and communicate with them, increasing the opportunities business have to connect with their customers.
Businesses interested in using a social CRM tool like MySpace need to give consideration to what it is they want to get out of the site. They also need to determine what their strong points are and explore how they can feature those points so that they might stand out from the competition. Once determined, the goal is to create a page for the business that clearly defines the business, is appealing and is easy to navigate.
Once a business has created a profile on MySpace, the key is to start connecting with customers and potential customers. Using MySpace’s blog, forum, and messaging features, businesses can post information about themselves and invite other users to communicate with them. This is a key means of learning more about customers and encouraging customer feedback. Communicating with customers and learning their likes, dislikes, opinions and ideas, and being able to respond to those, is an excellent way to establish solid customer relationships. This can drive additional traffic to the MySpace page, which in turn will generate even more connections and potential customers. It is also a good idea for businesses to join MySpace groups or blog groups to make further connections.
Businesses that use social networking applications like MySpace make themselves more available to a broad range of people, from current customers to potential customers. Not only is establishing a MySpace page a very useful means of disseminating company information, but it is also an effective means of connecting and communicating with customers. Capitalizing on social networking sites like MySpace provides businesses with opportunities to inform and connect, adding great potential to establish relationships with customers and support business growth.
