Last week I attended the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) 10th Annual Executive Summit. I attended an interesting breakout session regarding social networking. I am sure you have heard the buzz about the various social networking services; LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. You might be asking yourself, what is social networking and why is it so important?
According to Wikipedia, a social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact. At this time, over 200 different networking services are available.
With these social network services, you can do your “homework” about a perspective client or a new hire. For example, my daughter recently moved to New York and she needed to find a roommate and an apartment. First she posted a message, researched her potential roommates (gaining knowledge about their background, family, education), and in the end, she was able to make a better, more informed, quicker decision.
It is true about the professional world as well. About a month ago, we were asked to respond to an RFP. How this company found us was through the social network world. They searched for incentive and recognition providers through the various social networking services. When I did eventually meet the key contact, it was amazing how much she knew about me.
Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information which I believe in turn can improve your performance and the performance of others. These websites are being used regularly by millions of people. Share your experience or successes about social networking services.
Posted by Recognize Right 
