WOMEN & BUSINESS : Get Social, Networking That Is, in 2012!

                                                                                                                              Sonya Young, CEO & Founder

To All Entrepreneurs,

I found this article written by Lahle Wolfe, who writes about  Women and Business in several publications. This information is going into my Business/Marketing Plan, and yet some strategies are  already in place! (Smile).  Awesome, this will help you start implementing your company brand for free.

Have a Bless Day,

Sonya Young

5 Must-Try Social Networks for 2012

Boost Your Social Branding Or Risk Lowering Your Standing With Google

If you are not using social networking to promote your business brand 2012 is the year where it will come back to haunt you. In 2011, Bing began using Facebook "likes" in its algorithms, and, anything Bing can do, Google thinks it can do better. Google's Buzz never quite gained the momentum it had hoped, so now there is Google+. Hints that Google+ presence will soon become integrated into Google's algorithms are not so subtle.

Because AOL tends to mimic Google, and Yahoo and Bing often adopt similar strategies in their algorithms, you can be assured that the major search engines most definitely suffer from the lemming effect. Leading the lemming pack is Google, with its late 2011 announcements about changes that will certainly change the face of search engine marketing and optimization. For the past year plus I have been pushing social networking on my readers; the day of reckoning is here. Branding yourself far and wide is no longer an option when it comes to having the best presence in the major search engines.

In 2012 the face of SEO could change dramatically. Read my article and find out why I think Google's new changes for 2012 should be called the OMG This Isn't Really Happening Algorithm Change.

1. Pinterest

• Pinterest may be the new kid on the block, but with $27 million in venture capital to back the image-based social network, we will likely see it grow significantly in 2012.
• Pinterest is not just another image uploading service like Flickr or Photobucket, it offers tools (including pricing images, "repinning" to build links and branding) that could become a great tool for businesses.

2. Facebook

• Facebook has come a long way to attract businesses. No longer a simply water cooler to connect with people, apps, features, ad campaigns, and highly customizable business pages all make Facebook a force that every business owner should be harnessing.

• But wait, Google has their own new social network ... and won't care as much if you are using Facebook as Bing, AOL, and Yahoo, so you better become familiar with Google+.

3. Google+

• Google expected Google+ to catch on like wild fire; but it did not which is not surprising given how confusing it was and there was no really obvious way to use it for business. But now there are improved tools, and business pages. Google has made it pretty clear: in 2012, you'd be wise to start using Google+.

4. Twitter

• Twitter is the easiest of all social networks to set up and master, and yet, a producer of referrals, and website traffic with surprising success. There is no excuse for a business not to "Tweet."

5. LinkedIn

• Free, easy to get started, and oriented towards serving the business community. Network, make connections, create groups, announcements, and so much more.